Development of bedding-normal boudins in the Pilot Mountains, Nevada

Boudins with long axes (BA) oriented subnormal to bedding and to associated fold axes are observed in folded rocks in a thrust sheet exposed near the base of a regionally extensive allochthon in west-central Nevada, USA. Formation of the boudins is related to development of a regional fold-set coeval with major thrusting. The axes of boudins lie at a high angle to bedding, and in some instances, boudins define tight to isoclinal folds which are geometrically associated with the regional deformation. Quartz c-axis fabrics from oriented thin-sections of the boudins indicate extension parallel to the boudin axes (BA).

These relations and other mesoscopic structural data indicate a complex deformational history for boudin development. The history involves thin layers (to become boudins) deformed in folds disharmonic to major structures within the thrust sheet followed by flattening and associated extension parallel to fold axes. During flattening, arcuation occurred within the deforming mass resulting in rotation of fold axes and boudin axes (BA) toward the axis of finite extension (X). Extension parallel to BA recorded in the petrofabrics of boudins records incremental strain axes oriented at a high angle (50°) to the finite X and is probably related to an early plane-strain state associated with disharmonic folding. The finite extension (X) is down-dip in axial planes of major folds formed during thrusting and indicates a northwest to southeast transport for the thrusts.     

Recent structures and tectonic regimes of the stress–strain state of the Earth’s crust in the northeastern sector of the Russian Arctic region

A comprehensive investigation aimed at determining seismotectonic types of destruction and the stress–strain state of the Earth’s crust in the main seismogenerating structures of the Arctic–Asian seismic belt is conducted for the territory of the northeastern sector of the Russian Arctic region. Based on the degree of activity of geodynamical processes, the regional principles for ranking neotectonic structures are elaborated, and neotectonic zoning is carried out based on the substantiated differentiation of the corresponding classes. Within the limits of the Laptev Sea, Kharaulakh, and Lena-Anabar segments, we analyzed I the structural–tectonic position of the most recent structures, II the deep structure parameters, III the parameters of the active fault system, and IV the parameters of the tectonic stress field, as revealed from tectonophysical analysis of Late Cenozoic fault and fold deformations. Based on the seismological data, the mean seismotectonic deformation tensors are calculated to determine, in combination with geological and geophysical data, the orientations of the principal stress axes and to reveal the structural–tectonic regularity for tectonic regimes of the stress–strain state of the Earth’s crust in the Arctic sector of the boundary between the Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates.     

库车前陆冲断带秋里塔格构造带水系形态与褶皱生长

水系形态能够非常敏感的记录活动构造的演化过程,尤其对于褶皱横向生长的地区,常形成特征的水系形态。库车前陆冲断带发育平行于南天山造山带走向的褶皱带,并形成特征的水系形态。利用遥感影像、卫星照片、以及从数字高程数据中提取的地貌和水系参数,对库车前陆冲断带秋里塔格构造带水系形态进行分析研究,得出库车前陆冲断带褶皱具有横向生长的演化特征,并识别出判别褶皱生长的5个水系形态标志。这些水系形态标志包括：不对称的水域形态,水系受到阻挡发生弯曲、捕获、并流现象,背斜脊部风口的形成以及高度依次降低排列,不对称的冲积扇体,被纵向河流分隔的两侧背斜的水系形态差异。褶皱的横向生长最终导致相互拼接形成更大规模的褶皱带,秋里塔格构造带正是由多条背斜的横向生长,并拼接而成现今延伸~300km的褶皱带。     

塔里木盆地北缘库车再生前陆褶皱逆冲带中丘里塔格前锋带的构造与油气

丘里塔格背斜带是库车再生前陆褶皱逆冲带的前锋构造带。依据各段不同的构造特点,沿走向自东向西可分为东丘里塔格段、库车塔吾段、南、北丘里塔格段和亚克里克—阿瓦特段。其中东丘里塔格段和库车塔吾段以浅部膝折褶皱或断层传播褶皱与深部的断层转折褶皱相叠置为特点。而南、北丘里塔格段和亚克里克—阿瓦特段则以发育膝折褶皱、断层传播褶皱、断层转折褶皱以及相伴生的纵向走滑逆冲断层为特点。该构造带有良好的油气前景,寻找深部完整的断层转折褶皱背斜圈闭以及纵向走滑逆冲断层下盘的圈闭是重要的勘探方向。     

