Gabriel Mattei Salicrup

Years participated in RESESS: 2010

An Overview

Biography

Gabriel Mattei Salicrup is from Adjuntas, Puerto Rico and hopes to work in the Caribbean region down the road. His main areas of study are applied geophysics, tectonics, and seismology. Gabriel grew up on a farm and also became an Eagle Scout. Both of these influences led him to spend quality time in nature. This led to a decision to study geology because the geoscienecs help us understand how the world we live in works. Gabriel loves hiking, camping, drawing, hanging out on the beach or with friends, playing golf, playing video games, and studying. Gabriel’s goal is to study for his PhD and become a professor/researcher working in Puerto Rico in applied geophysics or to work in the oil industry.

Gabriel Mattei Salicrup is from Adjuntas, Puerto Rico and hopes to work in the Caribbean region down the road. His main areas of study are applied geophysics, tectonics, and seismology. Gabriel grew up on a farm and also became an Eagle Scout. Both of these influences led him to spend quality time in nature. This led to a decision to study geology because the geoscienecs help us understand how the world we live in works. Gabriel loves hiking, camping, drawing, hanging out on the beach or with friends, playing golf, playing video games, and studying. Gabriel’s goal is to study for his PhD and become a professor/researcher working in Puerto Rico in applied geophysics or to work in the oil industry.

Abstract

Structural modeling of fault zones in Western Puerto Rico

In this study, we modeled the structure of the Cerro Goden and subparallel fault zones in northwestern Puerto Rico using existing and newly collected gravity data. The fault zone has been mapped at the surface, but the details of the fault zone in the subsurface and the detailed structure remain poorly constrained. We used our gravity data to extend surface geologic models to greater depth. Specifically, we modeled and interpreted a north-to-south, 2-D model perpendicular to the Cerro Goden fault zone. We also created maps of gravity data and derivatives, including the horizontal derivative and residual anomaly maps. The horizontal derivative emphasizes edges of subsurface bodies, and the residual grid emphasizes shallow structures of interest. Our preliminary 2-D model constrains the width and depth extent of serpentinite bodies, examines the relationship of the faults with the Cerro Goden anticline in central Puerto Rico, and confirms the steep northeast dip of the faults extrapolated from surface data. Additional data will be collected in the future across the Cerro Goden fault zone to laterally extend our models of subsurface structural features. This structural information is important to understand earthquake hazards on the densely populated island of Puerto Rico.