Imaging the ramp–décollement geometry of the Chelungpu fault using coseismic GPS displacements from the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake

We use coseismic GPS data from the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake to estimate the subsurface shape of the Chelungpu fault that ruptured during the earthquake. Studies prior to the earthquake suggest a ramp–décollement geometry for the Chelungpu fault, yet many finite source inversions using GPS and seismic data assume slip occurred on the down-dip extension of the Chelungpu ramp, rather than on a sub-horizontal décollement. We test whether slip occurred on the décollement or the down-dip extension of the ramp using well-established methods of inverting GPS data for geometry and slip on faults represented as elastic dislocations. We find that a significant portion of the coseismic slip did indeed occur on a sub-horizontal décollement located at 8 km depth. The slip on the décollement contributes 21% of the total modeled moment release. We estimate the fault geometry assuming several different models for the distribution of elastic properties in the earth: homogeneous, layered, and layered with lateral material contrast across the fault. It is shown, however, that heterogeneity has little influence on our estimated fault geometry. We also investigate several competing interpretations of deformation within the E/W trending rupture zone at the northern end of the 1999 ground ruptures. We demonstrate that the GPS data require a 22- to 35-km-long lateral ramp at the northern end, contradicting other investigations that propose deformation is concentrated within 10 km of the Chelungpu fault. Lastly, we propose a simple tectonic model for the development of the lateral ramp.     

乌鲁木齐山前坳陷逆断裂-褶皱带及其形成机制

乌鲁木齐山前坳陷位于天山新生代再生造山带北侧,南以准噶尔南缘断裂与天山相隔,内部发育了几排逆断裂 背斜带,每一排构造带又由多个逆断裂 背斜组成。最南的齐古逆断裂 背斜带形成于中生代末,其北的玛纳斯逆断裂背斜带包含霍尔果斯、玛纳斯和吐谷鲁逆断裂背斜,形成于上新世末、早更新世初,受上、下２ 个滑脱面和断坡的控制,形成上、下２ 个背斜。再向北的独山子逆断裂背斜带由独山子、哈拉安德和安集海逆断裂背斜组成,形成于早、中更新世之间,主逆断裂向下在８ ～９ ｋｍ 深处的侏罗系中变为近水平滑脱面。此外,在独山子和吐谷鲁背斜的西北和东北还分别发育有正在形成之中的西湖和呼图壁隆起。研究了这些逆断裂 背斜带的地表和深部的构造特征、二维和三维几何学及运动学后指出,它们是在天山向准噶尔盆地扩展过程中发育于近水平滑脱面和不同断坡上的断展褶皱,独山子和安集海逆断裂 背斜的水平缩短量分别为２ ９００ ,１ ３５０ ｍ ,缩短速率分别为３９７ ,１８７ ｍ ｍ／ ａ。霍尔果斯、玛纳斯、吐谷鲁逆断裂 背斜的水平缩短量分别为５ ９００ ,６ ５００ ,６ ０００ ｍ ,相应的缩短速率分别为２０２,２２３ ,２０６ ｍ ｍ／ａ,准噶尔南缘断裂和乌鲁木齐山前坳陷第四纪?     

汶川大地震（MS 8.0）同震变形作用及其与地质灾害的关系

2008年5月12日发生于四川盆地西部龙门山断裂带的汶川大地震（MS 8.0）波及半个亚洲,震撼整个中国。本文通过地震后的实地调查,对发育在龙门山断裂带上的同震地表破裂带的分布、产状、继承性复活与变形特征,以及同震变形与地震地质灾害的关系等进行了初步总结,分析表明这次汶川大地震(MS 8.0)沿北川-映秀逆冲断裂和安县-灌县逆冲断裂同时发生地表破裂,前者产生以高角度逆冲兼右旋走滑为特征的地表破裂带长约275 km,后者产生以缓倾角逆冲作用为特征的地表破裂带长约80 km。汶川大地震的同震地表破裂带分布具有分段性特征,并与地表破坏程度的分带性有着一定的内在联系,详细研究表明,同震地表破裂带的产状直接影响地表破坏程度和地震地质灾害的强度,汶川大地震（MS 8.0）沿呈高角度陡倾的北川-映秀逆冲断裂发育的同震地表变形所产生的地表破坏程度和地震地质灾害的强度比沿缓倾角的安县-灌县逆冲断裂要强。从各种类型的地震断裂来看,具有垂直运动的逆冲型地震断裂所造成的地表破坏程度和地质灾害强度比具水平运动的走滑型地震断裂要强。因此,汶川大地震发生的破裂过程和同震地表变形与地震地质灾害的关系值得深入研究。     

