Extensional deformation structures within a convergent orogen: The Val di Lima low-angle normal fault system (Northern Apennines,Italy)

A low-angle extensional fault system affecting the non metamorphic rocks of the carbonate dominated Tuscan succession is exposed in the Lima valley (Northern Apennines, Italy). This fault system affects the right-side-up limb of a kilometric-scale recumbent isoclinal anticline and is, in turn, affected by superimposed folding and late-tectonic high-angle extensional faulting.The architecture of the low-angle fault system has been investigated through detailed structural mapping and damage zone characterization. Pressure-depth conditions and paleofluid evolution of the fault system have been studied through microstructural, mineralogical, petrographic, fluid inclusion and stable isotope analyses. Our results show that the low-angle fault system was active during exhumation of the Tuscan succession at about 180°C and 5 km depth, with the involvement of low-salinity fluids. Within this temperature - depth framework, the fault zone architecture shows important differences related to the different lithologies involved in the fault system and to the role played by the fluids during deformation. In places, footwall overpressuring influenced active deformation mechanisms and favored shear strain localization.Our observations indicate that extensional structures affected the central sector of the Northern Apennines thrust wedge during the orogenic contractional history, modifying the fluid circulation through the upper crust and influencing its mechanical behavior.     

Late Cretaceous, synorogenic, low-angle normal faulting along the Schlinig fault (Switzerland, Italy, Austria) and its significance for the tectonics of the Eastern Alps

The Schlinig fault at the western border of theÖtztal nappe (Eastern Alps), previously interpreted as a west-directed thrust, actually represents a Late Cretaceous, top-SE to -ESE normal fault, as indicated by sense-of-shear criteria found within cataclasites and greenschist-facies mylonites. Normal faulting postdated and offset an earlier, Cretaceous-age, west-directed thrust at the base of theÖtztal nappe. Shape fabric and crystallographic preferred orientation in completely recrystallized quartz layers in a mylonite from the Schlinig fault record a combination of (1) top-east-southeast simple shear during Late Cretaceous normal faulting, and (2) later north-northeast-directed shortening during the Early Tertiary, also recorded by open folds on the outcrop and map scale. Offset of the basal thrust of theÖtztal nappe across the Schlinig fault indicates a normal displacement of 17 km. The fault was initiated with a dip angle of 10° to 15° (low-angle normal fault). Domino-style extension of the competent Late Triassic Hauptdolomit in the footwall was kinematically linked to normal faulting.

The Schlinig fault belongs to a system of east- to southeast-dipping normal faults which accommodated severe stretching of the Alpine orogen during the Late Cretaceous. The slip direction of extensional faults often parallels the direction of earlier thrusting (top-W to top-NW), only the slip sense is reversed and the normal faults are slightly steeper than the thrusts. In the western Austroalpine nappes, extension started at about 80 Ma and was coeval with subduction of Piemont-Ligurian oceanic lithosphere and continental fragments farther west. The extensional episode led to the formation of Austroalpine Gosau basins with fluviatile to deep-marine sediments. West-directed rollback of an east-dipping Piemont-Ligurian subduction zone is proposed to have caused this stretching in the upper plate.     

Growth and linkage of a segmented normal fault zone; the Late Jurassic Murchison–Statfjord North Fault, northern North Sea

The structure of the 25 km long northeastern portion of the Murchison–Statfjord North Fault Zone and adjacent syn-rift stratigraphy are integrated to reconstruct the temporal and spatial evolution during c. 30.5 myr of Late Jurassic, North Sea rifting. Based on a structural analysis (D–d data) alone, approximately 14 precursor fault strands are identified. Incorporation of stratigraphic data shows that only six of these strands were important in controlling stratal architecture and distribution. Three main stages in the evolution of the fault zone are recorded in the syn-rift stratigraphy and are biostratigraphically constrained. These are: (1) following initiation of rifting, six isolated fault strands developed (each <4 km long) and controlled the stratigraphy for c. 13 myr; (2) the isolated strands linked along-strike forming two >9 km long fault segments separated by a 2 km wide relay ramp, that controlled the stratigraphy for at least the following c. 10.5 myr; and (3) the two fault segments hard-linked forming a single, continuous fault trace during the final c. 7 myr of rifting. The results of this study reveal the necessity to adopt an integrated structural and stratigraphic approach when reconstructing the evolution of normal fault zones. The results may also help to further constrain models of fault evolution.     