Structure of the Abercrombie beds south of Reids flat,new South Wales

The Late Ordovician Abercrombie Beds, south of Reids Flat, New South Wales, and adjacent to the Wyangala Batholith, show evidence of three successive fold episodes. First generation folds are tight to isoclinal, with fold axes ranging from vertical to horizontal and north‐trending, and steep axial‐plane slaty cleavage. Second generation folds are steeply plunging, tight to open with north‐striking axial planes. In pelitic rocks the axial plane structure is a crenulation cleavage which overprints the slaty cleavage. The first two fold episodes were accompanied by greenschist‐facies metamorphism. Granite emplacement occurred prior to the second fold episode. A third deformation was of relatively mild intensity and produced open, north‐trending folds with axial planes dipping moderately to the east, and crenulation cleavage as the axial plane structure in pelitic rocks. These latest folds are correlated with the latest folds in the Abercrombie Beds north of the Abercrombie River. The mapped area has no apparent macroscopic structure and may be considered as a single domain.     

Flow pattern within a Permian submarine slump recorded by oblique folds and deformed fossils, Ulladulla, south-eastern Australia

The flow pattern within a slump in Permian marine rocks of the southern Sydney Basin, Australia, is recorded by folds and deformed fossils. Abundant brachiopod and bryzoan fossils in the slumped rocks are relatively undeformed, but fossil crinoid stems have been deformed by relative rotation of individual ossicles. Measurement of the strain indicates that the deformation of the crinoids is consistent with flexural flow folding within the slump. Previous models assume that curved slump fold axes remain parallel to the enveloping bedding surface of a slump sheet. Detailed measurements of the orientation of slump folds in this study found fold axes to be oblique to bedding, which is interpreted as a result of folds plunging downward towards the flanks of the slump or slump lobes. In the present model, fold axes are not generally parallel to the strike of the fold axial surface, and this can explain differences between the orientations of slump fold axes and axial surfaces when these are used as directional indicators of slump movement.     

准噶尔盆地南缘前陆冲断带深层地质结构及对油气藏的控制作用:以霍尔果斯—玛纳斯—吐谷鲁褶皱冲断带为例

准噶尔盆地南缘前陆冲断带位于天山北麓,在晚新生代强烈的挤压作用下,地表发育数排背斜带。由于构造变形复杂、地震反射成像质量较差,对深层地质结构争议较大,另外前新生代盆地原型对晚新生代以来的褶皱冲断带构造格局的影响也尚未探讨。霍尔果斯—玛纳斯—吐谷鲁(简称霍-玛-吐)褶皱冲断带位于准噶尔盆地南缘前陆冲断带地表第二排背斜带,利用最新采集和处理的地震反射资料,并结合地表地质露头建立深层构造模型;利用平衡地质剖面复原和构造物理模拟实验的方法探索早侏罗世盆地原型结构对现今褶皱冲断带构造格局的影响;在此基础上分析霍-玛-吐褶皱冲断带深层天然气富集规律。霍-玛-吐褶皱冲断带垂向上发育古近系—第四系逆冲推覆构造、中上侏罗统—白垩系构造楔和下侏罗统半地堑断陷结构。控制早侏罗世半地堑系统的高角度正断层在晚期挤压构造变形体系中充当逆断坡,并控制上覆构造楔和浅层逆冲推覆构造的发育。早侏罗世半地堑系统具有分段性,并通过侧向断坡进行连接,侧向断坡上覆地层发育南北向走滑调节断层。油气勘探现状表明,霍-玛-吐褶皱冲断带内部南北向走滑调节断层具有高效沟通下侏罗统烃源岩的特点,是控制天然气的富集的重要因素。以上研究表明,中西部陆内前陆冲断带前新生代古构造对于晚新生代挤压冲断构造格局和深层天然气富集规律具有重要意义。     

Application of the technique to ellipitical markers deformed by pressure-solution

Compression and extension axes are deduced from quartz deformation lamellae in a quartzite and a graywacke folded into an asymetrical syncline. Deformation lamellae fabrics in the two sandstones are distinctly different. In the graywacke, regardless of bedding orientation or position on the fold, compression axes are normal or nearly normal to the axial planar rough cleavage. Extension axes generally lie in the cleavage plane, parallel to dip. In most quartzite samples, compression axes are parallel or subparallel to bedding, at high angles to the fold axis and extension axes are normal to bedding. Two samples from the very base of the formation indicate compression parallel to the fold axis with extension parallel to bedding, at high angles to the fold axis. One of these two shows both patterns. The lamellae fabric geometry in these two samples suggests the presence of a neutral surface in the quartzite. The lamellae-derived compression and extension axes are in good agreement with the buckling behavior of a viscous layer (quartzite) embedded in a less viscous medium (graywacke and shale below and shale and carbonate above).     

