Neotectonic and volcanic characteristics of the Karasu fault zone (Anatolia,Turkey): The transition zone between the Dead Sea transform and the East Anatolian fault zone

Abstract

The Karasu Rift (Antakya province, SE Turkey) has developed between east-dipping, NNE-striking faults of the Karasu fault zone, which define the western margin of the rift and westdipping, N-S to N20°-30°E-striking faults of Dead Sea Transform fault zone (DST) in the central part and eastern margin of the rift. The strand of the Karasu fault zone that bounds the basin from west forms a linkage zone between the DST and the East Anatolian fault zone (EAFZ). The greater vertical offset on the western margin faults relative to the eastern ones indicates asymmetrical evolution of the rift as implied by the higher escarpments and accumulation of extensive, thick alluvial fans on the western margins of the rift. The thickness of the Quaternary sedimentary fill is more than 465 m, with clastic sediments intercalated with basaltic lavas. The Quaternary alkali basaltic volcanism accompanied fluvial to lacustrine sedimentation between 1.57 ± 0.08 and 0.05 ± 0.03 Ma. The faults are left-lateral oblique-slip faults as indicated by left-stepping faulting patterns, slip-lineation data and left-laterally offset lava flows and stream channels along the Karasu fault zone. At Hacilar village, an offset lava flow, dated to 0.08 ± 0.06 Ma, indicates a rate of leftlateral oblique slip of approximately 4.1 mm?year^?1. Overall, the Karasu Rift is an asymmetrical transtensional basin, which has developed between seismically active splays of the left-lateral DST and the left-lateral oblique-slip Karasu fault zone during the neotectonic period. © 2001 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS     

与时俱进,发展中国大地构造学

郯庐断裂带的起源时间与型式仍然存在着很大的分歧。最近在大别山东缘早白垩世左旋走滑韧性剪切带中 ,发现了早期左旋走滑韧性剪切带。其中三处早期糜棱岩中白云母分别给出了( 188.7± 0 .7)Ma、( 189.7± 0 .6 )Ma、( 192 .5± 0 .7)Ma的40 Ar/ 3 9Ar坪年龄 ,指示了同造山走滑热事件。前陆沉积与变形构造也表明该断裂带在华北与华南板块碰撞中就发生了活动。郯庐断裂带内的造山期构造及旁侧的前陆沉积与变形构造特征 ,指示断裂带同造山运动为转换断层型式 ,并将大别—苏鲁造山带左行错移了约 35 0km ,同时苏鲁造山带发生逆时针旋转。在早白垩世滨太平洋构造活动中 ,该断裂进一步向北延伸 ,发生了约 2 0 0km的左行平移。因而 ,该断裂带起源于华北与华南板块的碰撞之中 ,其同造山运动与这两大板块的碰撞过程相伴生     

太行山东缘断裂南支断层性质及断层泥K-Ar同位素定年

太行山东缘断裂是华北盆地西边界的控制性断裂,对研究华北盆地中-新生代油气藏、地震分布及成矿作用具有重要意义。通过对太行山东缘断裂南支断层几何学、运动学的详细研究以及对断层泥的X射线衍射分析、K-Ar同位素年代学研究,确定了太行山东缘断裂为枢纽性质正断层,山一系列北北东走向正断层组成,呈左阶阶梯状展布,断层活动时间为113.42±2.31 Ma。断裂在新生代再次活动,形成多幕式的断陷盆地。     

Neotectonic deformation in the transition zone between the Dead Sea Transform and the East Anatolian Fault Zone, Southern Turkey: a palaeomagnetic study of the Karasu Rift Volcanism

