Magnetic signature of the Sicily Channel volcanism

Widespread Late Miocene to Quaternary volcanic activity is know to have occurred in the Sicily Channel continuing up to historical time. New magnetic anomaly data acquired in the Pantelleria Graben, one of the three main tectonic depressions forming the WNW-trending Sicily Channel rift system, integrated with available profiles, are used to identify and map volcanic bodies in this sector of the northern African margin. Some of these manifestations, both outcropping at the sea-floor or buried beneath a variable thickness of Plio-Quaternary sedimentary cover, have been imaged by seismic reflection profiles. Three main positive magnetic anomalies have been found: to the S–E of the Pantelleria Island, the largest emerged caldera of the Sicily Channel, along the eastern margin of the Nameless Bank, and at the north–western termination of the Linosa Graben. Only the anomaly located off the south–eastern coast of the Pantelleria Island, associated with a large outcropping body gradually buried beneath a substantially undisturbed Upper Pliocene-Quaternary sediments, aligns with the trend of the tectonic depression. 2-D geophysical models produced along seismic transects perpendicularly crossing the Pantelleria Graben have allowed to derive its deep crustal structure, and detect the presence of buried magmatic bodies which generate the anomalies. Marginal faults seem to have played a major role in focussing magma emplacement in this sector of the Sicily Channel. The other anomalies represent off-axis volcanic episodes and generally do not show evident magmatic manifestations at the sea-floor. These magnetic maxima seem to follow a NNE-SSW-trending belt extending from Linosa Island to the Nameless Bank, where pre-existing crustal anisotropies may have conditioned magma emplacement both at deep and shallow crustal levels. In general, data analysis has shown that there is a structural control on magma emplacement, with the major magmatic features located in specific locations like boundary faults and transfer zones, in a manner similar to that found along several segments of the East African Rift system.     

Seismic stratigraphy and structural setting of the Adventure Plateau (Sicily Channel)

Within the central Mediterranean, the northwestern sector of the Sicily Channel is the unique area where two independent tectonic processes can be analyzed: the building of the Sicilian–Maghrebian Chain occurred in Late Miocene and the continental lithospheric rifting of the northern African margin occurred since Early Pliocene. These two geodynamic processes generated a peculiar structural style that is largely recognizable in the Adventure Plateau. This plateau is the shallowest part of the Sicily Channel, where water depths do not generally exceed 150 m. It hosts several areas of geomorphic relief, which in some cases rise up to less than 20 m beneath sea-level. A series of submarine magmatic manifestations occur in this area, mainly associated with the extensional phase which produced the rift-related depressions of Pantelleria, Malta and Linosa. Seismic-stratigraphic and structural analyses, based on a large set of multichannel seismic reflection profiles and well information acquired mostly for commercial purposes in the 1970s and 1980s, have allowed us to reconstruct the Triassic-Quaternary sedimentary succession of the Adventure Plateau and define its structural setting. A broad lithological distinction can be made between the successions ranging from Triassic to Paleogene, predominantly carbonate, and the successions ranging from Miocene to Quaternary, predominantly siliciclastic. Three main structural belts have been identified within the Adventure Plateau: (1) the northern belt, affected during Late Miocene time by ESE-verging thrusts belonging to the External Thrust System orogenic domain, which represents the lowermost structural level of the Sicilian–Maghrebian Orogen; (2) the Apenninic–Maghrebian domain of the Sicilian–Maghrebian Orogen, which occupies the northwestern sector of the Adventure Plateau, and that is overthrusted on the External Thrust System orogenic domain during the Late Miocene; (3) the extensional belt of the southwestern sector of the Adventure Plateau, affected by broad NW-trending, high-angle normal faults associated with the Early Pliocene continental rifting phase. The eastern boundary of the Adventure Plateau corresponds to a broadly N–S trending lithospheric transfer zone separating two sectors of the Sicily Channel characterized by a different tectonic evolution.     