Structures in the banded iron-formation of the southeastern Bababudan Hills, Karnataka, India

The banded iron-formation in the southeastern Bababudan Hills display a macroscopic synformal bend gently plunging towards WNW. The bedding planes in smaller individual sectors show a cylindrical or conical pattern of folding. The dominant set of minor folds has WNW-ESE trending axial planes and the axes plunge towards WNW at gentle to moderate angles, though there is considerable variation in orientation of both axes and axial planes. A later set of sporadically observed folds has N-S trending axial planes. The macroscopic synformal bend within the study area forms the southeastern corner of a horseshoe shaped regional synformal fold closure which encompasses the entire Bababudan range. The minor folds are buckle folds modified to a varying extent by flattening. In some examples the quartzose layers appear to be more competent than the ferruginous layers; in others the reverse is true. The folds are frequently noncylindrical and the axes show curvature with branching and en echelon patterns. Such patterns are interpreted to be the result of complex linking of progressively growing folds whose initiation is controlled by the presence of original perturbations in the layers. Domes and basins have at places developed as a result of shortening along two perpendicular directions in a constrictional type of strain. Development of folds at different stages of progressive deformation has given rise to nonparallelism of fold axes and axial planes. The axes and axial planes of smaller folds developed on the limbs of a larger fold are often oriented oblique to those of the latter. Progressive deformation has caused rotation and bending of axial planes of earlier formed folds by those developed at later stages of the same deformational episode. Coaxial recumbent to nearly reclined fold locally encountered on the N-S limb of the macroscopic fold may belong to an earlier episode of deformation or to the early stage of the main deformation episode. The E-W to ESE-WNW strike of axial plane of the regional fold system in the Bababudan belt contrasts with the N-S to NNW-SSE strike of axial planes of the main fold system in the Chitradurga and other schist belts of Karnataka.     

Axial directions of folds in rocks with linear/planar fabrics

This paper examines the geological implications of an analysis of constraints on the orientation of fold axes in orthotropic materials. We argue that rocks with penetrative linear and planar shape fabrics may have orthotropic (anisotropic) properties during deformation. Two forms of anisotropy (rheological and structural) could be potentially important in the control of fold axial directions. We discuss a model of deformation of rocks with linear/planar fabrics where, in a single deformation event, major fold axes need not be parallel to minor fold axes and neither need be perpendicular to the principal compressive stress direction. Geological and model examples of anistropic control on fold axial directions are given.     

纵弯叠加褶皱地区岩石有限应变特征：以川东北地区典型叠加褶皱为例

纵弯叠加褶皱地区岩石有限应变特征是所受历次变形的综合结果.远离叠加区应变型式的伸长方向与褶皱轴向一致而缩短方向与褶皱轴垂直,叠加区应变型式不规则,且应变椭球伸长量和缩短量之差值较小.     

Progressive deformation and the rotation of contemporary fold axes in the Ballybofey Nappe,north-west Ireland

Internal regions of orogenic belts may be characterized by an alignment of fold axes with mineral elongation lineations. This relationship is commonly interpreted as representing progressive tightening and rotation towards the shear direction of early buckle folds, the hinges of which were initiated orthogonal to this direction. Detailed structural analysis of lower amphibolite facies Dalradian metasediments of the Ballybofey (fold) Nappe, north-west Ireland, shows that an intense S₃ schistosity is developed axial planar to mesoscopic and minor F₃ folds. In areas of low D₃ strain, F₃ fold axes plunge gently towards the north-east, whereas in regions of greater strain plunges are towards the south-east subparallel to the constant mineral lineation. Minor folds which initiated at angles of 70–80° from the mineral lineation subsequently rotated towards the shear direction in a consistent clockwise sense. Progressive and variable non-coaxial deformation oblique to the original mean F₃ orientation has resulted in a unimodal distribution pattern of fold axes. Analysis of the angular rotation of fold axes enables estimates of the bulk shear strain to be evaluated and models of progressive deformation to be assessed.     

The measurement of fracture patterns in the chalk of Southern England

A field investigation made to ascertain if recognisable fracture patterns exist within the Chalk of southern England is described. The areas investigated included: the Chilterns the Isle of Thanet; the South Downs; and the Isle of Wight. Analysis of field data indicate that strike directions of fractures may be concentrated into sets. The strike direction of each set remains reasonably constant within a particular area and the pattern of fracturing appears to be related to the main fold axes in each area. Most fractures within the Chalk were found to be steeply inclined, although significant variations exist when results from the areas investigated are compared. Results indicate that definite fracture patterns are recognisable and that the likely fracture pattern for a specified area could be predicted. Although the accuracy of prediction is at present somewhat limited, determination of such fracture patterns is considered to be of significance.     