Geometry and origin of folding in the Neogene sediments of the Gediz Graben,western Anatolia,Turkey

Abstract

A close relationship between formation of approximately upright folds with axes normal to the extension direction and ramp/flat extensional geometries is established for well exposed Neogene syn-extensional rocks on the presently low-angle Gediz detachment fault, along the southern margin of the Gediz Graben region of western Anatolia, Turkey. Three unconformity-bounded sedimentary sequences and several metamorphic extensional allochthons were mapped in the upper-plate of the Gediz detachment. The oldest sedimentary sequence consists of deformed and folded strata of sandstones and conglomerates that are regarded as being deposited in a supra-detachment basin during the Miocene-Early Pliocene. This unit rests unconformably on the extensional allochthonous, but directly in fault contact with the lower-plate mylonitic rocks. The younger slightly tilted Late Pliocene-Pleistocene sedimentary sequences are post-detachment units that are controlled by EW-trending high-angle normal faults. The youngest alluvium comprises the undeformed present-day basin fill of the Gediz Graben. The supra-detachment sedimentary rocks contain a number of kilometric-scale longitudinal folds that are nearly parallel to the east-west-trending fault system of the Gediz Graben. The folds have a steeply inclined bisecting surface, an interlimb angle of 130–150°, and a plunge of <10°. These folds may be interpreted to form as a result of bending in the underlying Gediz detachment fault. The bending may have an alternation of ramp and flat geometries on which a hanging-wall syncline and rollover anticline formed, respectively. This study again shows the importance of local geology in understanding of some spectacular structures of the extensional basins. © 2002 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.     

Geometry and origin of folding in the Neogene sediments of the Gediz Graben,western Anatolia,Turkey

A close relationship between formation of approximately upright folds with axes normal to the extension direction and ramp/flat extensional geometries is established for well exposed Neogene syn-extensional rocks on the presently low-angle Gediz detachment fault, along the southern margin of the Gediz Graben region of western Anatolia, Turkey. Three unconformity-bounded sedimentary sequences and several metamorphic extensional allochthons were mapped in the upper-plate of the Gediz detachment. The oldest sedimentary sequence consists of deformed and folded strata of sandstones and conglomerates that are regarded as being deposited in a supra-detachment basin during the Miocene–Early Pliocene. This unit rests unconformably on the extensional allochthonous, but directly in fault contact with the lower-plate mylonitic rocks. The younger slightly tilted Late Pliocene–Pleistocene sedimentary sequences are post-detachment units that are controlled by EW-trending high-angle normal faults. The youngest alluvium comprises the undeformed present-day basin fill of the Gediz Graben. The supra-detachment sedimentary rocks contain a number of kilometric-scale longitudinal folds that are nearly parallel to the east-west-trending fault system of the Gediz Graben. The folds have a steeply inclined bisecting surface, an interlimb angle of 130–150°, and a plunge of <10°. These folds may be interpreted to form as a result of bending in the underlying Gediz detachment fault. The bending may have an alternation of ramp and flat geometries on which a hanging-wall syncline and rollover anticline formed, respectively. This study again shows the importance of local geology in understanding of some spectacular structures of the extensional basins.     