Contourites offshore Pantelleria Island (Sicily Channel, Mediterranean Sea): depositional, erosional and biogenic elements

High-resolution seismic reflection profiles and multibeam bathymetry data collected in 2006 and 2008 around Pantelleria Island show the widespread occurrence of contourite drifts and erosional elements ~30?km from the narrowest part (~145?km) of the Sicily Channel, where water masses from the Eastern Mediterranean flow towards the Western Mediterranean. The contourite drifts are rather small (up to 10?km long and 3.3?km wide), at water depths of ~250?C750?m. Most are elongated separated drifts with quite well-developed moats and crests, aligned roughly parallel to the regional bathymetric contours. Erosional elements include abraded surfaces, moats, scours and sub-circular depressions. In addition, a wide sector of the seafloor adjacent to a seamount located SW of Pantelleria Island is characterized by numerous biogenic build-ups colonized by deep-water corals (Madrepora oculata). The spatial distribution of sediment drifts, erosional features and biogenic build-ups suggests an origin from a north-westward-flowing bottom current, in this case the outflow of Levantine Intermediate Water and transitional Eastern Mediterranean Deep Water via the Sicily Channel. These findings for the Pantelleria offshore sector demonstrate that contourite processes are able to concentrate a high variety of closely spaced depositional and erosional features even in small areas (in this case, about 2,000?km²). This Pantelleria focusing can plausibly be related to a particular configuration of the prevailing bottom-current regime in complex interaction with an uneven bathymetry shaped mainly by tectonic and volcanic activity. The distribution of bottom currents seems to be strongly influenced by morphological features ranging from major seabed obstacles, such as the Pantelleria volcanic complex and the so-called southwest seamount, to smaller-scale escarpments and banks. This is consistent with previous findings for Mediterranean and other settings characterized by neotectonics and large topographic features.     

渤海海域构造应力场演化及其在油气聚集中的作用

渤海海域位于渤海湾盆地东部,在盆地区域动力学背景下,形成了渤海海域特征的沉积和构造环境。渤海海域新生代具有早期断陷、后期拗陷的特点,断裂以NE—NNE走向为主,其次是EW走向,再次是NW走向。通过区域构造演化和沉积体系的深入研究,将海域新生代地质构造活动按构造应力的方向、大小和其他构造形变参数划分为4个期次:①古新世;②始新世—渐新世;③中新世—早更新世;④晚更新世至今。在一系列构造演化过程中,构造应力场的变化对海域内的3组主要断裂具有重要的影响。不同方向的断裂在不同阶段应力场的作用下,所表现的特征和对油气的控制作用是不同的,尤其是NNE—NE向断裂在构造演化过程中多次具有走滑活动,油气主要聚集在走滑作用所派生的局部圈闭或附近存在的构造弱化带中。     

东海陆架盆地及其邻域岩浆岩时空分布特征

基于二维地震资料和重磁资料的处理、解释,研究了东海陆架盆地及其邻域岩浆岩时空分布特征,并收集整理浙闽地区相关地质资料,将海陆连为一体进行综合解释。浙闽陆区岩浆岩非常发育,并且大致沿28°N为界,北侧岩浆岩大体呈NE向带状分布,南侧则呈NNE向带状分布,且埋深较浅,甚至在有些地区出露地表,其分布特征受区内大断裂的控制。综合地震、重磁资料研究认为,海域岩浆岩多分布在隆起部位或凹陷的边缘位置,发育情况与断裂的展布密切相关。收集整理了海域钻遇岩浆岩的15口钻井资料,沿自SW至NE一线,对岩浆岩的同位素年龄进行了统计分析,并结合其侵入关系对岩浆活动进行了期次和展布特征的划分,初步划分为4期:燕山期、四川期、华北期和喜马拉雅期;4带:浙闽隆起区、中部隆起区、钓鱼岛隆褶带和琉球岛弧带。     

Tectonics of an extinct ridge-transform intersection,Drake Passage (Antarctica)