Early Palaeozoic Evolution of the Zhen'' an- Xichuan Block and the Small Qinling Multi-Island Ocean Basin

Based on studies of palaeogeography, palaeobiogeography, palaeomagnetism, geochemistry and volcanism, this paper proposes that the Zhen'an-Xichuan area was a small Early Palaeozoic block rifted away from South Qinling and suturing onto North Qinling earlier than the other parts of South Qinling. In the Early Palaeozoic Qinling was a small archipelagic ocean basin with 5 rows of islands including the Zhen'an-Xichuan block. The drifting of the Yangtze and North China plates and the islands between them in the same direction at different speeds caused their suturing process to be different from the classic plate collision, which is the major feature of the suturing of the multi-island Tethys ocean basin. This also explains the problem that the Caledonian collision did not result in orogeny in eastern Qinling.     

A tertiary fold and thrust belt in the Valle del Cauca Basin, Colombian Andes

Surface geology and heophysical data, supplemented by regional structural interpretations, indicate that the Valle del Cauca basin and adjacent areas in west-central Colombia form a west-vergent, basement-involved fold and thrust belt. This belt is part of a Cenozoic orogen developed along the west side of the Romeral fault system. Structural analysis and geometrical constraints show that the Mesozoic ophiolitic basement and its Cenozoic sedimentary cover are involved in a “thick-skinned” west-vergent foreland style deformation. The rocks are transported and shortened by deeply rooted thrust faults and stacked in imbricate fashion. The faults have a NE---SW regional trend, are listric in shape, developed as splay faults which are interpreted as joining a common detachment at over 10 km depth. The faults carry Paleogene sedimentary strata and Cretaceous basement rocks westward over Miocene strata of the Valle del Cauca Basin. Fold axes trend parallel or sub parallel to the thrust faults. The folds are westwardly asymmetrical with parallel to kink geometry, and are interpreted to be fault-propagation folds stacked in an imbricate thrust system. Stratigraphic evidence suggests that the Valle del Cauca basin was deformed between Oligocene and upper Miocene time. The kinematic history outlined above is consistent with an oblique convergence between the Panama and South American plates during the Cenozoic.A negative residual Bouguer anomaly of 20–70 mgls in the central part of the Valle del Cauca basin indicates that a substantial volume of low density sedimentary rocks is concealed beneath the thrust sheets exposed at the land surface. The hydrocarbon potential of the Valle del Cauca should be reevaluated in light of the structural interpretations presented in this paper.     

南堡凹陷老爷庙地区构造-沉积分析

利用构造-沉积分析方法, 探讨南堡凹陷老爷庙横向背斜对东营组扇三角洲沉积体系的控制作用.通过对西南庄边界断层和老爷庙背斜的几何学解剖, 确定老爷庙背斜为西南庄断层断面弯曲控制的横向背斜.该背斜从沙河街组一段沉积期开始发育, 馆陶组沉积期叠加了NE向的走滑断层.含砾率统计发现, 含砾率高值均分布在横向背斜转折端、横向背斜和边界断层交汇控制了主水系的入口, 提供长距离输沙路径.从井-震结合剖面和古地貌图识别出横向背斜发育时期的上、下坡折位置.扇三角洲平原受上坡折控制, 发育在背斜转折端; 下坡折控制扇三角洲前缘和前扇三角洲的分界.边界断层控制的横向背斜在沉积盆地内普遍发育.横向背斜控制长距离输沙和相分配模式对砂体预测具有重要的意义.      

Spiral and staircase inclusion trail axes within garnet and staurolite porphyroblasts from schists of the Bolton Syncline, Connecticut: timing of porphyroblast growth and the effects of fold development