Structure and tectonics along the inner edge of a foreland basin: The Hunter Coalfield in the northern Sydney Basin,New South Wales

From the early Late Permian onwards, the northeastern part of the Sydney Basin, New South Wales, (encompassing the Hunter Coalfield) developed as a foreland basin to the rising New England Orogen lying to the east and northeast. Structurally, Permian rocks in the Hunter Coalfield lie in the frontal part of a foreland fold‐thrust belt that propagated westwards from the adjacent New England Orogen. Thrust faults and folds are common in the inner part of the Sydney Basin. Small‐scale thrusts are restricted to individual stratigraphic units (with a major ‘upper decollement horizon’ occurring in the mechanically weak Mulbring Siltstone), but major thrusts are inferred to sole into a floor thrust at a poorly constrained depth of approximately 3 km. Folds appear to have formed mainly as hangingwall anticlines above these splaying thrust faults. Other folds formed as flat‐topped anticlines developed above ramps in that floor thrust, as intervening synclines ahead of such ramp anticlines, or as decollement folds. These contractional structures were overprinted by extensional faults developed during compressional deformation or afterwards during post‐thrusting relaxation and/or subsequent extension. The southern part of the Hunter Coalfield (and the Newcastle Coalfield to the east) occupies a structural recess in the western margin of the New England Orogen and its offshore continuation, the Currarong Orogen. Rocks in this recess underwent a two‐stage deformation history. West‐northwest‐trending stage one structures such as the southern part of the Hunter Thrust and the Hunter River Transverse Zone (a reactivated syndepositional transfer fault) developed in response to maximum regional compression from the east‐northeast. These were followed by stage two folds and thrusts oriented north‐south and developed from maximum compression oriented east‐west. The Hunter Thrust itself was folded by these later folds, and the Hunter River Transverse Zone underwent strike‐slip reactivation.     

Physical analog (centrifuge) model investigation of contrasting structural styles in the Salt Range and Potwar Plateau,northern Pakistan

We use scaled physical analog (centrifuge) modeling to investigate along- and across-strike structural variations in the Salt Range and Potwar Plateau of the Himalayan foreland fold-thrust belt of Pakistan. The models, composed of interlayered plasticine and silicone putty laminae, comprise four mechanical units representing the Neoproterozoic Salt Range Formation (basal detachment), Cambrian–Eocene carapace sequence, and Rawalpindi and Siwalik Groups (Neogene molasse), on a rigid base representing the Indian craton. Pre-cut ramps simulate basement faults with various structural geometries.A pre-existing north-dipping basement normal fault under the model foreland induces a frontal ramp and a prominent fault-bend-fold culmination, simulating the Salt Range. The ramp localizes displacement on a frontal thrust that occurs out-of-sequence with respect to other foreland folds and thrusts. With a frontal basement fault terminating to the east against a right-stepping, east-dipping lateral ramp, deformation propagates further south in the east; strata to the east of the lateral ramp are telescoped in ENE-trending detachment folds, fault-propagation folds and pop-up structures above a thick basal detachment (Salt Range Formation), in contrast to translated but less-deformed strata with E–W-trending Salt-Range structures to the west. The models are consistent with Salt Range–Potwar Plateau structural style contrasts being due to basement fault geometry and variation in detachment thickness.     

