Evolution history of the Hidaka-oki (offshore Hidaka) basin in the southern central Hokkaido, as revealed by seismic interpretation, and related tectonic events in an adjacent collision zone

Off the southern coast of Hokkaido the Hidaka-oki (offshore Hidaka) basin has developed on the western flank of a collision suture under the influence of long-standing compressional plate motion and provoked tectonic stresses around the northwestern Pacific rim throughout the late Cenozoic. The basin forming history of the Japan arc and Kuril arc collision zone is described on the basis of seismic reflection data interpretation. We identify two stages of basin formation: the older (late Oligocene-Miocene) faulted en echelon graben (pull-apart basin) and younger (Plio-Pleistocene) regional downwarping. Paleoenvironmental changes recorded within the fore-arc sediments indicate that the older basin filled up by the late Miocene. We inferred the volumes of the distinctive basins from the depth-conversion of seismic data, which suggest episodic uplifts and massive erosion of the Hidaka Mountains in the middle-late Miocene and the Plio-Pleistocene. Estimated sediment supply rates into the basins have a similar level for the both stages. Cause of an episodic uplift in the older stage is attributed to the delayed opening of the Japan Sea. The eastern Eurasian margin underwent N-S right-lateral faulting at 25 Ma as a result of rifting of the Kuril back-arc basin. Formation of the Japan Sea back-arc basin since the early Miocene (ca. 20 Ma) caused eastward motion of the western Hokkaido block and transpressive regime along the pre-existing N-S shear deformation zone.     

America-Eurasia plate boundary in eastern Asia and the opening of marginal basins

The opening of the Arctic Ocean during the past 55 Ma resulted in relative rotation of America with respect to Eurasia about a pole located in eastern Siberia, near the plate boundary. The extensional plate boundary enters deep inside the Eurasian continent up to the rotation pole. On the opposite side of the pole, on the Pacific side of the plate boundary, compressive tectonics are recorded along Sakhalin and Hokkaido. From the Oligocene to Middle Miocene, the relative movement was accommodated by strike-slip motion along Sakhalin and Hokkaido although the rotation pole was not located at a significatively different position from now. In this paper we explain this by independent motion of the southernmost tip of the American plate towards the Pacific margin which behaves as a free boundary. This oceanward motion resulted in an extension of the American plate giving rise to the wedge structure of the Okhotsk Sea. The Japan Sea opened as a pull-apart basin along the strike-slip boundary; finally the increasing extension in the Okhotsk Sea led to the opening of the oceanic Kuril Basin.     

Lithosphere types in North China: Evidence from geology and geophysics

Deep-seated materials from lithosphere are the ba- sic parameters and the foundation for geodynamic and continental dynamic studies. Division of lithosphere types and their deep-seated materials and structure can provide important evidence in interpreting the com- plex phenomena derived from the processes of forma- tion and evolution of continents, in evaluating the mineral resource potential, in predicting geological disasters and in the research of the continental dy- namic process. Huge lit…     

Crustal deformation and dynamics of Early Cretaceous in the North China Craton

The Early Cretaceous represents a peak period of the North China Craton(NCC) destruction. A comprehensive analysis of crustal deformation during this period can reveal processes and dynamics of the destruction. The peak destruction of the NCC was associated with intense extension whose representative deformation products are metamorphic core complexes(MCCs), extensional domes and rifted basins. These MCCs occurred along both northern and southern margins of the NCC, and resulted from synchronous extension and magmatism, showing difference from the typical orogen-type MCCs in many aspects.The MCCs of the Early Cretaceous were replaced by extensional domes under relatively weak extension and uplift. In contrast to a major depression-type basin of the Early Cretaceous in the western NCC, rifted basins of the same age in the eastern NCC appeared as medium-to small-scale ones extensively. In the eastern NCC, the rifted basins north of the Bohai Bay are characterized by a feature similar to an active rift whereas those south of the Bohai present similarity to a passive rift. Various sorts of extensional structures developed during the peak destruction indicate a stable stress state of NE-SE extension over the entire central to eastern NCC, consistent with the plate margin-driven stress field. Spatial distribution of the extensional structures presents an 1800 km wide back-arc extension region in the central to eastern NCC, consistent with the Paleo-Pacific slab rollback model following flat subduction. Temporal-spatial variation of initial extension and volcanic activity during the peak period also supports the rollback model right after the flat oceanic slab. The crustal deformation evolution demonstrates that the peak destruction of the NCC took place after the B-episode compression of the Yanshan Movement of the earliest Early Cretaceous and terminated with onset of the C-episode compression of the earliest Late Cretaceous.     

