Rapid facies changes in Holocene fissure ridge hot spring travertines, Rapolano Terme, Italy

Holocene hot water travertine continues to form at Terme San Giovanni, near Rapolano Terme, central Italy, although artificial diversion of the water has reduced deposition. Mesothermal water (≈38–39 °C) emerging from fault-controlled vents located on a hilltop has created a linear fissure ridge 240 m long and up to 10 m high. Active parts of the ridge crest are covered by small cones; inactive parts are locally neotectonically fissured and have small pools. Ridge deposits include crystalline crust, paper-thin raft and shrub lithotypes. The ridge has both smooth and terraced marginal slopes, dominated by crystalline crusts with small shrubs in terrace pools. At the base of the ridge, there is a rapid transition to lateral flats and depressions, where water from the ridge collects and deposits shrub, irregular pisoid, reed, paper-thin raft and fine-grained and organic-rich travertines. Water channelled to nearby valley sides deposits thick crystalline crusts on valley slopes and waterfall overhangs, locally with small pools filled by smooth spherical pisoids. On the valley floor, mixing of waters forms varied stream-fill deposits that include micritic reed, paper-thin raft and coated bubble travertines. The diversity of travertine facies observed results from the location of the Terme San Giovanni hot springs on a hill crest, thus providing a wide array of downslope locations for further deposition. The abrupt facies transitions observed are characteristic of hot spring carbonates and result from a combination of rapid decrease in precipitation away from vents, variations in local surface topography and the feedback effect of travertine deposition itself, which dams and diverts water flow.     

Determination of horizontal extension from fissure-ridge travertines: a case study from the Denizli Basin,southwestern Turkey

Travertine deposits reflect some aspects of the regional tectonics because of the close association between travertine deposits and active fractures, that later of which provide conduits along which travertine-depositing waters may rise. Fissure-ridge travertines form above extensional fissures which are located in the hanging walls of normal faults, in step-over zones between fault segments, or in active or recently active) volcanic provinces. Numerous active and inactive fissure-ridge travertines are located in the hanging walls of normal faults in the Denizli Basin. A typical fissure-ridge comprises a central fissure along its long axis and flanking bedded travertines dipping away from the fissure. Central fissures of travertine ridges have been dilating since the initiation of the fissures. Samples from both the margins and centres of banded travertine deposits were dated by Th/U methods in order to determine dilation rates. Individual fissures have been dilating at average rates of between 0.008 and 0.1 mm yr^–1 during travertine deposition, and ~ 0.001 and 0.007 mm yr^–1 after cessation of travertine deposition. There is a noticable decrease in dilation rate from west to east in the Denizli Basin, and this decrease in dilation rate may be related to decrease in overall extension in southwest Turkey, which decreases eastward.     

Evolution of Çamlık fissure-ridge travertines in the Başkale basin (Van,Eastern Anatolia)

Fissure-ridge travertines (FRTs) are of great importance for the determination and comparison of tectonic deformation in a region. The coeval development of these travertines with active fault zones supplies significant information about regional dynamics in terms of deformation pattern and evolution. In this paper, the characteristics of FRTs of the Ba?kale basin (eastern Turkey) and responsible regional tectonism are discussed for the first time. The Ba?kale basin is located between the Ba?kale Fault Zone (BFZ) characterised by Çaml?k fault and I??kl?–Zirani? fault. It is located between dextral Yüksekova Fault Zone and southern end of dextral Guilato–Siahcheshmeh–Khoy Fault system (Iran). Various morphological features indicating recent activity are exposed along the BFZ, including offsetting rivers, fissure-ridge travertine and fault scarps. The Çaml?k fissure-ridge travertine composing of three different depositions is observed along the eastern edge of the BFZ with approximately parallel orientations. The Çaml?k fissure-ridge travertine has been formed and developed on fault zone related to strike-slip or oblique movements. We explain how kinematic changes of faults can influence the fissure-ridge development.     

Structural Attributes of Travertine-Filled Extensional Fissures in the Pamukkale Plateau,Western Turkey

Numerous active and inactive fissure-ridge travertines are located in the hanging wall of the Pamukkale range-front fault, a large normal fault bounding the northeast side of the Denizli Basin. A typical principal fissure-ridge comprises flanking bedded travertines dipping gently away from a nearly vertical, irregular central fissure, partially filled by vertically banded travertine. More complex ridges bear parasitic fissures and associated ridges on their flanks. Fissures roughly follow the long axes of ridge crests, some of them being divided into angular segments and others anastomosing. The traces of fissures are commonly parallel but some are oblique to one another. Fissures vary in width from a few millimeters to 5 m, and range in length from a few meters to a few kilometers.