The Siwaliks of western Nepal: I. Geometry and kinematics

The Siwalik Group which forms the southern zone of the Himalayan orogen, constitutes the deformed part of the Neogene foreland basin situated above the downflexed Indian lithosphere. It forms the outer part of the thin-skinned thrust belt of the Himalaya, a belt where the faults branch off a major décollement (MD) that is the external part of the basal detachment of Himalayan thrust belt. This décollement is located beneath 13 Ma sediments in far-western Nepal, and beneath 14.6 Ma sediments in mid-western Nepal, i.e., above the base of the Siwalik Group. Unconformities have been observed in the upper Siwalik member of western Nepal both on satellite images and in the field, and suggest that tectonics has affected the frontal part of the outer belt since more than 1.8 Ma. Several north dipping thrusts delineate tectonic boundaries in the Siwalik Group of western Nepal. The Main Dun Thrust (MDT) is formed by a succession of 4 laterally relayed thrusts, and the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT) is formed by three segments that die out laterally in propagating folds or branch and relay faults along lateral transfer zones. One of the major transfer zones is the West Dang Transfer Zone (WDTZ), which has a north-northeast strike and is formed by strike-slip faults, sigmoid folds and sigmoid reverse faults. The width of the outer belt of the Himalaya varies from 25 km west of the WDTZ to 40 km east of the WDTZ. The WDTZ is probably related to an underlying fault that induces: (a) a change of the stratigraphic thickness of the Siwalik members involved in the thin-skinned thrust belt, and particularly of the middle Siwalik member; (b) an increase, from west to east, of the depth of the décollement level; and (c) a lateral ramp that transfers displacement from one thrust to another. Large wedge-top basins (Duns) of western Nepal have developed east of the WDTZ. The superposition of two décollement levels in the lower Siwalik member is clear in a large portion of the Siwalik group of western Nepal where it induces duplexes development. The duplexes are formed either by far-travelled horses that crop out at the hangingwall of the Internal Décollement Thrust (ID) to the south of the Main Boundary Thrust, or by horses that remain hidden below the middle Siwaliks or Lesser Himalayan rocks. Most of the thrusts sheets of the outer belt of western Nepal have moved toward the S–SW and balanced cross-sections show at least 40 km shortening through the outer belt. This value probably under-estimates the shortening because erosion has removed the hangingwall cut-off of the Siwalik series. The mean shortening rate has been 17 mm/yr in the outer belt for the last 2.3 Ma.     

Neotectonics of the Somogy hills (Part II): Evidence from seismic sections

The Somogy hills are located in the Pannonian Basin, south of Lake Balaton, Hungary, above several important tectonic zones. Analysis of industrial seismic lines shows that the pre-Late Miocene substratum is deformed by several thrust faults and a transpressive flower structure. Basement is composed of slices of various Palaeo-Mesozoic rocks, overlain by sometimes preserved Paleogene, thick Early Miocene deposits. Middle Miocene, partly overlying a post-thrusting unconformity, partly affected by the thrusts, is also present. Late Miocene thick basin-fill forms onlapping strata above a gentle paleo-topography, and it is also folded into broad anticlines and synclines. These folds are thought to be born of blind fault reactivation of older thrusts. Topography follows the reactivated fold pattern, especially in the central-western part of the study area.

The map pattern of basement structures shows an eastern area, where NE–SW striking thrusts, folds and steep normal faults dominate, and a western one, where E–W striking thrusts and folds dominate. Folds in Late Neogene are also parallel to these directions. A NE–SW striking linear normal fault and associated N–S faults cut the highest reflectors. The NE–SW fault is probably a left-lateral master fault acting during–after Late Miocene. Gravity anomaly and Pleistocene surface uplift maps show a very good correlation to the mapped structures. All these observations suggest that the main Early Miocene shortening was renewed during the Middle and Late Miocene, and may still persist.

Two types of deformational pattern may explain the structural and topographic features. A NW–SE shortening creates right-lateral slip along E–W faults, and overthrusts on NE–SW striking ones. Another, NNE–SSW shortening creates thrusting and uplift along E–W striking faults and transtensive left-lateral slip along NE–SW striking ones. Traces of both deformation patterns can be found in Quaternary exposures and they seem to be consistent with the present day stress orientations of the Pannonian Basin, too. The alternation of stress fields and multiple reactivation of the older fault sets is thought to be caused by the northwards translation and counter-clockwise rotation of Adria and the continental extrusion generated by this convergence.     

Folding of passive layers and forms of minor structures near terminations of blind thrust faults—application to the central Appalachian blind thrust

The existence of detachment surfaces or décollement zones beneath folded rocks of the Valley and Ridge and Plateau provinces of the Appalachians has been recognized as an important condition of folding. Large folds at the border between the two provinces resulted primarily from repetition of strata by thrusting of blocks over ramp faults that connect detachement surfaces at different horizons. Some investigators have suggested that folds in the Plateau province of Pennsylvania were produced by splay faults arising from detachment surfaces, but field observations and theoretical analyses by Sherwin and by Wiltschko & Chapple suggest that the folds are a result of buckling of multilayered rocks above a décollement. An exception may be the Burning Springs anticline in West Virginia, which appears to have formed at the termination of a detachment surface.Investigation of the translation of an homogenous, viscous material above a flat detachment surface that terminates laterally indicates that the termination produces a broad, low-amplitude anticline in passive layering as a result of thickening induced by a gradient of shear stresses in the vertical direction. This thickening above the termination of a detachment is a mechanism of folding. If the viscous fluid contained mechanical layering, the fold would become amplified by buckling. Computations of stresses in the material indicate that minor faults should be generated first near the termination of the flat detachment surface. The Burning Springs anticline probably was initiated by termination of a detachment surface and subsequently amplified by buckling.     