Structural characteristics of the Tan-Lu fault zone in Cenozoic basins offshore the Bohai Sea

The Tan-Lu fault zone across the eastern margin of the Cenozoic basins offshore the Bohai Sea is a NNE-trending right-lateral strike-slip fault system developed in the Cenozoic basin cover. It cuts through NE-to NNE-striking major extensional faults that controlled the formation of Paleogene basins. Recent petroleum exploration indicates that Cenozoic structural activities of the Tan-Lu fault system have directly or indirectly affected oil and gas distribution offshore the Bohai Sea. As part of a deep fault zone the Tan-Lu fault zone has been activated since the Oligocene,and obviously affected the tectonic evolution of offshore Bohai basins since then. The formation of Paleogene rift basins offshore the Bohai Sea has utilized the pre-existing structural elements of the Tan-Lu fault zone that developed in the late Mesozoic.     

Cretaceous tectonic and biotic evolution of the southeastern Russian continental margin

The Cretaceous tectonic and geodynamic settings of the southeastern Russian continental margin are discussed using data generated during several recent geological studies. The structural patterns of the East Asian Cretaceous continental margin are the result of the influence of global and regional processes. The interaction and reorganization of the Eurasian, Pacific and other related plates induced intraplate tectonic processes such as rifting, subduction, collision, transform faulting, and basin formation. Three major basin types are recognized in this area: (i) mainly marine active continental margins associated with shear components (Sangjian–Middle Amur Basin); (ii) passive continental margins (Bureya, Partizansk, and Razdolny basins); (iii) intracontinental basins (Amur–Zeya Basin). The evolution of the biota in this region allows the examination of Early and Late Cretaceous biostratigraphy, faunal and floral changes, and the phytogeography of the southeastern Russian continental margin.     

Change in tectonic force inferred from basin subsidence: Implications for the dynamical aspects of back-arc rifting in the western Mediterranean

A method has been developed that allows temporal changes in tectonic force during rift basin formation to be inferred from observed tectonic subsidence curves and has been applied to the Gulf of Lions (the Provençal Basin) and the Valencia Trough in order to gain some understanding of the dynamical aspects of back-arc basin rifting in the western Mediterranean Sea. Two distinct tectonic force regimes active at different times during the evolution of each of these back-arc basins are identified. The first, which can be seen in both basins, is characterized by tensional forces that gradually abate with time to vanish some ～ 20 my after the onset of rifting. The magnitude of tectonic force required to initiate the rifting process is significantly greater in the Valencia Trough than in the Provençal Basin. Subsequently, the dynamic development of these back-arc basins differs. In the Provençal Basin, there is a renewal of force, with extensional deformation concentrated in the central part of the rift whereas, in the Valencia Trough, the second tectonic force regime is inferred to be one that causes compression that subsequently relaxes. Such temporal patterns of tectonic force are interpreted to be related to the causative driving processes, allowing constraints to be placed on the transient interaction between the overriding and subducting plates in a back-arc setting. The models also allow inferences to be made about the rheological structure of the lithosphere. A significant variation of initial crustal thickness is inferred for the Provençal Basin but not for the Valencia Trough. In both basins, a wet rheology is required in order to initiate rifting given currently accepted bounds on tectonic force magnitudes; adoption of a dry rheology leads to insufficiently high strain rates for significant lithosphere extension in both cases.     