Neotectonics of the Marikina Valley fault system (MVFS) and tectonic framework of structures in northern and central Luzon, Philippines

Recognition of neotectonic features along the Marikina Valley fault system (MVFS) in central Luzon, Philippines indicates a dominantly dextral strike-slip motion during its most recent activity believed to be Late Pleistocene to Holocene in age. Variations in the ratios of vertical to horizontal displacements for the segments imply a dominantly dextral motion of the West Marikina Valley fault (WMVF) and oblique dextral motion for the East Marikina Valley fault (EMVF). The displacement data further suggest that rupturing along the EMVF involved multiple segments and occurred separately from the events along the WMVF segments. Estimated earthquake magnitudes for the WMVF and EMVF based on single-event offsets fall within the range M 7.3–7.7. The vertical slip component in the northern part of the Marikina Valley is associated with the development of a basin between the EMVF and WMVF while the large vertical component in the southernmost segment of the EMVF (Talim) is attributed to volcanism-related extension. Lateral advection of the block bounded by the MVFS and the Philippine fault zone (PFZ), rather than pure shear resulting from an assumed east–west compression, best explains the observed kinematics of the MVFS. This is the result of compression during the westward drift of the Philippine Sea Plate and northern Luzon and occurs through slip along the WMVF and EMVF at rates of 5–7 mm/yr.     

Fault plane processes and mesoscopic structure of a strong-type seismogenic fault in tonalites (Adamello batholith, Southern Alps)

The Gole Larghe Fault is an exhumed paleoseismic fault crosscutting the Adamello tonalites (Italian Southern Alps). Ambient conditions of faulting were 9–11 km in depth and 250–300 °C. In the study area the fault accommodates 1100 m of dextral strike-slip over a fault thickness of 550 m. Displacement is partitioned into three hierarchically different sets of discrete subparallel cataclastic horizons (faults_1–2–3). Fault displacement is in the range of few centimeters (faults₃) to a maximum of a few tens of meters in major faults₁. Faults_1–2 nucleated on pre-existing joints, whereas faults₃ are newly generated fractures produced during slip along faults_1–2. Each fault within the Gole Larghe Fault records the same evolution with development of indurated cataclasites precursory to pseudotachylyte production. Pseudotachylytes are usually generated at the host rock/cataclasite boundary and within cataclasites the mean clast size decreases getting closer to pseudotachylyte fault veins. Pseudotachylytes and cataclasites have a similar chemical composition which is enriched in Loss On Ignition, K, Rb, Ba, U and Fe³⁺ compared to host rock.We envision two models for the evolution of the Gole Larghe Fault. In both models synkinematic fluid–rock interaction along a fault causes fault hardening by precipitation of abundant K-feldspar+epidote (and minor chlorite) in the cataclasite matrix conducive to final production of pseudotachylyte. In the first model, induration occurs progressively by differential precipitation related to fabric evolution in cataclasites. In the second model, induration occurs abruptly dependent on the development of full connectivity within the fault network and to fluid reservoir. Whatever the model, the Gole Larghe Fault represents a strong fault, where hardening processes resulted in a low displacement/fault thickness ratio and contrast with many mature weak faults where localized repeated seismic slip along the same weak horizons yields high displacement/fault thickness ratios.     

The Central Southern Alps (N. Italy) paleoseismic zone: a comparison between field observations and predictions of fault mechanics