The widths of central fissures are at a maximum near the midpoints of ridges, but decrease toward both ends, suggesting that they grew in length over time. Lateral fissure development involved the opening of both new and old cracks, some of which propagated into former process zones at crack tips. Fissures increase in width with depth either gradually or in a series of steps, depending on whether there was a uniform rate of fissure dilation during travertine deposition or episodic dilation during fracture propagation. The characteristic irregular morphology of fractures probably reflects extension-fracture propagation in differential stress fields that were weak as a consequence of location near the earth's surface. The fissures probably express a set of subsidiary extension fractures splaying from the Pamukkale range-front fault into its hanging wall.     

Fossil findings from the Sıcak Çermik fissure ridge-type travertines and possible hominid tracks,Sivas, Central Turkey

S?cak Çermik (Sivas) is an important geothermal and recent travertine formation area in Central Anatolia. The majority of travertines found in the region comprise fissure-ridge type travertines according to morphological classification. At the location called Tepe Çermik within the travertine area, fill containing fossil bone fragments of Equus sp., Bovidae and other abundant animals formed within the fracture axis of a N–S striking fissure-ridge travertine developed under control of tectonic forces. The finds of these fossils in fissure-ridge travertines linked to tectonic forces indicates formation of a unique fossil environment created under the control of these forces. The Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Radiocarbon Dating analyses of fossils from the study area determined the fills were older than 43,000 years. The U/Th age of a sample from the most recently-formed banded travertine in the axis of the fracture was identified as 278,540 ± 18,436 years. As a result, the ages of fossils found within this fill are thought to be between 43,000 and 278,540 ± 18,436 years old. The high amount of perissodactyla and artiodactyla fossils found within fill in the axis of the fissure-ridge travertine probably indicates the presence of hominids who chose the region for hunting or settlement. The Equus sp. and Bovidae fossil samples found in the axis of the fracture indicate that in the dry and cold glacial period the paleogeography in a large portion of Anatolia comprised desert-like steppe.     

Travitonics: using travertines in active fault studies

Late Quaternary travertines deposited from hot springs can reveal much about the neotectonic attributes and histories of structures. On the basis of field studies in the Aegean region (Turkey and Greece), the northern Apennines (Italy) and the Basin and Range province (USA) we conclude that the following relationships are of predictive value: (i) travertine deposits are preferentially located along fracture traces, either immediately above extensional fissures or in the hanging walls of normal faults; (ii) the locations of many travertine fissure-ridge deposits coincide with step-over zones (relay ramps) between fault segments; networks of intersecting tensional fissures reflecting the complex strains experienced in such settings are probably responsible for enhancing hydrothermal flow; (iii) the morphology of travertine deposits overlying extensional fissures is controlled by the rheology of the underlying materials; tufa cones (towers, pinnacles) form on former and present lake floors where fissures underlie unconsolidated sediments, whereas fissure-ridges develop where fissures cut bedrocks at the surface; (iv) fissure-ridges comprise outwardly dipping bedded travertine flanking a central tensional fissure filled by vertically banded travertines; fissures can be used to infer local stretching directions; (v) where there are travertines datable by the U-series method it is possible to calculate time-averaged dilation and lateral propagation rates for individual fissures; (vi) most fissures cutting fissure-ridges comprise self-similar angular segments with fractal dimensions in the range 1.00–1.12, the properties of bedded travertine combined with stress perturbations at fissure tips probably being responsible for such similar fractal dimensions being inferred from such a wide range of locations. Fissures gradually increasing in width with depth are products of continuous fracture dilation in contrast to those that form during episodic dilation which display stepped increases of width with depth; (vii) travertine deposited from springs along fault zones accumulate in terraced-mounds sited down slope of the spring line; (viii) many post-depositional fractures cutting travertine deposits are locally oriented at right angles to deposit margins; and (ix) systematic joints in travertines are restricted to those parts of eroded sheet deposits that have been exhumed.     