The two-stage opening of the western–central Mediterranean basins: a forward modeling test to a new evolutionary model

The Algero–Provençal and the Tyrrhenian extensional basins developed in two stages in a geodynamic setting characterized by the nearly N–S convergence between Africa and Eurasia. The spreading of the Provençal basin occurred in the early Miocene following a long period of rifting in the western Mediterranean area. A dramatic eastward shift of the active extensional deformation resulted in the Tortonian to Quaternary opening of the Tyrrhenian basin. In a companion paper, Carminati et al. propose that: a trench retreat process in a geodynamic setting locked by the continental collisions in the Alps and in the Betic chain is a viable mechanism for the late Oligocene–early Langhian opening of the western Mediterranean; a Langhian slab detachment episode along the north African margin is likely to have caused the end of the trench retreat along this part of the boundary determining the end of active expansion in the western Mediterranean and the beginning of active extension in the Tyrrhenian basin. The objective of the present paper is to quantitatively test this proposed scenario. We calculate, by means of a thin shell model, the effects of these plate boundary reorganizations on the European stress and strain field. We show that the two-stage opening of the western and central Mediterranean can be explained by the evolution proposed by Carminati et al. and that, in particular, the eastward shift of the active extension which produced the termination of the first opening stage and the beginning of the second is likely to have been triggered by the slab detachment episode along the north African margin.     

Pattern and timing of late Cenozoic rapid exhumation and uplift of the Helan Mountain,China

The Helan Mountain, an intraplate deformation belt in the North China Craton, is located in the northern portion of the China North-South seismic belt, and at the northwestern margin of the Ordos Block. The Cenozoic deformation history of the Helan Mountain is characterized by extension along the eastern Helan Mountain fault (EHSF), resulting in the exhumation and uplift of the Helan Mountain, relative to the rifting of the adjacent Yinchuan Basin. Here we present new apatite fission track (AFT) data from several transects adjacent to the EHSF in the central and northern Helan Mountain. AFT ages from the northern Helan Mountain (Dawukou and Zhengyiguan transects) range from 10 Ma to 89 Ma, whereas AFT ages from the southern Helan Mountain (Suyukou transect) are greater than 71 Ma. The AFT data analysis reveals initiation of rapid uplift and exhumation of the Helan Mountain at 10–12 Ma. Additionally, a plot of the AFT ages versus their mean track length shows a distinctive "boomerang" pattern indicating that the Helan Mountain experienced a discrete phase of accelerated exhumation beginning at 10-12 Ma. Spatially, AFT samples systematically increase in age away from the EHSF and are consistent with late Cenozoic exhumation that was slow in the southwestern Helan Mountain and rapid in the northeastern Helan Mountain, as well more rapid adjacent to the EHSF and slower away from the EHSF. Obviously, the spatial distribution of late Cenozoic exhumation indicates that normal faulting of the EHSF is related to southwestward tilting and rapid exhumation of the Helan Mountain beginning at 10–12 Ma. The uplift and exhumation of the Helan Mountain was a response to the intensive extension of the northwestern margin of the Ordos Block in the late Cenozoic; this occurred under a regional extensional stress field oriented NW-SE along the Yinchuan-Jilantai-Hetao and the Weihe-Shanxi graben systems adjacent to the Ordos Block.     