In southern Turkey ongoing differential impingement of Arabia into the weak Anatolian collisional collage resulting from subduction of the Neotethyan Ocean has produced one of the most complex crustal interactions along the Alpine–Himalayan Orogen. Several major transforms with disputed motions, including the northward extension of the Dead Sea Fault Zone (DSFZ), meet in this region. To evaluate neotectonic motion on the Amanos and East Hatay fault zones considered to be northward extensions of the DSFZ, the palaeomagnetism of volcanic fields in the Karasu Rift between these faults has been studied. Remanence carriers are low-Ti magnetites and all except 5 of 51 basalt lavas have normal polarity. Morphological, polarity and K–Ar evidence show that rift formation occurred largely during the Brunhes chron with volcanism concentrated at 0.66–0.35 Ma and a subsidiary episode at 0.25–0.05. Forty-four units of normal polarity yield a mean of D/I=8.8°/54.7° with inclination identical to the present-day field and declination rotated clockwise by 8.8±4.0°. Within the 15-km-wide Hassa sector of the Karasu Rift, the volcanic activity is concentrated between the Amanos and East Hatay faults, both with left lateral motions, which have rotated blocks bounded by NW–SE cross faults in a clockwise sense as the Arabian Block has moved northwestwards. An average lava age of 0.5 Ma yields a minimum cumulative slip rate on the system bounding faults of 0.46 cm/year according with the rate deduced from the Africa–Arabia Euler vector and reduced rates of slip on the southern extension of the DSFZ during Plio-Quaternary times. Estimates deduced from offsets of dated lavas flows and morphological features on the Amanos Fault Zone [Tectonophysics 344 (2002) 207] are lower (0.09–0.18 cm/year) probably because they are limited to surface fault breaks and do not embrace the seismogenic crust.Results of this study suggest that most strike slip on the DSFZ is taken up by the Amanos–East Hatay–Afrin fault array in southern Turkey. Comparable estimates of Quaternary slip rate are identified on other faults meeting at an unstable FFF junction (DSFZ, East Anatolian Fault Zone, Karatas Fault Zone). A deceleration in slip rate across the DSFZ and its northward continuation during Plio-Quaternary times correlates with reorganization of the tectonic regime during the last 1–3 Ma including tectonic escape within Anatolia, establishment of the North and East Anatolian Fault Zones bounding the Anatolian collage in mid–late Pliocene times, a contemporaneous transition from transpression to transtension and concentration of all basaltic magmatism in this region within the last 1 Ma.     

Morphotectonics and paleoseismology of the eastern end of the Bolnay fault (Mongolia)

The Bolnay (Hangayn) fault is an active shear system which generated the M = 8.2-8.5 Bolnay earthquake of 23 July 1905, one of world’s largest recorded intracontinental event. The fault follows the Mesozoic suture formed during the closure of the Mongolia-Okhotsk ocean. The Late Cenozoic faulting in the region was induced by propagation of strain from the India-Eurasia collision that had reached Mongolia at about 5 ± 3 Ma. The left-lateral strike slip almost all over the fault length is compensated in its western end by Late Quaternary reverse motion. We estimated coseismic slip associated with the event of 1905 and the previous earthquakes in the eastern fault end and checked whether vertical offset compensates the strike slip in this part as well. The 1905 coseismic slip measured from a displaced dry stream bed and pebble bars in the Hasany-Gol river valley was 6.5-7.5 m. The 13 ± 1 m left-lateral displacement of pebble bars in the same valley represents a cumulative slip of two events. Paleoseismological studies across the strike of surface ruptures reveal at least two generations of rupture in two events that postdated the deposition of sediments with a ¹⁴C age of 4689 ± 94 yr. Hypsometry of the alluvial surface in the zone of deformation shows gradual elevation increase toward the mountains, but without abrupt change across the fault. This means the absence of vertical offset and reactivation of the fault as a left-lateral strike slip. The horizontal slip in the eastern extension of the Bolnay fault is compensated rather by parallel fault-bounded pull-apart basins trending northeastward oblique to the principal fault strike. The age of their sedimentary fill suggests no older than middle Pleistocene normal faulting that compensated the Bolnay strike slip.     