New swath bathymetric, multichannel seismic and magnetic data reveal the complexity of the intersection between the extinct West Scotia Ridge (WSR) and the Shackleton Fracture Zone (SFZ), a first-order NW-SE trending high-relief ridge cutting across the Drake Passage. The SFZ is composed of shallow, ridge segments and depressions, largely parallel to the fracture zone with an `en echelon' pattern in plan view. These features are bounded by tectonic lineaments, interpreted as faults. The axial valley of the spreading center intersects the fracture zone in a complex area of deformation, where N120° E lineaments and E–W faults anastomose on both sides of the intersection. The fracture zone developed within an extensional regime, which facilitated the formation of oceanic transverse ridges parallel to the fracture zone and depressions attributed to pull-apart basins, bounded by normal and strike-slip faults.On the multichannel seismic (MCS) profiles, the igneous crust is well stratified, with numerous discontinuous high-amplitude reflectors and many irregular diffractions at the top, and a thicker layer below. The latter has sparse and weak reflectors, although it locally contains strong, dipping reflections. A bright, slightly undulating reflector observed below the spreading center axial valley at about 0.75 s (twt) depth in the igneous crust is interpreted as an indication of the relict axial magma chamber. Deep, high-amplitude subhorizontal and slightly dipping reflections are observed between 1.8 and 3.2 s (twt) below sea floor, but are preferentially located at about 2.8–3.0 s (twt) depth. Where these reflections are more continuous they may represent the Mohorovicic seismic discontinuity. More locally, short (2–3 km long), very high-amplitude reflections observed at 3.6 and 4.3 s (twt) depth below sea floor are attributed to an interlayered upper mantle transition zone. The MCS profiles also show a pattern of regularly spaced, steep-inclined reflectors, which cut across layers 2 and 3 of the oceanic crust. These reflectors are attributed to deformation under a transpressional regime that developed along the SFZ, shortly after spreading ceased at the WSR. Magnetic anomalies 5 to 5 E may be confidently identified on the flanks of the WSR. Our spreading model assumes slow rates (ca. 10–20 mm/yr), with slight asymmetries favoring the southeastern flank between 5C and 5, and the northwestern flank between 5 and extinction. The spreading rate asymmetry means that accretion was slower during formation of the steeper, shallower, southeastern flank than of the northwestern flank.     

莱州湾西构造带断裂特征及其对油气成藏的控制

受古近纪莱州湾凹陷大规模断陷、郯庐断裂右旋走滑和垦东凸起大规模隆升三方面因素共同作用,莱州湾西构造带断裂系统发育,根据断裂性质及发育规模将断裂划分为3组不同方向的断裂组合,对油气的运移、聚集及保存都产生重要影响。根据莱州湾地区油气成藏规律并结合渤海其他区域近年勘探成果综合分析,莱北1号断层、斜坡区东西向反向正断层和走滑末端雁行式断层三类大规模调节断层对于油气成藏影响作用较大,这三类断层所控制的圈闭也是莱州湾凹陷及围区下一步勘探获得突破的重点区域。     

Late Cretaceous-Paleocene extension on the Vøring Volcanic Margin

High-quality seismic data document a Maastrichtian-Paleocene rift episode on the Vøring margin lasting for 20 m.y. prior to continental breakup. The rift structures are well imaged in the Fenris Graben and Gjallar Ridge region in the western Vøring Basin, and are characterized by low-angle detachment faults with variable fault geometries from south to north. The structural restoration has facilitated the division of pre- and syn-rift sediments across the extensional terrain, which is subsequently used to evaluate mode and mechanism for the lithospheric deformation. Extension estimates based on the structural restoration, subsidence analysis and crustal thickness evaluations yield stretching factors ranging between 1.5 to 2.3 across the main fault zone just landward of the early Tertiary flood basalts. The structural restoration also shows that a middle crustal dome structure, observed beneath the low-angle faults, can be explained by extensional unroofing. Thus, the dome structure may represent a possible metamorphic core complex. Calculations of the effects on vertical motion, assuming uniform and two-layer differential stretching models combined with the arrival of the Iceland mantle plume during rifting, indicate that the uniform extension model may account for both observed early rift subsidence and subsequent late rift uplift and erosion. Although the differential model can not be excluded, it implies early rift uplift which is not compatible with our seismic interpretation. The direct and indirect effects of the Iceland mantle plume may have caused as much as 1.2 km of late rift uplift. Comparison of the volcanic Vøring margin and the non-volcanic West Iberian margin shows similarities in terms of structural style as well as in mode and distribution of extension.     

