scholarly journals Oblique reactivation of lithosphere-scale lineaments controls rift physiography – The upper crustal expression of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, offshore southern Norway

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Phillips ◽  
Christopher A.-L. Jackson ◽  
Rebecca E. Bell ◽  
Oliver B. Duffy
Keyword(s):  
Strike Slip ◽  
Structural Development ◽  
Stress Regime ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Tectonic Events ◽  
Kinematic Evolution ◽  
Regional Tectonic ◽  
Southern Norway

Abstract. Pre-existing structures within sub-crustal lithosphere may localise stresses during subsequent tectonic events, resulting in complex fault systems at upper crustal levels. As these sub-crustal structures are difficult to resolve at great depths, the evolution of kinematically and perhaps geometrically linked upper-crustal fault populations can offer insights into their deformation history, including when and how they reactivate and accommodate stresses during later tectonic events. In this study, we use borehole-constrained 2D and 3D seismic reflection data to investigate the structural development of the Farsund Basin, offshore southern Norway; this E-trending basin represents the upper crustal expression of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, a major lithosphere-scale lineament extending >1000 km across Central Europe. The southern margin of the Farsund Basin is characterised by N-S and E-W-striking fault populations, the latter extending down through the Moho and potentially linking with the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone as imaged within sub-crustal lithosphere. Due to this geometric linkage, we can analyse the upper crustal fault populations to infer the kinematics of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone. We use throw-length (T-x) analysis and fault displacement backstripping techniques to determine the geometric and kinematic evolution of upper-crustal fault populations during the multiphase evolution of the Farsund Basin. We document a period of sinistral strike-slip activity along E-W-striking faults during the Early Jurassic, representing a hitherto undocumented phase of activity along the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone. These E-W-striking upper-crustal faults are later obliquely reactivated under a dextral stress regime during the Early Cretaceous, with new faults also propagating away from pre-existing ones, representing a switch to a phase of dextral transtension along the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone. We show that the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone represents a long-lived lithosphere-scale lineament that is periodically reactivated throughout its protracted geological history. The upper crustal component of the lineament is reactivated in a range of tectonic styles, including both sinistral and dextral strike-slip motions, with the geometry and kinematics of these faults often inconsistent with what may otherwise be inferred from regional tectonics alone. Understanding these different styles of reactivation not only allows us to better understand the influence of sub-crustal lithospheric structure on rifting, but also offers insights into the prevailing stress field during regional tectonic events.

scholarly journals Oblique reactivation of lithosphere-scale lineaments controls rift physiography – the upper-crustal expression of the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone, offshore southern Norway

Solid Earth ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 403-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Phillips ◽  
Christopher A.-L. Jackson ◽  
Rebecca E. Bell ◽  
Oliver B. Duffy
Keyword(s):  
Strike Slip ◽  
Structural Development ◽  
Stress Regime ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Crustal Component ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Tectonic Events ◽  
Kinematic Evolution ◽  
Southern Norway

Abstract. Pre-existing structures within sub-crustal lithosphere may localise stresses during subsequent tectonic events, resulting in complex fault systems at upper-crustal levels. As these sub-crustal structures are difficult to resolve at great depths, the evolution of kinematically and perhaps geometrically linked upper-crustal fault populations can offer insights into their deformation history, including when and how they reactivate and accommodate stresses during later tectonic events. In this study, we use borehole-constrained 2-D and 3-D seismic reflection data to investigate the structural development of the Farsund Basin, offshore southern Norway. We use throw–length (T-x) analysis and fault displacement backstripping techniques to determine the geometric and kinematic evolution of N–S- and E–W-striking upper-crustal fault populations during the multiphase evolution of the Farsund Basin. N–S-striking faults were active during the Triassic, prior to a period of sinistral strike-slip activity along E–W-striking faults during the Early Jurassic, which represented a hitherto undocumented phase of activity in this area. These E–W-striking upper-crustal faults are later obliquely reactivated under a dextral stress regime during the Early Cretaceous, with new faults also propagating away from pre-existing ones, representing a switch to a predominantly dextral sense of motion. The E–W faults within the Farsund Basin are interpreted to extend through the crust to the Moho and link with the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone, a lithosphere-scale lineament, identified within the sub-crustal lithosphere, that extends > 1000 km across central Europe. Based on this geometric linkage, we infer that the E–W-striking faults represent the upper-crustal component of the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone and that the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone represents a long-lived lithosphere-scale lineament that is periodically reactivated throughout its protracted geological history. The upper-crustal component of the lineament is reactivated in a range of tectonic styles, including both sinistral and dextral strike-slip motions, with the geometry and kinematics of these faults often inconsistent with what may otherwise be inferred from regional tectonics alone. Understanding these different styles of reactivation not only allows us to better understand the influence of sub-crustal lithospheric structure on rifting but also offers insights into the prevailing stress field during regional tectonic events.