青海鄂拉山断裂带晚第四纪构造活动及其所反映的青藏高原东北缘的变形机制

鄂拉山断裂带是分隔青海乌兰盆地 (柴达木盆地的一部分 )与茶卡—共和盆地的一条重要边界断裂 ,长约 2 0 7km ,由 6条规模较大的主要以右阶或左阶次级断裂段羽列而成 ,阶距约 1～ 3.5km。该断裂右旋走滑的起始时代为第四纪初期 ,约在 1.8～ 3.8MaB .P .期间 ,大的地质体累积断错约 9～12km。断裂新活动形成了一系列山脊、冲沟和阶地等的右旋断错及断层崖、断层陡坎等。晚更新世晚期以来 ,鄂拉山断裂带的平均水平滑动速率为 (4 .1± 0 .9)mm/a ,垂直滑动速率为 (0 .15± 0 .1)mm/a。鄂拉山地区的构造变形受区域NE向构造应力作用下的剪切压扁与鄂拉山断裂的右旋剪切和挤压的共同影响 ,共和—茶卡盆地和乌兰盆地均属于走滑挤压型盆地。青藏高原东北缘地区在区域性北东向挤压的作用之下 ,应变被分解为沿北西西向断裂的左旋走滑和沿北北西向断裂的右旋走滑运动 ,形成一对共轭的剪切断裂。鄂拉山断裂及其他北北西走向断裂的发展演化和变形机制表明青藏高原东北缘向东的挤出和逃逸是非常有限的。     

青藏高原中部第四纪左旋剪切变形的地表地质证据

在青藏铁路的格尔木—拉萨段进行的活动断裂调查发现,在沱沱河—五道梁之间宽约150km的地段内发育了多条由北西西向次级断层左列分布构成的北西西向和北西向左旋张扭性断裂带,在断裂带之间则发育"S"型的北东向裂陷盆地和雁列分布的菱形裂陷盆地,盆地边界断裂也为左旋张扭性质。上述断裂带和裂陷带主要形成于第四纪,它们构成了宽约150km的不均匀的左旋简单剪切变形域,该变形域的整体活动性较弱,属于弱的不均匀剪切变形域。但其中的二道沟断陷盆地是个例外,该盆地边界断裂的垂直活动速率约为0 5mm/a,左旋活动速率介于0 8～1 0mm/a之间。而在整个左旋剪切变形带累计的左旋走滑速率不会超过6mm/a,它们所调节的昆仑山与唐古拉山之间的地壳南北缩短量也可能仅占总缩短量的15%～30%。上述弱剪切变形域与强烈左旋走滑的昆仑断裂系共同构成了高原中部的左旋剪切变形带,它们在印度板块与欧亚板块强烈碰撞的构造动力学背景下,起着调节青藏高原南北向缩短的重要作用。     

Rift fault geometry and evolution in the Cretaceous Potiguar Basin (NE Brazil) based on fault growth models

We investigated the Cretaceous Potiguar Basin in the Equatorial margin of Brazil to understand how the geometry of major faults evolved to form the basin internal architecture. Previous studies pointed out that the rift is an asymmetrical half-graben elongated along the NE-SW direction. We used 2D seismic, well logs and 3D gravity modeling to analyze faults that constitute the rift boundary and determine their maximum displacement (D_max) and length (L) ratio in the Potiguar Rift. We constrained the 3D gravity modeling with well data and the interpretation of seismic sections. The difference of the fault displacement and depth of the basement obtained in the gravity model is in the order of 10% compared to seismic and well data. The fault-growth curves allowed us to divide the faulted rift border into four main fault systems, which provide roughly similar D_max/L ratios. Fault-growth curves suggest that a regional uniform tectonic mechanism influenced growth of these faults. These fault systems are composed of minor faults that we define as segments. The variation of the displacements along the fault segments indicates that the fault systems were formed independently during rift initiation and were linked by hard and soft linkages. The latter formed relay ramps. In the interconnection zones the D_max/L ratios are highest due to interference of fault segment motions. We divided the evolution of the Potiguar Rift into five stages based on these ratios and correlated them with the major tectonic stages of the breakup between South America and Africa in the Early Cretaceous.     