U/Th dating of the travertine deposited at transfer zone between two normal faults and their neotectonic significance: Cambazli fissure ridge travertines (the Gediz Graben-Turkey)

Abstract

The neotectonic characteristics of the travertines that outcrop near Cambazli Village to the west of the Gediz Graben in the Western Anatolia and the age determination of the travertine were carried out using the ²³⁰Th/^234,238U disequilibrium method. The Cambazli fissure ridge travertines represent the travertine depositions that develop at a transfer zone. The extent of these travertines is at NW-SE and NE-SW orientations and the ridge crest-trend of these travertines range between approximately 55° and 82° and they are located at an intersecting position. The evaluation of the fissure ridge travertine directions indicated that the compression stress that was responsible for the deposition of the Cambazli travertine was determined to be in the N-S orientation and the extensional stress was determined to be in the E-W orientation. The orientation of the dominant extension in Western Anatolia during the neotectonic period was N-S and this orientation is not in accordance with the directions of stress for the travertines. This situation indicates that the travertines were deposited along a transfer zone in N10W orientation between two normal faults. The travertines were determined to be active since the Upper Pleistocene as indicated by the age determination conducted using the ²³⁰Th/^234,238U disequilibrium method. The dilation rate of the travertines during dilation and the post-dilation period and the average dilation rate of the Cambazli travertines to the north of the Gediz Graben were calculated as 0.01–0.02 mm yr^?1 during deposition and as 0.05 mm yr^?1 during the post-dilation period. These dilation rates indicate lower tectonic activity along the northern ridge of the Gediz Graben than along the southern ridge.

© 2011 Lavoisier SAS. All rights reserved     

Holocene displacement along branch and secondary faults in the San Andreas fault zone, southern California

Detailed geologic mapping of the San Andreas fault zone in Los Angeles County since 1972 has revealed evidence for diverse histories of displacement on branch and secondary faults near Palmdale. The main trace of the San Andreas fault is well defined by a variety of physiographic features. The geologic record supports the concept of many kilometers of lateral displacement on the main trace and on some secondary faults, especially when dealing with pre-Quaternary rocks. However, the distribution of upper Pleistocene rocks along branch and secondary faults suggests a strong vertical component of displacement and, in many locations, Holocene displacement appears to be primarily vertical. The most recent movement on many secondary and some branch faults has been either high-angle (reverse and normal) or thrust. This is in contrast to the abundant evidence for lateral movement seen along the main San Andreas fault. We suggest that this change in the sense of displacement is more common than has been previously recognized.The branch and secondary faults described here have geomorphic features along them that are as fresh as similar features visible along the most recent trace of the San Andreas fault. From this we infer that surface rupture occurred on these faults in 1857, as it did on the main San Andreas fault. Branch faults commonly form “Riedel” and “thrust” shear configurations adjacent to the main San Andreas fault and affect a zone less than a few hundred meters wide. Holocene and upper Pleistocene deposits have been repeatedly offset along faults that also separate contrasting older rocks. Secondary faults are located up to 1500 m on either side of the San Andreas fault and trend subparallel to it. Moreover, our mapping indicates that some portions of these secondary faults appear to have been “inactive” throughout much of Quaternary time, even though Holocene and upper Pleistocene deposits have been repeatedly offset along other parts of these same faults. For example, near 37th Street E. and Barrel Springs Road, a limited stretch of the Nadeau fault has a very fresh normal scarp, in one place as much as 3 m high, which breaks upper Pleistocene or Holocene deposits. This scarp has two bevelled surfaces, the upper surface sloping significantly less than the lower, suggesting at least two periods of recent movement. Other exposures along this fault show undisturbed Quaternary deposits overlying the fault. The Cemetery and Little Rock faults also exhibit selected reactivation of isolated segments separated by “inactive” stretches.Activity on branch and secondary faults, as outlined above, is presumed to be the result of sympathetic movement on limited segments of older faults in response to major movement on the San Andreas fault. The recognition that Holocene activity is possible on faults where much of the evidence suggests prolonged inactivity emphasizes the need for regional, as well as detailed site studies to evaluate adequately the hazard of any fault trace in a major fault zone. Similar problems may be encountered when geodetic or other studies, Which depend on stable sites, are conducted in the vicinity of major faults.     