Integrated Analysis on Gravity and Magnetic Fields of the Hailar Basin, NE China: Implications for Basement Structure and Deep Tectonics

The Hailar Basin is one of the typical basins among the NE China Basin Groups, which is situated in the east of East Asia Orogene between the Siberia Plate and the North China Plate. Based on the detailed analysis of magnetic, gravity, petrophysical, geothermal and seismological data, we separate the Gravity and Magnetic Anomalies (GMA) into four orders using Wavelet Multi-scale Decomposition (WMD). The apparent depths of causative sources were then assessed by Power Spectrum Analysis (PSA) of each order. Low-order wavelet detail anomalies were used to study the basin’s basement structure such as major faults, the basement lithology, uplifts and depressions. High-order ones were used for the inversion of Moho and Curie discontinuities using the Parker method. The results show that the Moho uplifting area of the Hailar Basin is located at the NE part of the basin, the Curie uplifting area is at the NW part, and neither of them is consistent with the basin’s sedimentary center. This indicates that the Hailar Basin may differ in basin building pattern from other middle and eastern basins of the basin groups, and the Hailar Basin might be of a passive type. When the Pacific Plate was subducting to NE China, the frontier of the plate lying on the mantle transition zone didn’t pass through the Great Khingan Mountains region, so there is not an obvious magma upwelling or lithospheric extension in the Hailar Basin area. Finally, based on the seismological data and results of WMD, a probable 2D crust model is derived from an across-basin profile using the 2D forward modeling of the Bouguer gravity anomaly. The results agree with those from seismic inversion, suggesting WMD is suitable for identifying major crustal density interfaces.     

Japan Sea: a pull-apart basin?

Recent field work in the Hokkaido Central Belt and marine geology studies along the eastern margin of Japan Sea in addition to previously published data lead us to propose a new model of opening of the Japan Sea. The synthesis of both on-land and offshore structural data gives new constraints about the structural evolution of the system. The rhombohedral shape of the Japan Basin and the particular tectonic behaviour of the margins on both east and west sides can be explained by an early Eo-Oligocene rifting of a pull-apart basin accommodated along two large right-lateral shear zones, east of Korea and west of northeast Japan and Sakhalin. It is followed, during Upper Oligocene/Lower Miocene, by the main opening of the Japan Basin as a mega pull-apart. Then a back-arc spreading probably related to the subduction process, induced the creation of the Yamato and Tsushima Basins at the end of Lower Miocene and in Middle Miocene. Clockwise rotation of southwest Japan larger than 20° or major bending of Honshu mainland deduced from paleomagnetic studies is unlikely at this time. Since 1 or 2 My B.P. to Present, compression prevails along the eastern margin of the Japan Sea. The generation of marginal basins as pull-apart basins along intracontinental strike-slip faults is a mechanism which has been proposed by other authors concerning the South China Sea, the question then is whether the fragmentation of the Asiatic continent is an intracontinental deformation related process as proposed here or a subduction related one.     

Sedimentary fill history of the Huicheng Basin in the West Qinling Mountains and associated constraints on Mesozoic intracontinental tectonic evolution

The Qinling Orogenic Belt is divided commonly by the Fengxian-Taibai strike-slip shear zone and the Huicheng Basin into the East and West Qinling mountains,which show significant geological differences after the Indosinian orogeny.The Fengxian-Taibai fault zone and the Meso-Cenozoic Huicheng Basin,situated at the boundary of the East and West Qinling,provide a natural laboratory for tectonic analysis and sedimentological study of intracontinental tectonic evolution of the Qinling Orogenic Belt.In order to explain the dynamic development of the Huicheng Basin and elucidate its post-orogenic tectonic evolution at the junction of the East and West Qinling,we studied the geometry and kinematics of fault zones between the blocks of West Qinling,as well as the sedimentary fill history of the Huicheng Basin.First,we found that after the collisional orogeny in the Late Triassic,post-orogenic extensional collapse occurred in the Early and Middle Jurassic within the Qinling Orogenic Belt,resulting in a series of rift basins.Second,in the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous,a NE-SW compressive stress field caused large-scale sinistral strike-slip faults in the Qinling Orogenic Belt,causing intracontinental escape tectonics at the junction of the East and West Qinling,including eastward finite escape of the East Qinling micro-plate and southwest lateral escape of the Bikou Terrane.Meanwhile,the strike-slip-related Early Cretaceous sedimentary basin was formed with a right-order echelon arrangement in sinistral shear zones along the southern margin of the Huicheng fault.Overall during the Mesozoic,the Huicheng Basin and surrounding areas experienced four tectonic evolutionary stages,including extensional rift basin development in the Early and Middle Jurassic,intense compressive uplift in the Late Jurassic,formation of a strike-slip extensional basin in the Early Cretaceous,and compressive uplift in the Late Cretaceous.     