Móron fault zone,north-central Venezuelan borderland: Identification,definition, and neotectonic character

Location of the southern Caribbean plate boundary has been hindered mainly because it is in large part submerged. Analysis of 28 acoustic reflection profiles along the north-central Venezuelan borderland, and a review of published data, suggest that this borderland is the site of a complex fault zone, formally defined as the Morón fault zone, which encompasses the nodal region of the Boconó-Oca-El Pilar fault system. The Morón fault zone consists of: (1) an eastward extension of the Oca-Chirinos fault zone at about 10° 50′ N latitude; (2) a probable eastward continuation of the Boconó-Morón faults along the Venezuelan coast, which splits into the Avila and Macuto faults, north and east of Caracas; (3) the Tacagua fault, which is a southeastward trending splinter fault of the Oca-Chirinos fault zone; (4) and the westward extension of the Cariaco pull-apart basin and the El Pilar fault zone. All of these faults and fault zones are active, as shown by offset sea bottom, offset Pleistocene-Holocene features, and seismicity. It is suggested that the Oca-Chirinos fault zone represents a formerly more active part of the plate boundary. Since the Late Tertiary (?) or Quaternary, the Boconó fault zone was incorporated into the plate boundary, and the northwestern block (Bonaire block) was thrust northeastward over the Caribbean crust.     

Preliminary Analysis of Seismic Risk in Taiwan Strait and Study on Feasibility of Construction of Tunnel Across the Strait

The collision between Eurasian and Pacific plates along the eastern margin of the Asian continent resulted in formation of a series of island-arcs, one of which is the Taiwan Island-arc, and the Taiwan Straits is a foreland basin in the continent-arc collision zone. The Quaternary fine-grained sediments occur evenly in the upper part of the basin, and the Pliocene deposits in the lower part. The stepped faults run in the deposits, indicating that the tectonic movement tended to weaken after the Pliocene. Strong seismic zones of Taiwan Island released large amount of plate overthrust-collision compressive stress and have their screen and prevention roles for the straits. Only the intersections between offshore NW-trending transform-like faults and seashore NE-trending faults on the southern and northern terminations of the Island are prone to strong earthquakes. The possibility of occurrence of M ≥ 6 earthquake should be very low in the area for the planned future tunnel. Moreover, the seismic intensity is rapidly attenuated from the surface downward. Thus, the seismic intensity for the tunnel under the seabed will be much lower. In seismotectonic view, the construction of tunnel is feasible.     

The Cenozoic graben system of Sardinia (Italy): geodynamic evolution from new seismic and field data

A tectono-sedimentary scenario for the Southern Sardinia (Italy) Cenozoic graben system is proposed using field observations and the interpretation of onshore and offshore seismic profiles. The major structural events are tied to the general geodynamic evolution of the Western Central Mediterranean. Thus, the extensional late Oligocene–Aquitanian event is a consequence of an ‘Apenninic’ westward subduction process associated with a volcanic arc (29–30 to 15–16 My) which is particularly well exposed in Sardinia. Deposition of Sub-aerial clastics, was followed by transgression of the rift depression at the beginning of the Aquitanian. Subduction terminated at the opening of the oceanic Provençal Basin and the rotation of Sardinia–Corsica during Burdigalian time (20–21 to 15–16 My). The Messinian compressional event (NE–SW oriented), documented from microtectonic data, strongly affected the Oligo-Miocene basin. The superimposed Plio-Quaternary Campidano Graben, which is probably related to the formation of the Tyrrhenian Basin, contains more than 600 m of syntectonic deposits. A change in polarity of the master faults bounding the Oligo-Miocene rift created a central horst-type twist zone separating two depocenters in the Oristano and Cagliari regions. Emplacement of large volcanic bodies and inversion of the basin during the Messinian in Cagliari area has reduced the areas with potential for hydrocarbon exploration. The two remaining prospective zones are the Oristano sub-basin and the offshore, south of Cagliari where burial of lower Miocene marine organic matter may have been sufficient to generate hydrocarbons. Potential reservoirs could be pre-rift Mesozoic or Eocene strata but are mainly excellent Miocene sands derived from erosion of the granitic basement in tilted blocks.     

