1. Rotation, narrowing, and preferential reactivation of brittle structures during oblique rifting
- Author
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Guillaume Duclaux, Dave A. May, Ritske S. Huismans, Géoazur (GEOAZUR 7329), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud]), Department of Earth Science [Bergen] (UiB), University of Bergen (UiB), Institute of Geophysics [ETH Zürich], Department of Earth Sciences [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology - ETH Zürich] (D-ERDW), Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology [Zürich] (ETH Zürich)- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology [Zürich] (ETH Zürich), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA), Department of Earth Science [Bergen], University of Bergen (UIB), Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Geophysics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich [Zürich] (ETH Zürich), and Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])
- Subjects
bepress|Physical Sciences and Mathematics ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,bepress|Physical Sciences and Mathematics|Earth Sciences|Tectonics and Structure ,bepress|Physical Sciences and Mathematics|Earth Sciences ,[SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences ,Slip (materials science) ,EarthArXiv|Physical Sciences and Mathematics|Earth Sciences ,010502 geochemistry & geophysics ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,Lithosphere ,Passive margin ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,030304 developmental biology ,[SDU.STU.TE]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Tectonics ,0303 health sciences ,Rift ,Transtension ,Oblique case ,EarthArXiv|Physical Sciences and Mathematics ,Tectonics ,Geophysics ,Space and Planetary Science ,[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] ,EarthArXiv|Physical Sciences and Mathematics|Earth Sciences|Tectonics and Structure ,Shear zone ,Seismology ,Geology ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Occurrence of multiple faults populations with contrasting orientations in oblique continental rifts and passive margins has long sparked debate about relative timing of deformation events and tectonic interpretations. Here, we use high-resolution three-dimensional thermo-mechanical numerical modeling to characterize the evolution of the structural style associated with varying geometries of oblique rifting in a layered continental lithosphere. Automatic analysis of the distribution of active extensional shear zones at the surface of the model demonstrates a characteristic sequence of deformation. Phase 1 with initial localization of deformation and development of wide moderately oblique en-echelon grabens limited by extensional shear zones oriented close to orthogonal to σ 3 trend. Subsequent widening of the grabens is accompanied by progressive rotation of the phase 1 extensional shear zones to an orientation sub-orthogonal to the plate motion direction. Phase 2 is characterized by narrowing of active deformation resulting from thinning of the continental mantle lithosphere and development of a second-generation of extensional shear zones. During phase 2 deformation localizes both on plate motion direction-orthogonal structures that reactivate rotated phase 1 shear zones, and on new moderately oblique structures parallel to σ 2 . Finally, phase 3 consists in the oblique rupture of the continental lithosphere and produces an oceanic domain where oblique ridge segments are linked with highly oblique accommodation zones. We conclude that while new structures form and trend parallel to σ 2 in an oblique rift, progressive rotation and long-term slip along phase 1 structures promotes orthorhombic fault systems, which accommodate upper crustal extension and control oblique passive margin architecture. The distribution, orientation, and evolution of frictional-plastic structures observed in our models consistent with documented fault populations in the Main Ethiopian Rift and the Gulf of Aden conjugate passive margins, both of which developed in moderately oblique extensional settings.
- Published
- 2020
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