Late amagmatic extension along the central and eastern segments of the West Philippine Basin fossil spreading axis

The spreading processes within the West Philippine Basin (WPB) remain partly unknown. This study presents an analysis of the tectono-magmatic processes that happened along its spreading axis during the conclusion of the last spreading phase at 33/30 Ma. We demonstrate that the late episode of N-S opening from an E-W-trending spreading system has been followed by a late tectonic event occurring in the central and eastern parts of the basin. This event was responsible for transtensional strain accommodated along the NW-SE faults cutting through the former E-W rift valley in the central part of the basin. In its eastern part, the same event occurred at a larger extent and led to the creation of a new NW-SE axis, obliquely cutting the older E-W spreading segments and their associated spreading fabrics. At this location, several tens of kilometers of slightly oblique amagmatic extension occurred following a ∼60° direction. We propose that this late event is associated with the onset of E-W opening of the Parece-Vela Basin located along the eastern border of the WPB at 30 Ma. Extensive stresses within this basin were probably transmitted to the hot and easily deformable rift zone of the WPB. The newly-created NW-SE axis most likely propagated from east to west, being responsible for scissors opening within the WPB. NE-SW extension ceased when well-organized spreading started at 26 Ma in Parece-Vela Basin, accommodating entirely the global extensive stress pattern.     

Timing of dextral oblique subduction along the eastern margin of the Asian continent in the Late Cretaceous: Evidence from the accretionary complex of the Shimanto Belt in the Kii Peninsula, Southwest Japan

Paleomagnetic studies and hotspot track analyses show that the Kula Plate was subducted dextrally with respect to the Eurasian Plate from the Coniacian to Campanian. However, geological evidence for dextral subduction of the Kula Plate has not been reported from Southwest Japan. Studies of the Coniacian to lower Campanian Miyama Formation of the Shimanto Belt reveal that the mélange fabrics show a dextral sense of shear both at outcrop and microscopic scales. In addition, thrust systems at map-scale also show dextral shearing. Restored shear directions in the mélange indicate dextral oblique subduction of an oceanic plate. This indicates that the Kula Plate subducted dextrally along the eastern margin of Asia during the Coniacian to early Campanian. Combinations with other published kinematic and age constraints suggest that Southwest Japan experienced a change from sinistral to dextral and back to sinistral shear between 89–76 Ma. This history is compatible with global-scale plate reconstructions and places good constraints on the timing of plate boundary interaction with the Cretaceous East Asian margin.     

帕米尔构造结及邻区的晚新生代构造与现今变形

帕米尔构造结是中国大陆受板块动力作用和地震活动最强烈的地区之一.晚新生代帕米尔构造结北部向北楔入推移了约300km,但对这一变形过程至今未能很好的限定.帕米尔构造结的晚新生代构造变形在空间上是不对称的.帕米尔西缘表现为NW向的径向逆冲,伴随着塔吉克盆地东部块体绕垂直轴的逆时针旋转.在帕米尔东部,构造变形的方式、空间分布...     