Preliminary Analysis of Seismic Risk in Taiwan Strait and Study on Feasibility of Construction of Tunnel Across the Strait

The collision between Eurasian and Pacific plates along the eastern margin of the Asian continent resulted in formation of a series of island-arcs, one of which is the Taiwan Island-arc, and the Taiwan Straits is a foreland basin in the continent-arc collision zone. The Quaternary fine-grained sediments occur evenly in the upper part of the basin, and the Pliocene deposits in the lower part. The stepped faults run in the deposits, indicating that the tectonic movement tended to weaken after the Pliocene. Strong seismic zones of Taiwan Island released large amount of plate overthrust-collision compressive stress and have their screen and prevention roles for the straits. Only the intersections between offshore NW-trending transform-like faults and seashore NE-trending faults on the southern and northern terminations of the Island are prone to strong earthquakes. The possibility of occurrence of M?≥?6 earthquake should be very low in the area for the planned future tunnel. Moreover, the seismic intensity is rapidly attenuated from the surface downward. Thus, the seismic intensity for the tunnel under the seabed will be much lower. In seismotectonic view, the construction of tunnel is feasible.     

Storm-Generated Sediment Distribution Along the Northwest Florida Inner Continental Shelf

Hurricane Ivan made landfall along the Alabama– Florida coastline on September 16, 2004 as a category 3 storm. Ivan provided a rare opportunity to quantify surficial sediment changes following a significant storm event. Sidescan sonar imagery was collected immediately offshore Santa Rosa Island, FL, five days before and after Ivan's landfall 100 km west of the study area. Particle-size, multisensor core logger, X-radiography, photography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) grain shape, direct shear, radiocarbon isotope, and lignin–phenol analyses were performed on grab or vibracore samples collected after the storm. Sonar observations before Ivan's landfall revealed a mostly sand bottom with uniform, small-scale wind-wave ripple morphology, and a distinct area of low backscatter trending NW–SE that was interpreted to be a mud swale. Ivan introduced new material to the relict sediments and resulted in the deposition of fine-grained material across the shelf that settled in the bathymetric lows and formed mud flaser deposits. Hardbottoms were draped by sand in some locations, but exposed in others. Ripple morphology changes occurred along sand ridges. Hurricane Ivan created major sediment distribution changes along the near-shore shelf, yet served to reinforce and to maintain the ridge-and-swale topography of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico near-shore continental shelf.      

华北板块东部新生代断裂构造特征与盆地成因

华北板块东部新生代的构造特征及动力学演化主要受左行郯庐断裂带和右行兰考-聊城-台安-大洼-法哈牛断裂带的控制。这两条断裂都是新生代岩石圈断裂。在兰考-聊城-台安-大洼-法哈牛断裂带以西,新生代伸展盆地为NNE走向的铲形正断层控制的箕状断陷;两断裂之间为北断南超的NWW走向的断陷盆地;郯庐断裂以东的北黄海盆地为南断北超的Nww走向的断陷盆地。这些构造特征继承了该区中生代的构造格局,但其构造性质发生了根本变化,在这两条走滑方向相反的断裂带控制下,这两条断裂带内古近纪以张扭作用下的裂陷为主,随后以伸展断陷为主,第四纪沿两断裂带局部发生挤压,而鲁西地块和渤海湾盆地区仍然为伸展正断。渤海湾盆地及邻区这些新生代复杂的断块或断裂构造格局受控于应力-应变-基底格局3个基本要素。     