Structural initiation along the frontal fold-thrust system in the western Indo-Burman Range: Implications for the tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Hatia Trough (Bengal Basin)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Rashed Abdullah ◽  
Md. Shahadat Hossain ◽  
Md. Soyeb Aktar ◽  
Md. Soyeb Aktar ◽  
Mohammad Moinul Hossain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Bengal Basin ◽  
Structural Development ◽  
Fold Belt ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Thrust System ◽  
Subduction System

The Bengal Basin accommodates an extremely thick Cenozoic sedimentary succession that derived from the uplifted Himalayan and Indo-Burman Orogenic Belts in response to the subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Eurasian and Burmese plates. The Hatia Trough is a proven petroleum province that occupies much of the southern Bengal Basin. However, the style of deformation, kinematics, and possible timing of structural initiation in the Hatia Trough and the relationship of this deformation to the frontal fold-thrust system in the outer wedge (namely, the Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt) of the Indo-Burman subduction system to the east are largely unknown. Therefore, we carried out a structural interpretation across the eastern Hatia Trough and western Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt based on 2D seismic reflection data. Our result suggests that the syn-kinematic packages correspond to the Pliocene Tipam Group and Pleistocene Dupitila Formation. This implies that the structural development in the western Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt took place from the Pliocene. In the Hatia Trough, the timing of structural activation is slightly later (since the Plio-Pleistocene). In general, fold intensity and structural complexity gradually increase towards the east. The presence of reverse faults with minor strike-slip motion along the frontal thrust system in the outer wedge is also consistent with the regional transpressional structures of the Indo-Burman subduction system. However, to the west, there is no evidence for strike-slip deformation in the Hatia Trough. The restored sections show that the amount of E-W shortening in the Hatia Trough is very low (maximum 1.2%). In contrast, to the east, the amount of shortening is high (maximum 13.5%) in the western margin of the Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt. In both the areas, the key trapping mechanism includes anticlinal traps, although, stratigraphic and combinational traps are possible, but it requires further evaluation.

Shallow Seismic Reflection Survey of the Bootheel Lineament Area, Southeastern Missouri

1992 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene S. Schweig ◽  
Fan Shen ◽  
Lisa R. Kanter ◽  
Eugene A. Luzietti ◽  
Roy B. VanArsdale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Reflection ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Shallow Seismic ◽  
Slip Deformation ◽  
Flower Structures

Abstract During 1990 we collected eight lines (11.5 km) of shallow seismic reflection data across the Bootheel lineament, a discontinuous feature that extends about 135 km in a north-northeast direction through northeastern Arkansas and southeastern Missouri. The profiles image reflectors at depths between about 55 m to 800 m. Gentle folding with wavelengths of about 800 m and amplitudes of 10 m to 25 m is evident on nearly every profile, generally coinciding with the surface traces of the lineament. We interpret our lines to show a complex zone of strike-slip deformation consisting of multiple flower structures, with deformation at least as young as the Eocene/Quaternary unconformity.

scholarly journals Reassessing the lithosphere: SeisDARE, an open access seismic data repository

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene DeFelipe ◽  
Juan Alcalde ◽  
Monika Ivandic ◽  
David Martí ◽  
Mario Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Earth Science ◽  
Normal Incidence ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Kinematic Evolution

Abstract. Seismic reflection data (normal incidence and wide-angle) are unique assets for Solid Earth Science as they provide critical information about the physical properties and structure of the lithosphere, as well as about the shallow subsurface for exploration purposes. The resolution of these seismic data is highly appreciated, however they are logistically complex and expensive to acquire and their geographical coverage is limited. Therefore, it is essential to make the most of the data that has already been acquired. The collation and dissemination of seismic open access data is then key to promote accurate and innovative research and to enhance new interpretations of legacy data. This work presents the Seismic DAta REpository (SeisDARE), which is, to our knowledge, one of the first comprehensive open access online databases that stores seismic data registered with a permanent identifier (DOI). The datasets included here are openly accessible online and guarantee the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles of data management, granting the inclusion of each dataset into a statistics referencing database so its impact can be measured. SeisDARE includes seismic data acquired in the last four decades in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. These areas have attracted the attention of international researchers in the fields of geology and geophysics due to the exceptional outcrops of the Variscan and Alpine orogens and wide foreland basins; the crustal structure of the offshore margins that resulted from a complex plate kinematic evolution; and the vast quantities of natural resources contained within. This database has been built thanks to a network of national and international institutions, promoting a multidisciplinary research, and is open for international data exchange and collaborations. As part of this international collaboration, and as a model for inclusion of other global seismic datasets, SeisDARE also hosts seismic data acquired in Hardeman County, Texas (USA), within the COCORP project (Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling). SeisDARE aims to make easily accessible old and recently acquired seismic data and to establish a framework for future seismic data management plans. The SeisDARE is freely available at https://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/101879, bringing endless research and teaching opportunities to the scientific, industrial and educational communities.