K–Ar ages of the basaltic rocks from Far East Russia: Constraints on the tectono-magmatism associated with the Japan Sea opening

K–Ar ages of the Cenozoic basaltic rocks from the Far East region of Russia (comprising Sikhote-Alin and Sakhalin) are determined to obtain constraints on the tectono-magmatic evolution of the Eurasian margin by comparison with the Japanese Islands, Northeast China, and the formation of the back-arc basin. In the early Tertiary stage (54–26 Ma), the northwestward subduction of the Pacific Plate produced the active continental margin volcanism of Sikhote-Alin and Sakhalin, whereas the rift-type volcanism of Northeast China, inland part of the continent began to develop under a northeast–southwest-trending deep fault system. In the early Neogene (24–17 Ma), a large number of subduction-related volcanic rocks were erupted in connection with the Japan Sea opening. After an inactive interval of the volcanism ∼ 20–13 Ma ago, the late Neogene (12–5 Ma) volcanism of Sikhote-Alin and Sakhalin became distinct from those of the preceding stages and indicated within-plate geochemical features similar to those of Northeast China, in contrast to the Japan Arc which produces island arc volcanism. During the Japan Sea opening, the northeastern Eurasian margin detached and became a continental island arc system, and an integral part of continental eastern Asia comprising Sikhote-Alin, Sakhalin and Northeast China, and the Japan Arc with a back-arc basin. The convergence between the Eurasian Plate, the Pacific Plate and the Indian Plate may have contributed to the Cenozoic tectono-magmatism of the northeastern Eurasian continent.     

Structure and deformation around the Gyirong basin,north Himalaya,and onset of the south Tibetan detachment system

Gyirong basin and its adjacent area are located at a special position in the Himalayan orogen, where the south Tibetan detachment system (STDS) and N-S trending rift converged. The north Himalayan orogen here can be divided into five petrologic-tectonic units successively from south to north: 1) the Greater Himalayan crystalline complex (GHC); 2) the STDS shear zone; 3) the Tethyan Himalayan sedimentary sequence (THS); 4) the late Cenozoic sedimentary basins, such as Gyirong and Oma basins; and 5) the Malashan gneiss dome. Structural studies show that this area experienced four stages of deformation: 1) the earlier south-directed thrusting, preserved both in the GHC and THS; 2) top-down-to-north slip along the STDS, normal faults related to this slip formed the early controlling structures of the Cenozoic basins, and the tilted pattern of the blocks between the basins indicated a north-directed slip; 3) east-west extension, the resultant N-S trending normal fault formed the eastern boundary of the basins; and 4) late gravitational collapse. Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb dating on the syn-deformational (leuco-) granite along the STDS indicates that the major activity of the STDS occurred at ca. 26 Ma, but its onset may have begun as early as ca. 36 Ma. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40821002, 40572115)     

Initiation and evolution of the South China Sea: an overview

Different models have been proposed for the formation and tectonic evolution of the South China Sea(SCS), including extrusion of the Indochina Peninsula,backarc extension, two-stage opening, proto-SCS dragging,extension induced by a mantle plume, and integrated models that combine diverse factors. Among these, the extrusion model has gained the most attention. Based on simpli?ed physical experiments, this model proposes that collision between the Indian and Eurasian Plates resulted in extrusion of the Indochina Peninsula, which in turn led to opening of the SCS. The extrusion of the Indochina Peninsula, however, should have led to preferential opening in the west side of the SCS, which is contrary to observations. Extensional models propose that the SCS was a backarc basin, rifted off the South China Block. Most of the backarc extension models, however, are not compatible with observations in terms of either age or subduction direction. The two-stage extension model is based on extensional basins surrounding the SCS. Recent dating results indeed show two-stage opening in the SCS, but the Southwest Subbasin of the SCS is much younger, which contradicts the two-stage extension model. Here we propose a re?ned backarc extension model. There was a wide Neotethys Ocean between the Australian and Eurasian Plates before the Indian-Eurasian collision. The ocean ?oor started to subduct northward at *125 Ma, causing backarc extension along the southern margin of the Eurasian Plate and the formation of the proto-SCS. The Neotethys subduction regime changed due to ridge subduction in the Late Cretaceous, resulting in fold-belts, uplifting, erosion, and widespread unconformities. It may also have led to the subduction of the proto-SCS. Flat subduction of the ridge may have reached further north and resulted in another backarc extension that formed the SCS. The rollback of the?at subducting slab might have occurred *90 Ma ago; the second backarc extension may have initiated between 50 and 45 Ma. The opening of the Southwest Subbasin is roughly simultaneous with a ridge jump in the East Subbasin, which implies major tectonic changes in the surrounding regions, likely related to major changes in the extrusion of the Indochina Peninsula.     

