位處於環太洋地震帶上的台灣，在歐亞大陸板塊與菲律海洋板塊的衝撞構造下，造就了地表上一條非常明顯的潮州線形，一條從六龜到枋寮幾乎呈一直線南北走向80km 長的斷層— 潮州斷層。在航照或地形圖上，高程落差更是明顯從中央山脈驟降至屏東平原，劃分了東邊的脊樑山脈帶和西邊的濱海平原區。這個主要歐亞大陸板塊地殼上的破裂帶，也相對反應在重力和磁力資料上：在布蓋重力上有約50 mgal 的落差；在磁力異常上，本研究也顯示有約40 nT 的異常。為了更確實了解此斷層地下的岩層性質與地質構造, 本研究沿著潮州斷層從南到北進行7 條東西向測線的全磁場強度調查(Total magnetic intensity surveying)，並綜合重力和震測資料結果，對此斷層有如下之詮釋：
　　在西南台灣地區，受到先中新世的板塊張裂活動影響，造成了基磐地層中的一系列正斷層；之後，由於菲律賓海板塊的持續向西推擠，造成了一連串的覆瓦狀斷層。而潮州斷層為其中最西邊的一個有基岩參與的逆衝斷層，其上盤由於越過先中新世的正斷層，造成以高角度逆斷層出露於地表。這些逆衝能量中的水平分力可能造成了潮州斷層的左移成
份；而這些逆衝能量中的部份分量，可能同時順著岩層中的弱面造成了
其它分歧的逆衝斷層(如：萬隆斷層)。
　　根據本研究建構之地質模型，這些造成潮州斷層以高角度出露的先中新世正斷層，深度可能約在6km左右。利用線性迴歸分析殘餘磁場強度(Residual magnetic intensity) 的結果進一步支持這個地質模型— 在台灣西南地區，基磐地層中的一系列先中新世正斷層，其東界為夾雜基岩逆衝的潮州斷層；這樣解釋也與重力和震測資料一致。
　　本研究結果顯示：磁力調查是一個非常值得考慮的方法，可以在人力和經費都相對花費最小的情況下，用來更合理的推測有基岩參與的活動斷層之性質，並對區域板塊構造有更進一步的了解。

　The Chaochou fault, the western-most basement-involved thrust faultexpressed at the surface in southern Taiwan, overrides paleo deep-seated normal faults and therefore becomes a high-angle thrust fault near the surface with certain splay faults due to the partitioning of energy. The horizontal component of this energy generates a left-lateral strike slip movement near the surface, and deep-seated extensional faulting provides a ramp. A décollement could be approximately 7 km deep with a throw of 6 km on the west-vergent upthrust Chaochou fault. West of this western-most Chaochou thrust fault,there appears to be a sequence of normal faults in pre-Miocene basement.
　This interpretation results from surveying of the Earth’s total intensity magnetic field combined with gravity, seismic, well log and geologic data in order to better delineate an outline of the basement setting of this N-S trending fault. Magnetic surveying involved seven E-W profiles traversing the fault from north to south, and the magnetic results indicate the Chaochou fault is a west-vergent upthrust fault with a magnetic signature throw of 40 nT. Bouguer gravity data shows a pronounced minimum with a throw of 50 mgal that is indicative of the Chaochou fault as well. Satellite images and topographic maps clearly show the N-S 80 km linear surface trace of the Chaochou fault that divides the older metamorphic rocks of the Central Range on the east from younger sediments of Coastal Plains on the west.
　This major active fault was chosen for this magnetic study, not only because of these significant characteristics mentioned above, but also due to the Chaochou fault being located in a complex tectonic setting of the transfer collision zone between the continental Eurasia and the oceanic Philippine plates.
　Magnetic surveying tied to other geophysical data has been demonstrated to be an appropriate way to better characterize an active basement-involved fault at relatively in expensive cost.

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