U/Th dating of fissure ridge travertines from the Kirsehir region (Central Anatolia Turkey): structural relations and implications for the Neotectonic development of the Anatolian block

Travertines exposed in several locations in Central Anatolia are the important lithological product for the interpretation of local neotectonics. The fissure-type travertines provide significant information about stress orientation during deposition. Two travertine masses cropping out in the Kirsehir region have been studied and dated by the U-series method to obtain new chronological constraints, determine dilation rates and contribute to studies on the recent tectonic evolution of the area. The Kusdili and Kayabasi travertine masses are located on the hanging wall of the Kirsehir Fault, similar to numerous fissure ridge banded travertine deposits which are inactive today in the region. While individual fissures of the Kusdili travertine mass (Late Pleistocene-Holocene) have been dilated at rates of between 0.303 and 0.386 mm yr–1 during deposition, the Kayabasi travertine mass (Late Pleistocene) produced measured dilation rates of between 0.136 and 0.187 mm yr–1. The central fissures, filled by banded travertine, roughly follow the ridge crests. While the ridge crest has a NNE-SSW trend in the Kayabasi travertine mass, the ridge crest of the Kusdili travertine mass shows a NE-SW trend. This difference may be related to the clockwise rotation of the stress tensors from Late Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene-Holocene in the region.     

Paleoseismological analysis of an intraplate extensional structure: the Concud fault (Iberian Chain,eastern Spain)

The Concud fault is a 13.5 km long, NW–SE striking normal fault at the eastern Iberian Chain. Its recent (Late Pleistocene) slip history is characterized from mapping and trench analysis and discussed in the context of the accretion/incision history of the Alfambra River. The fault has been active since Late Pliocene times, with slip rates ranging from 0.07 to 0.33 mm/year that are consistent with its present-day geomorphologic expression. The most likely empirical correlation suggests that the associated paleoseisms have potential magnitudes close to 6.8, coseismic displacements of 2.0 m, and recurrence intervals from 6.1 to 28.9 ka. At least six paleoseismic events have been identified between 113 and 32 ka. The first three events (U to W) involved displacement along the major fault plane. The last three events (X to Z) encompassed downthrow and hanging-wall synthetic bending prompting fissure opening. This change is accompanied by a decrease in slip rate (from 0.63 to 0.08–0.17 mm/year) and has been attributed to activation of a synthetic blind fault at the hanging wall. The average coseismic displacement (1.9–2.0 m) and recurrence period (6.7–7.9 ka) inferred from this paleoseismic succession are within the ranges predicted from empirical correlation. Such paleoseismic activity contrasts with the moderate present-day seismicity of the area (maximum instrumental Mb = 4.4), which can be explained by the long recurrence interval that characterizes intraplate regions.     

Studying travertines for neotectonics investigations: Middle–Late Pleistocene syn-tectonic travertine deposition at Serre di Rapolano (Northern Apennines, Italy)

Middle–Late Pleistocene tectonic activity has been inferred through studies on travertine deposits exposed in a tract of the hinterland Northern Apennines. A detailed study on the relationships between tectonics and travertine deposition coupled with ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U age determination of travertines at Cava Oliviera quarry, located close to Serre di Rapolano village (southern Tuscany, Northern Apennines), allowed us to recognise Pleistocene faults, whose activity has been referred to 157–24 ka, at least. Travertine deposition was tectonically controlled by WSW-ENE striking, oblique and normal faults, associated to a main fault (named as the Violante Fault). This structure dissected a regional normal fault (known as the Rapolano Fault) Early–Middle Pliocene in age, which bounded the eastern side of the Pliocene Siena Basin, and gave rise to space accommodation for clayey and sandy marine sediments. Hydrothermal circulation (and related travertine deposition) was favoured by the damaging enhancement due to the fault–fault intersection. Tectonic activity has been also documented by deformation recorded by travertines, which suggest a main tectonic event between 64 ± 5 and 40 ± 5 ka. The tectonic activity described for the study area agrees with the Quaternary tectonic evolution documented in the surrounding areas (e.g. Mt. Amiata and Mt. Vulsini), as well as the Tyrrhenian margin of the Central Apennines, indicating that a widespread tectonic activity affected the inner part of the Apennines until the latest Quaternary.     

