Motagua Fault

It is considered the onshore continuation of the Swan Islands Transform Fault and Cayman trench, which run under the Caribbean Sea.

[1] Its western end appears not to continue further than its surface trace,[2] where it is covered by Cenozoic volcanics.

Motion of the fault and others in the plate boundary have formed north–south trending grabens across the region that show evidence of counter-clockwise rotation over time.

[1] Studies of GPS displacement of the zone reveal that the motion of the North American / Caribbean plate Boundary is, for the most part, accommodated by the Motagua Fault.

[4] The event caused 2 meters of vertical displacement and ruptured 230 km of the fault's length.

Along the Motagua Fault trace ( 1976 Guatemala earthquake ) where it crosses the Gualán soccer field. This zigzag type of fault trace is known as "mole track", which is best developed in hard-packed, brittle surface materials.