大兴安岭地区德尔布干断裂带北段构造年代学研究

德尔布干断裂带是大兴安岭隆起西侧NE向的重要断裂带,处在海拉尔-拉布达林-根河盆地西缘,是著名德尔布干成矿区东南边界断裂带.为了确定德尔布干断裂带运动性质、活动时间,深入探讨该断裂带与中生代海拉尔-拉布达林-根河盆地及大兴安岭盆山格局、认识德尔布干断裂带多金属矿床成因等问题,本文应用锆石SHRIMP和云母40Ar/39Ar定年技术,分别对断裂带内的细粒黑云母花岗岩侵入体、韧性变形的花岗闪长质片麻岩、白云母石英片岩,进行了同位素年代学研究.其中花岗闪长质片麻岩岩浆型锆石SHRIMP谐和年龄300.6±9.3Ma,为花岗闪长质片麻岩海西期的侵位年龄;而花岗闪长质片麻岩中黑云母40Ar/39Ar坪年龄是130.9±1.4Ma,白云母石英片岩的白云母40Ar/39Ar坪年龄是115.6±1.6Ma,代表早白垩世伸展构造变形年龄;细粒黑云母花岗岩侵入体岩浆型锆石SHRIMP谐和年龄130.1±1.4Ma,为同伸展构造变形侵位的岩浆事件.上述地质年代说明德尔布干断裂带是早白垩世(110～130Ma)该区最年轻的重大伸展构造变形产物.控制NE向大兴安岭隆起和中生代海拉尔-拉布达林-根河等火山沉积盆地的发育格局、以及中生代以来的地壳演化与成矿类型.     

天景山断裂带晚第四纪左旋走滑运动速率确定及其空间分布特征

天景山断裂带是青藏高原东北缘一条重要的左旋走滑边界断裂,但是对该断裂左旋走滑运动速率的空间分布特征缺少足够的研究和认识.通过卫星影像解译和野外地质调查,我们在天景山断裂带中段滑动速率限定范围较宽泛的段落选择两个典型的断错地貌观察点,以期获得更为可靠的断裂晚第四纪滑动速率.首先,利用差分GPS和无人机摄影测量技术分别对孟家湾和崾岘沟两点的冲沟或河流阶地的左旋走滑位移量进行精确测量和恢复.然后,利用光释光测年技术对被断错地貌面的年龄进行限定.最后,在综合分析地貌标志物位移和地貌面年龄之间关系以及其形成演化过程,计算和讨论孟家湾和崾岘沟两个点的滑动速率,分别为(1.2±0.3)mm/a和(0.9±0.3)～(1.1±0.2)mm/a.通过与前人研究结果进行对比和分析,认为天景山断裂带晚第四纪左旋走滑运动速率在空间上较为稳定,约为1.1 mm/a.     

西藏错那—沃卡裂谷带中段邛多江地堑晚新生代正断层作用

遥感解译和地表调查结果显示, 位于西藏曲松县境内的邛多江盆地构成了藏南近南北向裂谷带最东端的错那-沃卡裂谷的中段。它是在该区近东西向逆冲构造带停止活动之后, 上地壳沿N108～115°E方向发生引张作用所形成的第四纪半地堑式断陷盆地。控制晚第四纪盆地发育的主边界正断裂带位于盆地西缘, 总体呈NNE走向, 向东倾, 长40 km左右。断裂活动位移测量和年代学测试结果表明, 该边界正断层带在5Ma左右就已开始活动, 总累计垂直位移量至少为2.6～2.8 km, 最小长期平均垂直活动速率约0.5mm/a。末次冰期盛冰期以来, 该断裂平均活动速率的最合理的估计值为1.2 ±0.6 mm/a。      

玉树断裂带左旋走滑活动标志及其几何学 与运动学特征

玉树断裂带位于甘孜-玉树断裂带北西段,是一条总体呈NWW向展布的左旋走滑活动断裂带.沿断裂带发育错断水系与冲沟、拉分盆地、地震地表破裂与断裂破碎带等一系列反映玉树断裂带左旋走滑活动的典型地质-地貌标志.在室内遥感解译的基础上,结合最新的野外实地调查成果,对沿玉树断裂带上反映其左旋走滑活动的地质-地貌标志进行了总结,并对断裂带的几何学与运动学特征进行了综合分析.结果表明,玉树断裂带总长约150km,总体走向120～130°,自西向东可划分为呈左阶雁列分布的陇蒙达-结隆段、结隆-结古段和结古-查那扣段3段.沿该断裂带发育的串珠状拉分断陷盆地规模的大小反映出玉树断裂带自西向东拉张效应逐渐减弱、挤压效应逐渐增强的特点.玉树2010年7.1级地震的宏观震中处于晚第四纪活动性最为显著的中段,而仪器震中恰好处于该断裂带的不连续部位,进一步证明雁列走滑活动断裂带上的不连续部位通常是强震活动的初始破裂区域.     

