Active crustal extension accommodated through frictional faulting and magma intrusions in the Cuitzeo Lake basin, central México

This study comprehensively analyzes for the first time the present-day deformation of the Cuitzeo Lake basin in central México, its implications for crustal extension rates, and its accommodation through normal and oblique faulting and magma intrusions. We used a 2.2 mm/yr velocity from a permanent geodetic survey (2008–2023, TLALOCNet) to evaluate the crustal extension in the Cuitzeo Lake basin. We estimated an extension from normal frictional faulting and magmatic processes by comparing the geodetic data with geological data since 8 Ma, derived from regional fault slip rates, magma volumes, and dike intrusions. Our results reveal that the deformation here is dominantly accommodated by normal frictional faulting processes (up to 55 %) and partly by magmatic processes (41 %), of which 11 % is associated with volcanic eruptions and 89 % with arrested magmatic intrusions. These results confirm that the Cuitzeo Lake basin is relatively mature, where frequent interactions occur between faults and the magmatic system.