scholarly journals Impact of Tectonic, Glacial and Contour Current Processes on the Late Cenozoic Sedimentary Development of the Southeast Greenland Margin

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrien Heirman ◽  
Tove Nielsen ◽  
Antoon Kuijpers
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Accommodation Space ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Irminger Sea ◽  
Denmark Strait ◽  
Regional Tectonic ◽  
Glacial Periods ◽  
Greenland Margin ◽  
Entire Margin

To understand the geomorphological contrast between the northern and southern parts of the Southeast Greenland margin with its marked differences in sedimentary regime, bathymetric and seismic reflection, data have been compiled and analysed. While previous studies focused on selected parts of this margin, the present study provides an intergraded overview of the entire margin from Cap Farewell to Denmark Strait. The prominent north–south contrast shows a wide northern shelf and a narrow southern shelf. The origin of this width disparity can be traced back to the initial formation stage of the Irminger Sea due to regional differences in uplift versus oceanic subsidence. This regional tectonic discrepancy also created a difference in sediment accommodation space that, in combination with a weak ocean circulation regime, favoured formation of Oligocene–Miocene turbidite fan complexes along the lower southern slope. These fan complexes became the core of sediment drift ridges that strike perpendicular to the slope. Strong bottom currents, which gradually increase in strength towards the south, were mainly prevalent during warmer climate stages. During glacial periods, downslope transport of glacigenic sediments and hyperpycnal meltwater flow further shaped the large drift ridges and formed several relatively narrow, V-shaped turbidite channels extending towards the deep Irminger Sea basin. These V-shaped channels are still active today when cascading dense winter water from the shelf flows downwards along the shelf to the Irminger Sea basin.

The Sask Craton and Hearne Province margin: seismic reflection studies in the western Trans-Hudson Orogen

2005 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z Hajnal ◽  
J Lewry ◽  
D White ◽  
K Ashton ◽  
R Clowes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Reflection ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Three Dimensional Model ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Regional Tectonic ◽  
Detachment Zone ◽  
Tectonic Development ◽  
Seismic Images ◽  
Basal Detachment

A three-dimensional model of the regional crustal architecture of the western Trans-Hudson Orogen, based on the interpretation of 590 km of deep-sounding seismic reflection data and a comparable length of existing seismic reflection information, is presented. The seismic images identify the regional geometry of the basal detachment zone (Pelican thrust) that separates juvenile allochthonous terranes from the underlying Archean microcontinent (Sask craton). The Sask Craton is inferred to have a minimum spatial extent of over 100 000 km2 with an associated crustal root that extends for 200 km along strike. During terminal collision, complete convergence of the Rae–Hearne and Superior continental blocks was precluded by the presence of the Sask Craton, resulting in the preservation of anomalous amounts of oceanic and associated sedimentary juvenile material. Along regional tectonic strike, consistency of crustal structure across the Rae–Hearne margin – Reindeer zone boundary is established. Several phases of tectonic development, including multistage subduction and continent–continent collision, are inferred for the western margin of the orogen. A bright, shallow (2–3.5 s two-way traveltime) band of reflectivity (Wollaston Lake reflector) imaged over ~150 000 km2 area is inferred to be a large post-orogenic mafic intrusion. A highly reflective, well-defined and structurally disturbed Moho discontinuity is mapped throughout the western Trans-Hudson Orogen. The present-day crustal architecture of the western Trans-Hudson Orogen is described in terms of the tectonic evolution within the region.

The stratigraphic response to the Oligo-Miocene extension in the western Mediterranean from observations on the Sardinia graben system (Italy)

2008 ◽  
Vol 179 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonietta Cherchi ◽  
Nicoletta Mancin ◽  
Lucien Montadert ◽  
Marco Murru ◽  
Maria Teresa Putzu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Eocene ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Normal Faulting ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Calc Alkaline ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Tectonic Events ◽  
Marine Ingression ◽  
Sedimentary Framework

