First Results of a Tiltmeter Profile Across the Active Thrust Fault at the Southern Boundary of the Hunsrück Mountains

Abstract

The Hunsrück Mountains and the Saar-Nahe-Senke are separated by an active thrust zone that penetrates the crust and can be traced down to a depth of 33 km, well in the Earth’s mantle. Four tiltmeters, two Askania vertical pendulums and two Hughes tiltmeters have been installed in boreholes and mines in the vicinity of the fault for measuring earth tidal tilt. The sites extend from Oberkirn, 20 km north of the fault to Hundsbach, 12 km south of it. The tilts are expected to be strongly influenced by the active zone as was already elicited by a campaign in 1975/76. The investigation is aimed at the confirmation of anomalies in tilt caused by a deep active thrust fault. It will provide data for complementing models of this fault derived from seismic observations, too.