Geometry of the Wagner basin,upper Gulf of California based on seismic reflections

The Wagner basin occupies the northernmost spreading centre in the Gulf of California, located along the Pacific‐North America plate boundary. It is filled with sediments from the Colorado River that obscure its bathymetric expression; therefore it is not as well defined as other basins in the central and southern Gulf of California. To define the geometry and extension of the Wagner basin, a 2D multi‐channel seismic reflection database was used. Data were collected by Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) in 1979–1980. The most important regional structural features identified are the Consag and Wagner normal faults and the Cerro Prieto strike‐slip fault. These structures play an important role in the development of the basin. The Consag fault, described for the first time in this paper, marks the western side of the basin. The eastern and northwest limits are bound by the Cerro Prieto and Wagner faults respectively. The Wagner fault intersects the Cerro Prieto fault at an angle of 130°, bending the depocentre in a NW direction, adjacent to the Cerro Prieto fault zone. The northernmost segment of the Consag fault bends 25° in a NE direction and joins the Cerro Prieto fault at an angle of 110°. Greater subsidence (up to 300 m) takes place along the northern trace of the Cerro Prieto fault, with a downthrown displacement of 400 m. The Consag and Wagner breaks obliquely intersect the Cerro Prieto fault, and, inasmuch as both are normal faults, they have small horizontal slip components which generated oblique displacement. This structural pattern is different relative to the pattern of basins located south of Wagner basin, such as the Upper and Lower Delfin basins. The orientations of the normal faults are perpendicular to the master fault (Ballenas transform fault). The relationship between normal and transform faults in the Wagner basin and the observed ‘S’ shape are typical of a basin that has not yet reached maturity. As a result of this study, the previously uncertain area (～1330 km²) and perimeter (158 km) of the Wagner basin were defined.     

Evolution of Pleistocene travertine depositional system from terraced slope to fissure-ridge in a mixed travertine-alluvial succession (Jebel El Mida,Gafsa, southern Tunisia)

The Quaternary stratigraphic record of Jebel El Mida, composed of continental deposits, is a useful example of concomitant travertines and alluvial deposition in an extensional setting. Travertine deposition occurred in a faulted Pleistocene alluvial fan giving rise to seven (recognised) facies interfingering with five other alluvial ones. The travertine depositional events indicate a tectonically driven evolution from terraced slope (facies group FC1–FC6) to a travertine fissure ridge-type depositing phase (facies group of FC1–FC7). Interfingering between travertine and alluvial facies indicates the co-existence of adjacent and time-equivalent depositional environments. The travertine deposition resulted from deep origin hydrothermal fluids channelled along damaged rocks volumes associated to a regional fault system, named as the Gafsa Fault (GF). The travertine–terrigenous succession in Jebel El Mida highlights the major role played by the GF in controlling: (i) the hydrothermal fluid flow, still active as also indicated by the numerous thermal springs aligned along the fault zone; (ii) paleoflow directions, discharge locations, volume, rate and fluctuations of the water supply. The paleoclimatic correlation with adjacent localities reveals that, at that time, humid episodes could have contributed to the recharge of the hydrothermal system and to the deposition of alluvial sediments.     

青藏铁路风火山段晚第四纪断裂活动分析

地表地质调查发现,第四纪期间在风火山逆冲-褶皱构造带以发生近东西向的伸展变形为特征。在该构造带中形成切割早期近东西向挤压变形构造带、指示近东西向伸展变形、整体沿北60°东向展布的二道沟断陷盆地。断裂活动的地质、地貌证据表明,控制该盆地晚第四纪断陷的主边界断裂位于其北缘,是一条断续延伸达24 km左右、可能兼具左旋走滑性质的正断层。根据该区晚第四纪沉积物的分布和时代,并对断裂所错动的晚第四纪地质-地貌体进行初步的年代学分析,可以初步断定该断裂的晚第四纪垂直活动速率应该介于0.2~0.4 mm/a之间。     

The Mogangling giant landslide triggered by the 1786 Moxi M 7.75 earthquake,China

A good understanding of seismic giant landslides could provide favourable guidance for seismic stability evaluation of nearby slopes. Here, an excellent example of a catastrophic seismic landslide named the Mogangling giant landslide (MGL), located upstream along the Dadu River and triggered by the 1786 Moxi M 7.75 earthquake, is analysed for its deposit characteristics, failure mechanism and dammed lake. The MGL, with a volume of approximately 4500?×?10⁴ m³, 450 m long and 1000 m wide, blocked the Dadu River completely and caused over 100 000 deaths when the landslide dam broke. The MGL occurred on the upper part of a narrow granite ridge; a potentially unstable wedge-shaped rock mass was separated from the remaining massif by unloading fissures and an active fault (Detuo fault) that just crossed the slope foot. The Moxi earthquake coupled with strong site amplification triggered the MGL, which blocked the Dadu River; the elevation of the dam crest was approximately 130 m higher than the present river level. The dammed lake had a volume of approximately 9.504?×?10⁸ m³, an area of 19.91 km² and a length of approximately 31 km; the peak flow of the outburst flood was larger than 7100 m³/s. After hundreds of years of concave bank erosion, the deposit is divided into the right bank deposit (main deposit) and left bank deposit (residual deposit).