Miocene tectonics of the Maramures area (Northern Romania): implications for the Mid-Hungarian fault zone

The interplay between the emplacement of crustal blocks (e.g. “ALCAPA”, “Tisza”, “Dacia”) and subduction retreat is a key issue for understanding the Miocene tectonic history of the Carpathians. Coeval thrusting and basin formation is linked by transfer zones, such as the Mid-Hungarian fault zone, which seperates ALCAPA from Tisza-Dacia. The presented study provides new kinematic data from this transfer zone. Early Burdigalian (20.5 to ∼18.5 Ma) SE-directed thrusting of the easternmost tip of ALCAPA (Pienides), over Tisza-Dacia is linked to movements along the Mid-Hungarian fault zone and the Periadriatic line, accommodating the lateral extrusion of ALCAPA. Minor Late Burdigalian (∼18.5 to 16 Ma) NE-SW extension is interpreted as related to back-arc extension. Post Burdigalian (post-16 Ma) NE–SW shortening and NW–SE extension correlate with “soft collision” of Tisza-Dacia with the European foreland coupled with southward migration of active subduction. During this stage the Bogdan-Voda and Dragos-Voda faults were kinematically linked to the Mid-Hungarian fault zone. Sinistral transpression (16 to 12 Ma) at the Bogdan-Voda fault was followed by sinistral transtension (12–10 Ma) along the coupled Bogdan-Dragos-Voda fault system. During the transtensional stage left-lateral offset was reduced eastwards by SW trending normal faults, the fault system finally terminating in an extensional horse-tail splay.     

Rate of strike-slip motion on the Amanos Fault (Karasu Valley, southern Turkey) constrained by K–Ar dating and geochemical analysis of Quaternary basalts

The left-lateral Amanos Fault follows a 200-km-long and up to 2-km-high escarpment that bounds the eastern margin of the Amanos mountain range and the western margin of the Karasu Valley in southern Turkey, just east of the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea. Regional kinematic models have reached diverse conclusions as to the role of this fault in accommodating relative motion between either the African and Arabian, Turkish and African, or Turkish and Arabian plates. Local studies have tried to estimate its slip rate by K–Ar dating Quaternary basalts that erupted within the Amanos Mountains, flowed across it into the Karasu Valley, and have since become offset. However, these studies have yielded a wide range of results, ranging from 0.3 to 15 mm a⁻¹, which do not allow the overall role and significance of this fault in accommodating crustal deformation to be determined. We have used the Cassignol K–Ar method to date nine Quaternary basalt samples from the vicinity of the southern part of the Amanos Fault. These basalts exhibit a diverse chemistry, which we interpret as a consequence varying degrees of partial melting of their source combined with variable crustal contamination. This dating allows us to constrain the Quaternary slip rate on the Amanos fault to 1.0 to 1.6 mm a⁻¹. The dramatic discrepancies between past estimates of this slip rate are partly due to technical difficulties in K–Ar dating of young basalts by isotope dilution. In addition, previous studies at the key locality of Hacılar have unwittingly dated different, chemically distinct, flow units of different ages that are juxtaposed. This low slip rate indicates that, at present, the Amanos Fault takes up a small proportion of the relative motion between the African and Arabian plates, which is transferred southward to the Dead Sea Fault Zone. It also provides strong evidence against the long-standing view that its slip continues offshore to the southwest along a hypothetical left-lateral fault zone located south of Cyprus.     

The tectonic evolution of the Qiongdongnan Basin in the northern margin of the South China Sea