In the Littleton Formation, garnet porphyroblasts preserve three generations of growth that occurred before formation of the Bolton Syncline. Inclusion trails of foliations overgrown by these porphyroblasts are always truncated by the matrix foliation suggesting that garnet growth predated the matrix foliation. In contrast, many staurolite porphyroblasts grew synchronously with formation of the Bolton Syncline. However, local rim overgrowths of the matrix foliation suggest that some staurolite porphyroblasts continued to grow after development of the fold during younger crenulation producing deformations. The axes of curvature or intersection of foliations defined by inclusion trails inside the garnet porphyroblasts lie oblique to the axial plane of the Bolton Syncline but do not change orientation across it. This suggests the garnets were not rotated during the subsequent deformation associated with fold development or during even younger crenulation events. Three samples also contain a different set of axes defined by curvature of inclusion trails in the cores of garnet porphyroblasts suggesting a protracted history of garnet growth. Foliation intersection axes in staurolite porphyroblasts are consistently orientated close to the trend of the axial plane of the Bolton Syncline on both limbs of the fold. In contrast, axes defined by curvature or intersection of foliations in the rims of staurolite porphyroblasts in two samples exhibit a different trend. This phase of staurolite growth is associated with a crenulation producing deformation that postdated formation of the Bolton Syncline. Measurement of foliation intersection axes defined by inclusion trails in both garnet and staurolite porphyroblasts has enabled the timing of growth relative to one another and to the development of the Bolton Syncline to be distinguished in rocks where other approaches have not been successful. Consistent orientation of foliation intersection axes across a range of younger structures suggests that the porphyroblasts did not rotate relative to geographical coordinates during subsequent ductile deformation. Foliation intersection axes in porphyroblasts are thus useful for correlating phases of porphyroblastic growth in this region.     

Tectonic observations in the northern Saih Hatat,Sultanate of Oman

The Saih Hatat region, in northeastern Oman, is characterized by a large tectonic window, tectonically overlain during the upper Cretaceous by nappes composed of sedimentary rocks from the Mesozoic Hawasina ocean and the Samail ophiolite. In this window, the autochthonous sedimentary cover of the eastern Arabian Platform from the Late Neoproterozoic to the Cenomanian is well exposed. The oldest of these strata, the Hatat schists, were deformed into a NE-facing fold nappe during the upper Cretaceous. Within the overturned and thrusted lower limb of that fold nappe, we identified three small windows exposing stratigraphically younger Hiyam carbonates and Ordovician sandstone. The structural inventory of the windows and the surrounding area indicates three major tectonic phases. The first deformation led to NNE-SSW trending fold structures which probably formed simultaneously with the major fold nappe of the Hatat schists, followed by the extreme attenuation and thrusting of the lower limb of the fold nappe. The second phase was a gentle folding of the thrust with N-S oriented fold axes and third deformation phase that formed WNW-ESE oriented open folds. The windows are situated in the intersection of anticline axes of these two superposed fold generations and represent a mini basin-and-dome structure with an extension of just 1 km?×?1 km.     

From oblique accretion to transpression in the evolution of the Altaid collage: New insights from West Junggar,northwestern China

Along active margins, tectonic features that develop in response to plate convergence are strongly controlled by subduction zone geometry. In West Junggar, a segment of the giant Palaeozoic collage of Central Asia, the West Karamay Unit represents a Carboniferous accretionary complex composed of fore-arc sedimentary rocks and ophiolitic mélanges. The occurrence of quasi-synchronous upright folds and folds with vertical axes suggests that transpression plays a significant role in the tectonic evolution of the West Junggar. Latest Carboniferous (ca. 300 Ma) alkaline plutons postdate this early phase of folding, which was synchronous with accretion of the Carboniferous complex. The Permian Dalabute sinistral fault overprints Carboniferous ductile shearing and split the West Karamay Unit ca. 100 km apart. Oblique convergence may have been provoked by the buckling of the Kazakh orocline and relative rotations between its segments. Depending upon the shape of the convergence zone, either upright folds and fold with vertical axes, or alternatively, strike–slip brittle faults developed in response to strain partitioning. Sinistral brittle faulting may account for the lateral imbrication of units in the West Junggar accretionary complex.     

Progressive deformation and reorientation of fold axes in a ductile mylonite zone: the woodroffe thrust

The structural geometry of a mylonite zone (the Woodroffe thrust) and the country rock in its immediate vicinity is described. Mylonitic schistosity formed axial planar to folds in country rock foliation and contains a mineral elongation lineation which is constant in orientation. However, the fold axes (and associated intersection lineation) spread in orientation within the mylonitic schistosity but with a strong maximum parallel to the mineral elongation lineation. It is demonstrated that the fold axes formed initially at approximately 90° to mineral elongation but rotated with increase in strain towards it. Where this phenomenon was homogeneous on a macroscopic scale, rotation of large blocks of country rock across zones of mylonitization accompanied reorientation of fold axes within the mylonite.The controversy of progressive simple versus progressive pure shear for mylonite zones is discussed in the light of recent fabric and other evidence. It is concluded that the inhomogeneous forms of both progressive pure shear and progressive simple shear played a part and that the former dominated initially but gradually gave way to the latter until brittle rupture with large simple-shear displacements on a zone lubricated by the formation of pseudotachylite, brought granulite over amphibolite facies rocks.