     

Holocene displacement field at an emerged oceanic transform-ridge junction: The Husavik-Flatey Fault – Gudfinnugja Fault system,North Iceland

Our research focuses on Holocene tectonics in a broad area surrounding the junction between the active NW–SE trending Husavik-Flatey transform fault (HFF) and the N–S Gudfinnugja normal fault (GF), an exceptional example of onshore transform-ridge intersection. We mapped 637 minor and major faults, and measured the dip-slip and strike-slip offset components on the major faults. We also mapped 1016 individual tension fractures, as well as opening directions on the most reliable ones. The results indicate that this portion of the HFF comprises major right-stepping segments, with both normal and right-lateral strike-slip components, linked by local normal faults. The entire GF always shows pure dip-slip normal displacements, with a strong decrease in offset at the junction with the HFF. Fissure opening directions are in the range N45°-65°E along the HFF, N90°E along the GF, and N110°E within the area south of the HFF and west of the GF. Fault kinematics and fissure openings suggest a displacement field in good agreement with most of present-day GPS measurements, although our data indicate the possible long-term Holocene effects of the superimposition of magma-related stresses on the regional tectonic stresses. The HFF and the GF work together as a structural system able to accommodate differential crustal block motion, and possibly past dyke intrusions.     

Active normal faulting along the Mt. Morrone south-western slopes (central Apennines,Italy)

In the present work we analyse one of the active normal faults affecting the central Apennines, i.e. the Mt. Morrone normal fault system. This tectonic structure, which comprises two parallel, NW-SE trending fault segments, is considered as potentially responsible for earthquakes of magnitude ≥ 6.5 and its last activation probably occurred during the second century AD. Structural observations performed along the fault planes have allowed to define the mainly normal kinematics of the tectonic structure, fitting an approximately N 20° trending extensional deformation. Geological and geomorphological investigations performed along the whole Mt. Morrone south-western slopes permitted us to identify the displacement of alluvial fans, attributed to Middle and Late Pleistocene by means of tephro-stratigraphic analyses and geomorphological correlations with dated lacustrine sequences, along the western fault branch. This allowed to evaluate in 0.4 ± 0.07 mm/year the slip rate of this segment. On the other hand, the lack of synchronous landforms and/or deposits that can be correlated across the eastern fault segment prevented the definition of the slip rate related to this fault branch. Nevertheless, basing on a critical review of the available literature dealing with normal fault systems evolution, we hypothesised a total slip rate of the fault system in the range of 0.4 ± 0.07 to 0.8 ± 0.09 mm/year. Moreover, basing on the length at surface of the Mt. Morrone fault system (i.e. 22–23 km) we estimated the maximum expected magnitude of an earthquake that might originate along this tectonic structure in the order of 6.6–6.7.     

Late Quaternary deformation and slip rates in the northern San Andreas fault zone at Olema Valley, Marin County, California