Morphology of the Blanco Transform Fault Zone-NE Pacific: Implications for its tectonic evolution

The right-lateral Blanco Transform Fault Zone (BTFZ) offsets the Gorda and the Juan de Fuca Ridges along a 350 km long complex zone of ridges and right-stepping depressions. The overall geometry of the BTFZ is similar to several other oceanic transform fault zones located along the East Pacific Rise (e.g., Siquieros) and to divergent wrench faults on continents; i.e., long strike-slip master faults offset by extensional basins. These depressions have formed over the past 5 Ma as the result of continual reorientation of the BTFZ in response to changes in plate motion. The central depression (Cascadia Depression) is flanked by symmetrically distributed, inward-facing back-tilted fault blocks. It is probably a short seafloor spreading center that has been operating since about 5 Ma, when a southward propagating rift failed to kill the last remnant of a ridge segment. The Gorda Depression on the eastern end of the BTFZ may have initially formed as the result of a similar occurrence involving a northward propagating rift on the Gorda ridge system. Several of the smaller basins (East Blanco, Surveyor and Gorda) morphologically appear to be oceanic analogues of continental pull-apart basins. This would imply diffuse extension rather than the discrete neovolcanic zone associated with a typical seafloor spreading center. The basins along the western half of the BTFZ have probably formed within the last few hundred thousands years, possibly as the result of a minor change in the Juan de Fuca/Pacific relative motion.     

Triassic–Liassic Western Moroccan synrift basins in relation to the Central Atlantic opening

The Upper Triassic–Lower Liassic sequence of the Atlantic margin of Morocco is primarily composed of fine-grained detrital sedimentary rocks containing basaltic intercalations. Its age is Carnian to Hettangian. Well data, outcrop observations and seismic sequence analysis suggest that rifting started earlier (Carnian) in the eastern and southern parts of the margin, and later proceeded towards the west and the north, resulting in the formation of the Central Atlantic rift. On the Moroccan margin, the rift was composed of: (i) eastern basins, relatively narrow and bounded by E-dipping faults, which are reactivated Hercynian structures; (ii) a central horst; and (iii) western basins bounded by W-dipping faults. The 020° trending basins are separated by W-dipping faults. The 020° trending basins are separated by 070° striking transfer faults.Estimations of the amount of lithospheric extension along the Moroccan external rift system show a thinning ratio decreasing northward and probably associated to a necking of the lithosphere. Rift evolution on the part of the Moroccan margin shows good correlation to the conjugate North American margin.     

The role of basement inheritance faults in the recent fracture system of the inner shelf around Alboran Island,Western Mediterranean

Fractures associated with volcanic rock outcrops on the inner shelf of Alboran Island, Western Mediterranean, were mapped on the basis of a side-scan sonar mosaic. Absolute maximum fracture orientation frequency is NW–SE to NNW–SSE, with several sub-maxima oriented NNE–SSW, NE–SW and ENE–WSW. The origin of the main fracture systems in Neogene and Quaternary rocks of the Alboran Basin (south Spain) appears to be controlled by older structures, namely NE–SW and WNW–ESE to NW–SE faults which cross-cut the basement. These faults, pre-Tortonian in origin, have been reactivated since the early Neogene in the form of strike-slip and extensional movements linked to the recent stress field in this area. Fracture analysis of volcanic outcrops on the inner continental shelf of Alboran Island suggests that the shelf has been deformed into a narrow shear zone limited by two NE–SW-trending, sub-parallel high-angle faults, the main orientation and density of which have been influenced by previous WNW–ESE to NW–SE basement fractures.     

