MelaQuake: Shallow Earthquakes and Active Cortical Fault of Las Melosas, Andes Cordillera of Central Chile

The Chilean Fondecyt Project Nº1241021, “Quaternary Tectonics and Seismotectonics of the West Flank of the Main Andes Cordillera in Central Chile” aims to understand the short- and long-term seismic activity of crustal structures within the Principal Cordillera of the Andes and its impacts on prehistoric human communities. The research focuses on the deformation of the western flank of the Andes, adjacent to Santiago, through the analysis of modern seismicity and deformation rates, compared with the kinematics and paleoseismic record of the late Quaternary (the last 125,000 years).
Within this framework, the MelaQuake component will establish and operate a seismic monitoring network centered on the Las Melosas Fault, dedicated to detecting and analyzing shallow crustal earthquakes in the region.
By integrating geological, paleoseismological, and modern seismic data, the project seeks to improve seismic hazard assessment tools for the Metropolitan Region of Chile, contributing to both scientific understanding and public safety.
The network consists of 16 geophones seismic stations (Digos Datacubes with PE-6 3D geophones) recording at 200 Hz, deployed for 8 months.