Abstract The Sardinian Cainozoic rifted basin is a useful model for studying the stratigraphic response to the Oligo-Miocene structural extension in the western Mediterranean because it allows precise observations on the relationship between sedimentation and normal faulting based on outcrops and seismic reflection data. The purpose of this paper, essentially of stratigraphic nature is to propose a chronology as precise as possible of the tectonic events and of the sedimentary formations. Indeed the tectono-sedimentary framework is complex, characterized by an extreme facies variability, from continental to marginal transitional and to marine environments (shallow-water, hemipelagic). Rifting, active calc-alkaline volcanism and sea-level changes caused rapid physiographical evolution, which controlled progressive marine ingression. New chronobiostratigraphical data presented in this paper allow correlating the sequences, defining their environment and depth of deposition and specifying precisely the timing of pre-, syn-, and post-rift stages in the Oligo-Miocene graben system. In southwestern Sardinia during the middle-late Eocene, after the Pyrenean phase, a continental graben (Cixerri), W-E oriented, preceded the Oligo-Miocene extension, which reactivated inherited Eocene and Palaeozoic faults. The calc-alkaline volcanic activity ranging from 32 to 13 Ma, provides a good estimate for the time span of the west-dipping Apenninic subduction responsible for the continental extension and the oceanic accretion in the western Mediterranean. In Sardinia the Oligo-Miocene extensional tectonics started in a continental environment, preceding the earliest calc-alkaline volcanic products (32 Ma). The marine ingression is dated to the late Chattian-Aquitanian interval and corresponds to a rapid deepening of the Oligo-Miocene graben system of tectonic origin. The end of the rifting i.e. the end of normal faulting activity is pre-middle Burdigalian in age. When Sardinia was in the post-rift stage, extension continued until late Burdigalian – Langhian in the Algero-Provençal basin with oceanic accretion and rotation of the Corsica-Sardinia block (CSB).

scholarly journals Reassessing the lithosphere: SeisDARE, an open-access seismic data repository

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1053-1071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene DeFelipe ◽  
Juan Alcalde ◽  
Monika Ivandic ◽  
David Martí ◽  
Mario Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Data Management ◽  
Seismic Data ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Normal Incidence ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Shallow Subsurface ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Kinematic Evolution

Abstract. Seismic reflection data (normal incidence and wide angle) are unique assets for solid Earth sciences as they provide critical information about the physical properties and structure of the lithosphere as well as about the shallow subsurface for exploration purposes. The resolution of these seismic data is highly appreciated; however they are logistically complex and expensive to acquire, and their geographical coverage is limited. Therefore, it is essential to make the most of the data that have already been acquired. The collation and dissemination of seismic open-access data are then key to promote accurate and innovative research and to enhance new interpretations of legacy data. This work presents the Seismic DAta REpository (SeisDARE), which is, to our knowledge, one of the first comprehensive open-access online databases that stores seismic data registered with a permanent identifier (DOI). The datasets included here are openly accessible online and guarantee the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) principles of data management, granting the inclusion of each dataset in a statistics referencing database so its impact can be measured. SeisDARE includes seismic data acquired in the last 4 decades in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. These areas have attracted the attention of international researchers in the fields of geology and geophysics due to the exceptional outcrops of the Variscan and Alpine orogens and wide foreland basins, the crustal structure of the offshore margins that resulted from a complex plate kinematic evolution, and the vast quantities of natural resources contained within. This database has been built thanks to a network of national and international institutions, promoting a multidisciplinary research and is open for international data exchange and collaborations. As part of this international collaboration, and as a model for inclusion of other global seismic datasets, SeisDARE also hosts seismic data acquired in Hardeman County, Texas (USA), within the COCORP project (Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling). SeisDARE aims to make easily accessible old and recently acquired seismic data and to establish a framework for future seismic data management plans. SeisDARE is freely available at https://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/101879 (a detailed list of the datasets can be found in Table 1), bringing endless research and teaching opportunities to the scientific, industrial, and educational communities.

scholarly journals Flexural strike-slip basins

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Neuharth ◽  
Sascha Brune ◽  
Anne Glerum ◽  
Chris Morley ◽  
Xiaoping Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Reflection ◽  
Sediment Load ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Strike Slip Fault ◽  
Surface Processes ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Accommodation Space ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
New Type ◽  
Fault Trace

Strike-slip faults are classically associated with pull-apart basins where continental crust is thinned between two laterally offset fault segments. Here we propose a subsidence mechanism to explain the formation of a new type of basin where no substantial segment offset or syn-strike-slip thinning is observed. Such “flexural strike-slip basins” form due to a sediment load creating accommodation space by bending the lithosphere. We use a two-way coupling between the geodynamic code ASPECT and surface processes code FastScape to show that flexural strike-slip basins emerge if sediment is deposited on thin lithosphere close to a strike-slip fault. These conditions were met at the Andaman Basin Central Fault, where seismic reflection data provide evidence of a laterally extensive flexural basin with a depocenter located parallel to the strike-slip fault trace.

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