Submarine canyons on the north of Chiwei Island: influenced by recent extension of the southern Okinawa Trough

Based on new multibeam bathymetric data and about 300 km long single seismic profiles, three topographic units were identified:the canyons, fractural valley and submarine terrace on the north of Chiwei Island where is a structural transition zone between the southern trough and the middle trough. The Chiwei Canyon and the North Chiwei Canyon are two of the largest canyons in the East China Sea (ECS) slope. Topographic features and architectures of them are described. The study shows that both of them are originated along faults. The evolution and spatial distribution of topographic units in the study area are controlled mainly by three groups of faults which were formed and reactive in the recent extensional phase of Okinawa Trough. The Chiwei Canyon was initiated during the middle Pleistocene and guided by F4 that is a N-S trending fault on the slope and F1, a large NW-SE trending fault on the trough. The pathway migration from the remnant channel to the present one of Chiwei Canyon is the result of uplift of tilted fault block that is coupled to the recent extension movements of the southern trough. The submarine terrace is detached from the ECS slope by the NEE-trending fault. The North Chiwei Canyon, developing during the late Pleistocene, is guided by F5, a N-S trending fault, diverted and blocked by the submarine terrace.     

Submarine canyons on the north of Chiwei Island:influenced by recent extension of the southern Okinawa Trough

Based on new multibeam bathymetric data and about 300 km long single seismic profiles, three topographic units were identified： the canyons, fractural valley and submarine terrace on the north of Chiwei Island where is a structural transition zone between the southern trough and the middle trough. The Chiwei Canyon and the North Chiwei Canyon are two of the largest canyons in the East China Sea （ECS） slope. Topographic features and architectures of them are described. The study shows that both of them are originated along faults. The evolution and spatial distribution of topographic units in the study area are controlled mainly by three groups of faults which were formed and reactive in the recent extensional phase of Okinawa Trough. The Chiwei Canyon was initia- ted during the middle Pleistocene and guided by F4 that is a N--S trending fault on the slope and F1, a large NW--SE trending fault on the trough. The pathway migration from the remnant channel to the present one of Chiwei Canyon is the result of uplift of tilted fault block that is coupled to the recent extension movements of the southern trough. The submarine terrace is detached from the ECS slope by the NEE -trending fault. The North Chiwei Canyon, developing during the late Pleistocene, is guided by FS, a N-S trending fault, diverted and blocked by the submarine terrace.     

Influence of lithosphere and basement properties on the stretching factor and development of extensional faults across the Otway Basin,southeast Australia

The NW-SE striking Otway Basin in southeastern Australia is part of the continental rift system that formed during the separation of Australia from Antarctica. The development of this sedimentary basin occurred in two phases of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous rifting. The evolution of this basin is mainly associated with extensional processes that took place in a pre-existing basement of Archean, Proterozoic to Paleozoic age. In this study, the total amounts of extension and stretching factor (β factor) have been measured for six transects across the entire passive margin of the Otway Basin region. The results show significant variation in extensional stretching along the basin, with the smallest stretching factors in the easternmost (β = 1.73, 1.9) and westernmost part of the basin (β = 2.09), and the largest stretching factors in the central part (β = 2.14 to 2.44). The domain with the lowest β factor is underlain mostly by thicker lithosphere of the Delamerian Orogen and older crustal fragments of the Selwyn Block. In contrast, the region with the largest β factor and amount of extension is related to younger and thinner lithosphere of the Lachlan Orogen. The main basement structures have been mapped throughout eastern South Australia and Victoria to examine the possible relationships between the younger pattern of extensional faults and the older basement fabrics. The pattern of normal faults varies considerably along onshore and offshore components of the Otway Basin from west to east. It appears that the orientation of pre-existing structures in the basement has some control on the geometry of the younger normal faults across the Otway Basin, but only in a limited number of places. In most areas the basement fabric has no control on the younger faulting pattern. Basement structure such as the north-south Coorong Shear Zone seems to affect the geometry of normal faults by changing their strike from E-W to NW-SE and also, in the easternmost part of the basin, the Bambra Fault changes the strike of normal faults from NW-SE to the NE-SW. Our results imply that the properties of the continental lithosphere exert a major influence on the β factor and amount of crustal extension but only a minor influence on the geometry of extensional faults.