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Volume 7
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10.3390/geohazards7010006
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Article

Basement-Controlled Urban Fracturing: Evidence from Las Pilas, Zacatecas, Mexico

by
Felipe de Jesús Escalona-Alcázar
1,*,
Estefanía García-Paniagua
1,
Luis Felipe Pineda-Martínez
1,
Baudelio Rodríguez-González
1,
Sayde María Teresa Reveles-Flores
1,
Santiago Valle-Rodríguez
1 and
Cruz Daniel Mandujano-García
2
1
Unidad Académica de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Calzada de la Universidad 108, Fracc. Progreso, Zacatecas C.P. 98058, Zacatecas, Mexico
2
Unidad Académica de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Av. Preparatoria S/N, Col. Agronómica, Zacatecas C.P. 98600, Zacatecas, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
GeoHazards 2026, 7(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards7010006
Submission received: 21 November 2025 / Revised: 22 December 2025 / Accepted: 23 December 2025 / Published: 1 January 2026
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Abstract

The formation of fractures in urban areas is typically related to construction processes, natural ground settlement, and material quality. In valleys, the distribution of ground fissures is associated with aquifer overexploitation and basement faulting. However, where the soil layer is only a few meters thick or absent, the influence of basement structures remains poorly understood. We hypothesize that urban fractures develop parallel to major basement faults. To test this, we applied a simple structural geology technique to systematically measure extension axes, from street fractures, throughout the town of Las Pilas. These axis orientations were then compared with those calculated for normal faults of Las Pilas Complex. Street fractures are generally about 1 cm thick, with lengths ranging from 0.51 to 1 m and occasionally reaching up to 3 m. They occur within streets 2 to 4 m wide, typically appearing as a single fracture within a 1–2 m wide fracture zone. Based on these characteristics, the fractures do not represent a significant hazard. Measurement results indicate that urban fractures primarily extend in an NE-SW direction. This is consistent with the orientation of the minimum principal stress axis (3) of the regional San Luis-Tepehuanes fault system, thereby supporting our hypothesis.
Keywords: basement; urban fractures; Zacatecas; structural geology; faults basement; urban fractures; Zacatecas; structural geology; faults

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MDPI and ACS Style

Escalona-Alcázar, F.d.J.; García-Paniagua, E.; Pineda-Martínez, L.F.; Rodríguez-González, B.; Reveles-Flores, S.M.T.; Valle-Rodríguez, S.; Mandujano-García, C.D. Basement-Controlled Urban Fracturing: Evidence from Las Pilas, Zacatecas, Mexico. GeoHazards 2026, 7, 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards7010006

AMA Style

Escalona-Alcázar FdJ, García-Paniagua E, Pineda-Martínez LF, Rodríguez-González B, Reveles-Flores SMT, Valle-Rodríguez S, Mandujano-García CD. Basement-Controlled Urban Fracturing: Evidence from Las Pilas, Zacatecas, Mexico. GeoHazards. 2026; 7(1):6. https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards7010006

Chicago/Turabian Style

Escalona-Alcázar, Felipe de Jesús, Estefanía García-Paniagua, Luis Felipe Pineda-Martínez, Baudelio Rodríguez-González, Sayde María Teresa Reveles-Flores, Santiago Valle-Rodríguez, and Cruz Daniel Mandujano-García. 2026. "Basement-Controlled Urban Fracturing: Evidence from Las Pilas, Zacatecas, Mexico" GeoHazards 7, no. 1: 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards7010006

APA Style

Escalona-Alcázar, F. d. J., García-Paniagua, E., Pineda-Martínez, L. F., Rodríguez-González, B., Reveles-Flores, S. M. T., Valle-Rodríguez, S., & Mandujano-García, C. D. (2026). Basement-Controlled Urban Fracturing: Evidence from Las Pilas, Zacatecas, Mexico. GeoHazards, 7(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards7010006

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