Qiongdongnan Basin is a Cenozoic rift basin located on the northern passive continental margin of the South China Sea. Due to a lack of geologic observations, its evolution was not clear in the past. However, recently acquired 2-D seismic reflection data provide an opportunity to investigate its tectonic evolution. It shows that the Qiongdongnan Basin comprises a main rift zone which is 50–100 km wide and more than 400 km long. The main rift zone is arcuate in map view and its orientation changes from ENE–WSW in the west to nearly E–W in the east. It can be divided into three major segments. The generally linear fault trace shown by many border faults in map view implies that the eastern and middle segments were controlled by faults reactivated from NE to ENE trending and nearly E–W trending pre-existing fabrics, respectively. The western segment was controlled by a left-lateral strike-slip fault. The fault patterns shown by the central and eastern segments indicate that the extension direction for the opening of the rift basin was dominantly NW–SE. A semi-quantitative analysis of the fault cut-offs identifies three stages of rifting evolution: (1) 40.4–33.9 Ma, sparsely distributed NE-trending faults formed mainly in the western and the central part of the study area; (2) 33.9–28.4 Ma, the main rift zone formed and the area influenced by faulting was extended into the eastern part of the study area and (3) 28.4–20.4 Ma, the subsidence area was further enlarged but mainly extended into the flanking area of the main rift zone. In addition, Estimates of extensional strain along NW–SE-trending seismic profiles, which cross the main rift zone, vary between 15 and 39 km, which are generally comparable to the sinistral displacement on the Red River Fault Zone offshore, implying that this fault zone, in terms of sinistral motion, terminated at a location near the southern end of the Yinggehai Basin. Finally, these observations let us to favour a hybrid model for the opening of the South China Sea and probably the Qiongdongnan Basin.     

遥感技术在断裂研究中的应用——以张家口—蓬莱断裂带为例

张家口一蓬莱断裂带是一条北西西向活动断裂带。本文选取ETM+光学影像和SRTM高程影像作为主要数据源,结合研究区已有地质资料研究发现该带断裂构造的北西西向线性特征明显。从水系分布和错断地形等地貌标志判断,该断裂具有左阶组合样式和左行走滑活动特征。据遥感影像综合特征,可将该带分为张家口段、延庆-怀来段和北京一天津段,影像特征分段性显著,并与断裂带的分段性一致。研究结果表明,张家口-蓬莱断裂具有左行走滑的运动学特征,限制或错断北北东或北东向断裂,并且控制该区域的左阶雁列式第四纪盆地群和第四纪冲洪积物的分布。该断裂带各段对不同规模的水系分布和形态影响比较大,且北京-天津地区的华北平原段断裂对第四纪冲洪积扇和沿海地区的贝壳堤的形态和分布有一定的控制作用。地球物理深部数据和野外地质考察资料也证实了遥感解泽的结果,证明遥感技术在探查断裂构造空间展布和活动性鉴定中有着广泛的应用前景。     

Tectonic interpretations of enigmatic structures in the North Anatolian fault zone

Two geometrically distinct groups of syn-sedimentary and post-depositional mesofaults and joints cut Neogene-Quaternary sediments in basins situated along the convex-northwards arc of the North Anatolian fault zone between Çerkes and Erbaa. One group comprises second-order fractures interpreted as having developed during episodes of right-lateral shear along the fault zone, while the morphologically identical fractures in the other group have been interpreted as secondary products of left-lateral shear; thus apparently implying one or more former episodes of eastwards motion of the Anatolian scholle. Because such a reversal of motion would be counter to the well-established westward escape of Anatolia the structures have been called anomalous or incompatible.Alternative hypotheses which have been advanced to explain the development of the anomalous mesofractures include: localized reversals related to displacements of rigid blocks acting as buttresses within basins; selective operation of intra-pull-apart strike-slip faults; stress release; the coincidence of the present western sector of the fault with an older left-lateral fault zone; and the influence of a North Turkish neotectonic stress regime.     

Southern East Siberia Pliocene–Quaternary faults: Database, analysis and inference

This paper presents the first release of an Informational System（IS）devoted to the systematic collection of all available data relating to Pliocene-Quaternary faults in southern East Siberia,their critical analysis and their seismotectonic parameterization.The final goal of this project is to form a new base for improving the assessment of seismic hazard and other natural processes associated with crustal deformation.The presented IS has been exploited to create a relational database of active and conditionally active faults in southern East Siberia（between 100°-114° E and 50°-57° N）whose central sector is characterized by the highly seismic Baikal rift zone.The information within the database for each fault segment is organized as distinct but intercorrelated sections（tables,texts and pictures,etc.）and can be easily visualized as HTML pages in offline browsing.The preliminary version of the database distributed free on disk already highlights the general fault pattern showing that the Holocene and historical activity is quite uniform and dominated by NE-SW and nearly E-W trending faults;the former with a prevailing dip-slip normal kinematics,while the latter structures are left-lateral strike-slip and oblique-slip（with different proportion of left-lateral and normal fault slip components）.These faults are mainly concentrated along the borders of the rift basins and are the main sources of moderate-to-strong（M≥5.5）earthquakes on the southern sectors of East Siberia in recent times.As a whole,based on analyzing the diverse fault kinematics and their variable spatial distribution with respect to the overall pattern of the tectonic structures formed and/or activated during the late Pliocene-Quaternary,we conclude they were generated under a regional stress field mainly characterized by a relatively uniform NW-SE tension,but strongly influenced by the irregular hard boundary of the old Siberian craton.The obtained inferences are in an agreement with the existing models of the development of     