Propagating rift during the opening of a small oceanic basin: The Protector Basin (Scotia Arc,Antarctica)

The opening of oceanic basins constitutes one of the key features of Plate Tectonics because it determines the rifting and displacement of the continental crustal blocks. Although the mechanisms of development of large oceans are well known, the opening and evolution of small and middle size oceanic basins have not been studied in detail. The Protector Basin, located in the southern Scotia Sea, is a good example of a small oceanic basin developed between two thinned continental blocks, the Pirie Bank and the Terror Rise, poorly studied up to now. A new set of multibeam bathymetry, multichannel seismic reflection, and gravity and magnetic anomaly profiles obtained on the SCAN 2001 cruise led us to determine that the Protector Basin probably opened during the period comprised between C5Dn (17.4 Ma) and C5ACn–C5ABr chrons (13.8 Ma), forming a N–S oriented spreading axis. The end of spreading is slightly younger to the north. The start of spreading is clearly diachronous, with the most complete set of chrons up to C5Dn in the southern profile, C5Cn in the middle section and only up to C5ADn in the northern part of the basin. The spreading axis propagated northwards during the basin development, producing the wedge shape of the basin. In addition, at the NE part of the basin, a reverse fault developed in the border of the Pirie Bank after basin opening accentuates the sharp northern end. Moreover, the northwestern part of the Pirie Bank margin is an extremely stretched continental crust with N–S elongated magnetic anomalies related to incipient oceanic southward propagating spreading axes. The Protector Basin shows the oldest evidence of E–W continental stretching and subsequent oceanic spreading during Middle Miocene, related with the eastward development of the Scotia Arc that continues up to Present. The relative rotation of continental blocks during the development of small sized oceanic basins by continental block drifting favoured the opening of wedge shape basins like the Protector Basin and conjugate propagating rifts.     

Early-stage rifting of the Southern Tyrrhenian region: The Calabria–Sardinia breakup

The Southern Tyrrhenian Sea is an extensional basins linked to the Neogene evolution of the Calabria subduction zone located in the western Mediterranean realm where controversial kinematic and geodynamical models have been proposed. Our study provides a key to unravel timing and mode of extension of the upper plate and the breakup of Calabria from Sardinia. By combining original stratigraphic analysis of wells and seismic profiles off Calabria with a stratigraphic correlation to onshore outcrops, we re-assess the tectonic evolution that controlled the sedimentation and basement deformation of the Southern Tyrrhenian basin during Serravallian–Tortonian times. We document the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of adjacent extensional basins characterized by 3rd order depositional sequences (Ser1, Tor1 and Tor2) and different modes of extension, subsidence and opposite dipping faults. Episodic basin development is recorded by a coarsening-up and fining-up trend of the sedimentary succession and by tectonically enhanced unconformities that reflect three episodes of fault activity. We reconstruct Serravallian–Tortonian paleogeographic maps and propose a block faulting model for the evolution of the Sardinia–Calabria area. Sardinia was disconnected from Calabria through N–S normal faults forming Tyrrhenian extensional basins that formed contemporaneously to the E–W opening of the Algerian basin. Unlike published Serravallian–Tortonian reconstructions of the western Mediterranean realm, our results support a geodynamic model characterized by rapid trench retreat, trench-normal extension in the entire overriding plate and very weak coupling between plates.