屈尺-土壠灣斷層、梨山斷層與潮州斷層之接合點位於台灣南部寶來附近的板塊過渡帶上。此三條斷層分隔了西部麓山帶、雪山山脈以及中央山脈等三個構造帶。
由174個全磁場強度的量測資料得到本研究區的殘餘磁場異常分佈圖、分佈剖面，以及兩個切過板塊過渡帶的基岩構造模型。根據本研究建構之模型認為，屈尺-土壠灣斷層為一朝東傾之逆斷層，當梨山斷層的基岩為東翼逆衝斷層時，雪山山脈為以此兩斷層為界之上衝構造；若梨山斷層的基岩為朝西傾之正斷層時，雪山山脈則為大陸邊緣殘留盆地之半地塹構造。殘餘磁場異常分佈圖指出了本區四條可能的斷層或斷層帶，由西至東為：高中斷層、土壠灣斷層、介於土壠灣斷層與梨山斷層間由至少兩條斷層組成之斷層帶以及梨山斷層。
儘管台灣南部山區有著十分崎嶇的地形以及高達60°-70°的陡坡，磁力探測可適用於山區地形，並可在人力及經費相對節省的情況下研究含有基岩參與之斷層。本研究依據地球物理方法證明過渡帶中梨山斷層的存在，並且為一朝西傾之斷層。

The tectonic transition zone of south-central Taiwan (near Baolai) is located at the junction of the Chuchih-Tulunwan Fault system, the Lishan Fault, and the Chaochou Fault. These three faults delineate one or more boundaries of the Western Foothills, Hsuehshan Range, and Backbone Range.
From a regional total magnetic intensity survey of 174 stations reduced to a residual magnetic anomaly map and profile, two basement structure models of the transition zone are presented. We suggest that the Chuchih-Tulungwan Fault is an east-dipping reverse fault, whereas the southern Lishan Fault is either an east-vergent thrust fault in the basement, and the Hsuehshan Range is a pop-up structure bounded by the two faults, or a west-dipping normal fault is part of a relic basin that developed at the continental margin. The magnetic residual anomalies also indicate four possible faults or fault zones in the study area, which from west to east are the Gaojhong Fault, the Tulungwan Fault, the Lishan Fault and a fault zone (two un-named faults) between the Tulungwan and Lishan faults.
Although the tectonic transition zone of south-central Taiwan has extremely rugged topography with steep slopes up to 60°-70°, the magnetic method has been demonstrated to be a suitable method to investigate basement-involved faults at a relatively inexpensive cost. This research is significant because it provides strong geophysical evidence for the existence of the Lishan Fault in the transition zone, as well as evidence for westward dip on this fault.

1. Angelier, J., 1986, Geodynamics of Eurasia-Philippine Sea Plate boundary: Preface, Tectonophysics, 125(1-3), IX-X.
2. Bartington Instruments Ltd, 1989, Operation manual for MS2 Magnetic Susceptibility System, Oxford, p.8, 71 p.
3. Biq, C.-C., 1989, The Yüshan-Hsüehshan Megashear zone in Taiwan, Proceedings of the Geological Society of China, 32, p. 7-20.
4. Chang, F.-C., 1986, The neotectonic structure of the northern Chaochou fault in the southern Taiwan, Master Thesis, National Taiwan University, 60 p.
5. Chen, C.-C., & Chen, C.-S., 1998, Preliminary result of magnetotelluric soundings in the fold-thrust belt of Taiwan and possible detection of dehydration, Tectonophysics, 292, p. 101-117.
6. Chen, P.-Y., 2006, Geology of Taiwan, Engineering Geologist Association of Taiwan, ch. 26, p. 1-36.
7. Chen, S.-W., 2005, Magnetic Surveying of the Chaochou Fault, Master’s Thesis, National Cheng Kung University, Department of Resources Engineering, 80 p.
8. Chen, W. S., Chen, Y. C., Yu, N. T., Yen, Y. C., Yang, C. C., & Shih, T. S., 2005, Stratigraphic and tectonogeomorphic studies along the Chaochou fault, southern Taiwan - Reevaluating fault characteristics and location, Special Publication of the Central Geological Survey, 16, p. 75-90.
9. Clark, M. B. & Fisher, D.M., 1993, Kinematic analyses of the Hsüehshan Range, Taiwan, A large scale pop-up structure, Tectonics, 12, p. 205-217.
10. Geologic map of Taiwan, 1986, Central Geologic Survey MOEA.
11. Geologic map of Taiwan, 2000, Central Geologic Survey MOEA.
12. Goodacre, A. K., et al., 1986, Interpretation of Gravity and Magnetic anomalies for Non-Specialists, Observatory Hall Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, p. 145, 362 p.