Geology of the Elephanta Island fault zone,western Indian rifted margin,and its significance for understanding the Panvel flexure

The Panvel flexure is a 150-km long tectonic structure, comprising prominently seaward-dipping Deccan flood basalts, on the western Indian rifted margin. Given the active tectonic faulting beneath the Panvel flexure zone inferred from microseismicity, better structural understanding of the region is needed. The geology of Elephanta Island in the Mumbai harbour, famous for the ca. mid-6th century A.D. Hindu rock-cut caves in Deccan basalt (a UNESCO World Heritage site) is poorly known. We describe a previously unreported but well-exposed fault zone on Elephanta Island, consisting of two large faults dipping steeply east–southeast and producing easterly downthrows. Well-developed slickensides and structural measurements indicate oblique slip on both faults. The Elephanta Island fault zone may be the northern extension of the Alibag–Uran fault zone previously described. This and two other known regional faults (Nhava–Sheva and Belpada faults) indicate a progressively eastward step-faulted structure of the Panvel flexure, with the important result that the individual movements were not simply downdip but also oblique-slip and locally even rotational (as at Uran). An interesting problem is the normal faulting, block tectonics and rifting of this region of the crust for which seismological data indicate a normal thickness (up to 41.3 km). A model of asymmetric rifting by simple shear may explain this observation and the consistently landward dips of the rifted margin faults.     

Structural analysis of a transform fault-rift zone junction in North Iceland

On the north coast of Iceland, the rift zone in North Iceland is shifted about 120 km to the west where it meets with, and joins, the mid-ocean Kolbeinsey ridge. This shift occurs along the Tjörnes fracture zone, an 80-km-wide zone of high seismicity, which is an oblique (non-perpendicular) transform fault. There are two main seismic lineaments within the Tjörnes fracture zone, one of which continues on land as a 25-km-long WNW-trending strike-slip fault. This fault, referred to as the Husavik fault, meets with, and joins, north-trending normal faults of the Theistareykir fissure swarm in the axial rift zone. The most clear-cut of these junctions occurs in a basaltic pahoehoe lava flow, of Holocene age, where the Husavik fault joins a large normal fault called Gudfinnugja. At this junction, the Husavik fault strikes N55°W, whereas Gudfinnugja strikes N5°E, so that they meet at an angle of 60°. The direction of the spreading vector in North Iceland is about N73°W, which is neither parallel with the strike of the Husavik fault nor perpendicular to the strike of the Gudfinnugja fault. During rifting episodes there is thus a slight opening on the Husavik fault as well as a considerable dextral strike-slip movement along the Gudfinnugja fault. Consequently, in the Holocene lava flow, there are tension fractures, collapse structures and pressure ridges along the Husavik fault, and pressure ridges and dextral pull-apart structures subparallel with the Gudfinnugja fault. The 60° angle between the Husavik strike-slip fault and the Gudfinnugja normal fault is the same as the angle between the Tjörnes fracture zone transform fault and the adjacent axial rift zones of North Iceland and the Kolbeinsey ridge. The junction between the faults of Husavik and Gudfinnugja may thus be viewed as a smaller-scale analogy to the junction between this transform fault and the nearby ridge segments. Using the results of photoelastic and finite-element studies, a model is provided for the tectonic development of these junctions. The model is based on an analogy between two offset cuts (mode I fractures) loaded in tension and segments of the axial rift zones (or parts thereof in the case of the Husavik fault). The results indicate that the Tjörnes fracture zone in general and the Husavik fault in particular, developed along zones of maximum shear stress. Furthermore, the model suggests that, as the ridge-segments propagate towards a zero-underlapping configuration, the angle between them and the associated major strike-slip faults gradually increases. This conclusion is supported by the trends of the main seismic lineaments of the Tjörnes fracture zone.