The internal sectors of the Orobic Alps (Northern Italy) are characterised by Alpine age regional shortening showing a transition, through time, from plastic to brittle deformation. Thrust faults cut Alpine ductile folds and are marked by cataclasites and, locally, by pseudotachylytes, suggesting that motion was accommodated by seismic frictional slip. In the Eastern Orobic Alps the thrusting initiated at depths deeper than 10 km (the emplacement depth of the Adamello pluton) and possibly continued at shallower depths. This demonstrates that thrust motion occurred between 10 km depth and the brittle-ductile transition, i.e., at mid-crustal depths. The Orobic Alps exhumed paleoseismic zone shows different geometries along strike. In the central sectors of the Orobic Alps, thrust faults, associated with pseudotachylytes, have average dips around 40° and show no pervasive veining. Much steeper thrusts (dips up to about 85°) occur in the eastern Orobic Alps. In this area, faults are not associated with pervasive veining, i.e., fluid circulation was relatively scarce. This suggests that faulting did not occur with supralithostatic fluid pressure conditions. These reverse faults are severely misoriented (far too steep) for fault reactivation in a sublithostatic fluid pressure regime. We suggest that thrust motion likely started when the faults were less steep and that the faults were progressively rotated up to the present day dips. Domino tilting is probably responsible for this subsequent fault steepening, as suggested by a decrease of the steepness of thrust faults from north to south and by systematic rotations of previous structures consistently with tilting of thrust blocks. When the faults became inclined beyond the fault lock-up angle, no further thrusting was accommodated along them. At later stages regional shortening was accommodated by newly formed lower angle shear planes (dipping around 30–40°), consistently with predictions from fault mechanics.     

The recent fault scarps of the Western Alps (France): Tectonic surface ruptures or gravitational sackung scarps? A combined mapping, geomorphic, levelling, and Be dating approach

In the Western Alps, some recent scarps were previously interpreted as surface ruptures of tectonic reverse and normal faults that agree with microseismicity and GPS measurements. Our analysis shows that in fact there are hundreds of recent scarps, up to 30 m high and 2.1 km long, with only pure normal motions. They share the same characteristics as typical sackung scarps. The scarps are mainly uphill facing, parallel to the ridge crests and the contour lines. They are relatively short (less than 2.1 km) with respect to tectonic fault ruptures, and organized in swarms. They cut screes and relict rock glaciers with a slow (commonly 1 mm/year) average slip rate. In the Aiguilles Grives massif these sackung scarps clearly express the gravitational toppling of sub-vertical bedding planes in hard rocks. In contrast, the Belledonne Outer Crystalline Massif exhibits scarps that stem from the gravitational reactivation of conjugate tectonic faults. The recent faults extend to about 1600 m beneath the Rognier ridge crest, but are always above the valley floor. The main scarp swarm is 9.2 km long and constitutes the largest sackung ever described in the Western Alps. ¹⁰Be dating of a scarp and offset surfaces shows that > 4 m slip may have occurred rapidly (in less than 3800 years) sometimes between the end of the glaciation and 8800 ± 1900 years ago. This dating, together with the location of some faults far from the deep glacial valleys, suggests that sagging might have been triggered by strong earthquakes during a post-glacial period of probably enhanced seismicity. The Belledonne and Synclinal Median faults (just beneath the Rognier sackung) could have been the sources of this seismicity.     

Geometry and kinematics of early Alpine nappes in a Briançonnais basement (Ambin Massif,Western Alps)

Petrological and structural observations from the Ambin pre-alpine basement dome and from its Briançonnais and Piedmont covers show an early D1 nappe-forming event overprinted by a major D2 (+?D3) ductile shearing deformation. The D1 event is characterised by garnet-blueschist facies metamorphic assemblages retrogressed to greenschist facies conditions during D2 then D3 stages near the top of the dome. North-verging D1 structures preserved in the core of the dome are consistent with alpine evolutionary models, in which exhumation of HP–LT metamorphic alpine rocks occurs initially in a north–south direction. To cite this article: J. Ganne et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Within-Plate type Meta-Volcaniclastic Deposits of Maastrichtian-Paleogene age in the Grande Motte unit (French Alps,Vanoise) : a first record in the Western Alps and some implications

Abstract

Metamorphosed mafic rocks probably corresponding lo ancient basaltic ashes (meta-tuffs) have been discovered in Kastern Vanoise. These rocks are interbedded within the Maastrichtian-paleocene formations of the Grande Motte unit. Their geochemícal characteristics are consistent with a within-plate affinity. A remote origin of these materials, as airfall ashes, is possible. These volcanic rocks arc coeval with eruptive alkaline products known is the Southern Alps. They have formed in a local extensional and/or strike-slip environment involving the internal Alpine realms around the Cretaceous-Tertiary boudary.