13. Hickmen, J. B., Wiltschko, D. V., Hung, J.-H., Fang, P. & Bock, Y., 2002, Structure and evolution of the active fold-and-trust belt of southwestern Taiwan from Global Positioning System analysis, Geological Society of America, Special paper 358, p. 75-92.
14. Ho, C.-S., 1986, An introduction to the geology of Taiwan: explanatory text of the geologic map of Taiwan, Central Geological Survey MOEA, 163 p.
15. Hsiung, Y. M. & Lo, C. M., 1973, Catalog of earthquakes in Taiwan, January to March, 1973, Chinese Earthquake Research Center, Academia Sinica, report EIT, no. 73-1.
16. Hsu, C. M., Chang, F. C., & Wang, Y., 1985, Fault-induced fissures at the Tulungwan fault zone, southern Taiwan, and its neotectonic implications, Acta Geologica Taiwanica, 23, p. 197-207.
17. Huang, C.-Y., Yuan, Peter B., & Tsao, S.-J., 2006, Temporal and spatial records of active arc-continent collision in Taiwan: A synthesis, Bulletin of Geological Society of America, 118, p. 274-288.
18. Keng, W.-P., 1967, Geology of the Chiahsien-Chishan area, southern Taiwan, Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Taiwan, 19, p. 1-13.
19. Klein, C., 2002, Mineral Science, 22nd edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York, p.164-167, 632 p.
20. Lee, J.-C., Angelier, J., & Chu, H.-T., 1997, Polyphase history and kinematics of a complex major fault zone in the northern Taiwan mountain belt: the Lishan Fault, Tectonophysics, 274, p. 97-115.
21. Lewis, C., Chen, S.-W., & Yen, P.-C., 2004, Magnetic surveying of the Chaochou Fault of southern Taiwan: culmination of basement-involved surface thrusting in arc-continent collision, Internation Geology Review, 46, p. 399-408.
22. Li, J., Sato, T., & Kaggeyama, A., 2002, Repeated and sudden reversals of the dipole field generated by a spherical dynamo action, Science, 295, p. 1887-1890.
23. Lin, W.-H., 1996, Geological map of Chiahsien, Annual Report of Central Geological Survey MOEA, p. 17-20.
24. Lin, W.-H., 1999, On the Laonunghsi Fault - A boundary fault between the Paleogene and the Neogene Strata, southern Taiwan, Bulletin of the Central Geological Survey, 12, p. 1-24.
25. Merrill, R. T., 2004, Time of reversal, Nature, 428, p. 608-609.
26. Milsom, J., 2003, Field Geophysics, third edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 232 p.
27. Parasnis, D. S., 1986, Principles of Applied Geophysics, fourth edition, Chapman and Hall, London, 402 p.
28. Pan, Y. S., 1968, Interpretation and seismic coordination of the Bouguer gravity anomalies obtained in south-western Taiwan, Petroleum Geology of Taiwan, 6, p. 198-208.
29. Robinson, E. S. & Coruh, C., 1988, Basic Exploration Geophysics, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 562 p.
30. Sung, Q. C., Lin, C. W., Lin, W. H., & Lin, W. C., 2000, Geological map of Taiwan scale 1:50,000 51 Chiahsien, Central Geological Survey, MOEA.
31. Takahashi, F., Matsushima, M., & Honkura, Y., 2005, Simulations of a Quasi-Taylor state geomagnetic field including polarity reversals on the Earth simulation, Science, 309, p. 459-461.
32. Telford, W. M., Geldart, L. P. & Sheriff, R. E., 1990, Applied Geophysics, second edition, Cambridge University Press, New York, 770 p.
33. Teng, L. S., Wang, Y., Tang, C. H., Huang, T. C., Yu, M. S. & Ke, A., 1991, Tectonic aspects of the Paleogene deposition basin of northern Taiwan, Proceedings of the Geological Society of China, 34, p. 313-335.
34. Torii, K., 1933, Report on the geology of the Chishan oil field, Kaohsiung (in Japanese), Government-General of Taiwan (Japanese Government), no. 732, p. 1-36.
35. Vočadlo, L. & Dobson, D., 1999, The Earth’s deep interior: advances in theory and experiment, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A, 357, p. 3335-3357.
36. Yen, T. P., & Tien, P.-L., 1986, Chaochou fault in southern Taiwan, Proceedings of the Geological Society of China, 29, p. 9-22.
37. Yu, S. B., Yeh, Y. T. & Tsai, Y. B., 1983, Microearthquake activity in southwestern Taiwan, Bulletin of the Institute of Earth Science, Academic Sinica, 3, p. 71-85.