Quaternary sedimentary deposits along the structural depression of the San Andreas fault (SAF) zone north of San Francisco in Marin County provide an excellent record of rates and styles of neotectonic deformation in a location near where the greatest amount of horizontal offset was measured after the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake. A high-resolution gravity survey in the Olema Valley was used to determine the depth to bedrock and the thickness of sediment fill along and across the SAF valley. In the gravity profile across the SAF zone, Quaternary deposits are offset across the 1906 fault trace and truncated by the Western and Eastern Boundary faults, whose youthful activity was previously unknown. The gravity profile parallel to the fault valley shows a basement surface that slopes northward toward an area of present-day subsidence near the head of Tomales Bay. Surface and subsurface investigations of the late Pleistocene Olema Creek Formation (Qoc) indicate that this area of subsidence was located further south during deposition of the Qoc and that it has migrated northward since then. Localized subsidence has been replaced by localized contraction that has produced folding and uplift of the Qoc. This apparent alternation between transtension and transpression may be the result of a northward-diverging fault geometry of fault strands that includes the valley-bounding faults as well as the 1906 SAF trace. The Vedanta marsh is a smaller example of localized subsidence in the fault zone, between the 1906 SAF trace and the Western Boundary fault. Analyses of Holocene marsh sediments in cores and a paleoseismic trench indicate thickening, and probably tilting, toward the 1906 trace, consistent with coseismic deformation observed at the site following the 1906 earthquake.New age data and offset sedimentary and geomorphic features were used to calculate four late Quaternary slip rate estimates for the SAF at this latitude. Luminescence dates of 112–186 ka for the middle part of the Olema Creek Formation (Qoc), the oldest Quaternary deposit in this part of the valley, suggest a late Pleistocene slip rate of 17–35 mm/year, which replaces the unit to a position adjacent to its sediment source area. A younger alluvial fan deposit (Qqf; basal age 30 ka) is exposed in a quarry along the medial ridge of the fault valley. This fan deposit has been truncated on its western side by dextral SAF movement, and west-side-down vertical movement that has created the Vedanta marsh. Paleocurrent measurements, clast compositions, sediment facies distributions, and soil characteristics show that the Bear Valley Creek drainage, now located northwest of the site, supplied sediment to the fan, which is now being eroded. Restoration of the drainage to its previous location provides an estimated slip rate of 25 mm/year. Furthermore, the Bear Valley Creek drainage probably created a water gap located north of the Qqf deposit during the last glacial maximum 18 ka. The amount of offset between the drainage and the water gap yields an average slip rate of 21–30 mm/year. Finally, displacement of a 1000-year-old debris lobe approximately 20 m from its hillside hollow along the medial ridge indicates a minimum late Holocene slip rate of 21–25 mm/year. Similarity of the late Pleistocene rates to the Holocene slip rate, and to previous rates obtained in paleoseismic trenches in the area, indicates that the rates may not have changed over the past 30 ka, and perhaps the past 200–400 ka. Stratigraphic and structural observations also indicate that valley-bounding faults were active in the late Pleistocene and suggest the need for further study to evaluate their continued seismic potential.     

Fault deformation mechanisms and fault rocks in micritic limestones: Examples from Corinth rift normal faults

A multidisciplinary study investigates the influence of different parameters on fault rock architecture development along normal faults affecting non-porous carbonates of the Corinth rift southern margin. Here, some fault systems cut the same carbonate unit (Pindus), and the gradual and fast uplift since the initiation of the rift led to the exhumation of deep parts of the older faults. This exceptional context allows superficial active fault zones and old exhumed fault zones to be compared.Our approach includes field studies, micro-structural (optical microscope and cathodoluminescence), geochemical analyses (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, trace elements) and fluid inclusions microthermometry of calcite sin-kinematic cements.Our main results, in a depth-window ranging from 0 m to about 2500 m, are: i) all cements precipitated from meteoric fluids in a close or open circulation system depending on depth; ii) depth (in terms of P/T condition) determines the development of some structures and their sealing; iii) lithology (marly levels) influences the type of structures and its cohesive/non-cohesive nature; iv) early distributed rather than final total displacement along the main fault plane is the responsible for the fault zone architecture; v) petrophysical properties of each fault zone depend on the variable combination of these factors.     

From surface fault traces to a fault growth model: The Vogar Fissure Swarm of the Reykjanes Peninsula,Southwest Iceland

The Vogar Fissure Swarm is one of four en-echelon fracture swarms that connect the Reykjanes Ridge to the South Iceland Seismic Zone and the Western Volcanic Zone. Occurring in an area of flat topography, this fissure swarm is clearly visible at the surface, where it can be seen to affect recent postglacial lavas. Using remote sensing methods to identify and measure all the faults and fractures in the swarm, combined with additional field observations and measurements, we measured 478 individual fractures, 33% of them being faults and 67% being fissures. The fracture lengths show roughly log-normal distributions. Most of the individual fractures belong to 68 main composite fractures, seven of which are longer than 2500 m and correspond to the main fault scarps of the fissure swarm. We showed that these main faults are distributed along five, equally spaced zones, ∼500 m apart and a few kilometers long. We drawn 71 across-strike profiles to characterize the shape of the fault scarps, and 5 along-strike profiles to characterize the evolution of vertical throw along the main faults. Each fault consists of a coalescence of individual segments of approximately equal length. Fault throws are never larger than 10 m and are smallest at the junctions between individual segments. Analyses of along-strike throw profiles allowed us to determine the early stages of growth after coalescence. The earliest stage is characterized by an increase in the throw of the central parts of segments. This is followed by a second stage during which the throw increases at the junctions between segments, progressively erasing these small-throw zones.