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The Balcones Fault or Balcones Fault Zone is an area of largely normal faulting Edwards Aquifer in the
The Balcones Escarpment :Geology, Hydrology, Ecology and Social Development in Central Texas
{{Texas Escarpments of the United States Geology of Texas Landforms of Texas Seismic faults of the United States
The Balcones Fault or Balcones Fault Zone is an area of largely normal faulting Edwards Aquifer in the U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sov ...
of Texas that runs roughly from the southwest part of the state near Del Rio to the north-central region near Dallas along Interstate 35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
. The Balcones Fault zone is made up of many smaller features, including normal faults, grabens, and horsts. One of the obvious features is the Mount Bonnell
Mount Bonnell , also known as Covert Park, is a prominent point alongside the Lake Austin portion of the Colorado River in Austin, Texas. It has been a popular tourist destination since the 1850s. The mount provides a vista for viewing the city of ...
Fault.
The location of the fault zone may be related to the Ouachita Mountains, formed 300 million years ago during a continental collision. Although long since worn away in Texas, the roots of these ancient mountains still exist, buried beneath thousands of feet of sediment. These buried Ouachita Mountains J.S. Aber may still be an area of weakness that becomes a preferred site for faulting when stress exists in the Earth's crust.
The Balcones Fault has remained inactive for nearly 15 million years, with the last activity being during the Neogene period. This activity was related to subsidence
Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope move ...
of the Texas Coastal Plain, most likely from the large amount of sediment deposited on it by Texas rivers. The Balcones Fault is in one of the lowest-risk zones for earthquakes in the United States.
The surface expression of the fault is the Balcones Escarpment, Texas State Historical Association which forms the eastern boundary of the Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a geographic region of Central and South Texas, forming the southeast part of the Edwards Plateau. Given its location, climate, terrain, and vegetation, the Hill Country can be considered the border between the Ameri ...
and the western boundary of the Texas Coastal Plain, and consists of cliffs and cliff-like structures. Subterranean features such as Wonder Cave and numerous other smaller caves are found along the fault zone.
Many cities are located along this fault zone. Springs such as San Pedro Springs, Comal Springs
Comal Springs ( ) are the largest concentration of naturally occurring freshwater springs in Texas. They are located in the city of New Braunfels and are the result of water percolating through the Edwards Aquifer formation.
History
The springs ...
, San Marcos Springs, Barton Springs
Barton Springs is a set of four natural water springs located at Barton Creek on the grounds of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, resulting from water flowing through the Edwards Aquifer. The largest spring, Main Barton Spring (also known as Parthen ...
, and Salado Springs are found in the fault zone and provide a source of fresh water and a place for human settlement.
The Balcones Fault Zone UT Austin is a demarcation line for certain ecological systems and species distributions, e.g., the California fan palm ('' Washingtonia filifera'') is the only species of palm tree native to the continental United States west of the Balcones Fault.
See also
*Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
Balcones Canyonlands is a national wildlife refuge located in the Texas Hill Country to the northwest of Lago Vista, Texas. The refuge was formed in 1992 to conserve habitat for two endangered songbirds, the golden-cheeked warbler and the black ...
*Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is an approximately long river in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the 18th longest river in the United States and the longest river with both its source and its mouth within Texas.
Its drainage basin and some of its usually d ...
*Edwards Plateau
The Edwards Plateau is a geographic region at the crossroads of Central, South, and West Texas. It is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the Pecos River and Chihua ...
*Edwards Aquifer
The Edwards Aquifer is one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. Located on the eastern edge of the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas, it is the source of drinking water for two million people, and is the primary water s ...
*Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a geographic region of Central and South Texas, forming the southeast part of the Edwards Plateau. Given its location, climate, terrain, and vegetation, the Hill Country can be considered the border between the Ameri ...
References
External links
The Balcones Escarpment :Geology, Hydrology, Ecology and Social Development in Central Texas
{{Texas Escarpments of the United States Geology of Texas Landforms of Texas Seismic faults of the United States