Effect of initial fault geometry on the development of fixed-hinge, fault-propagation folds

This paper describes how a model of fixed-hinge, basement-involved, fault-propagation folds may be adapted to apply to thin-skinned thrust faults to generate footwall synclines. Fixed-hinge, fault-propagation folding assumes that the fold-axial surfaces diverge upwards, fold hinges are fixed in the rock, the fault propagated through the forelimb, thickness changes occur in the forelimb and the forelimb progressively rotates with increasing displacement on the underlying fault. The original model for fixed-hinge, fault-propagation folds was developed for the case of a planar fault in basement with a tip line that was at the interface between basement and the overlying sedimentary cover rocks. The two geometries applicable to thin-skinned thrusts are for the cases where a fixed-hinge fault-propagation fold develops above an initial bedding-parallel detachment, and an initial fault ramp of constant dip which flattens down-dip into a bedding-parallel detachment.     

从同震和震后形变分析1668年M8.5级郯城地震对周边地震活动性的影响

以山东郯城1668年大地震为例,以前人地表地质调查结果为约束,利用弹性位错理论初步获取了该地震的同震破裂模型;在此基础上,基于粘弹性分层模型分析了该地震的同震和震后形变,同时以主震断层为接收断层计算了库仑应力分布,进一步讨论了地幔不同粘滞性系数对地表形变和库仑应力变化的影响。计算结果显示,该地震是一个右旋走滑为主兼有一定逆冲性质的地震,其同震位移巨大,能量释放较彻底;同震破裂造成震中郯城县西北、东北和南部部分断层库仑应力增加,而震后形变使得这些断层库仑应力进一步增加,在单县、宿迁和日照等地,地震后350 a库仑应力变化量达到+1bar-+1MPa量级;地幔粘滞性系数不同,形变量和库仑应力变化达到稳定的时间不同,但最终趋于稳定的数值基本一致。     

Thrust structures in the eastern Dauphinois Zone (French Alps), north of the Pelvoux Massif

An examination of thrust structures in the eastern part of the Dauphinois Zone of the external French Alps (referred to in the literature as the Ultradauphinois Zone) shows that major basement thrusts climb up section to produce cover-basement synclines. These thrusts also climb laterally and are continuous with thrust in the cover rocks. The external basement massifs are recognized as thrust sheets with variably deformed and thrust cover sequences. The distinction made in the previous literature between the Dauphinois and Ultradauphinois Zones is no longer tenable. Cover thrusting proceeded by both smooth slip and rough slip, the latter producing a duplex of cover thrust slices. Restoration of this duplex indicates that a shortening of 70 km in the cover occured during its formation. Possible errors in this estimate include uncertainties in the original stratigraphic thickness and in the overall shape of the duplex. Another duplex is thought to have formed at a basement ramp created by the presence of an early basement normal fault. Partial footwall collapse of this basement ramp gave rise to a basement horse at the bottom of the duplex. The overall relation between cover and basement thrusting is indicated using a hanging wall sequence diagram. Recent geophysical studies suggest that the basement thrusts developed from a mid-crustal décollement which passes down dip to offset the Moho. Model studies of thin-skinned tectonics may not be appropriate to such thrust geometries.     

Interrelations of mesoscopic structures and strain across a small regional fold,Virginia Appalachians

Small regional folds, such as the Clover Hollow anticline of the Narrows thrust-sheet in southwest Virginia, U.S.A., are considered to be large buckle folds expressing lateral shortening above a subsurface décollement. Cleavage, mesoscopic and regional folds, and contraction faults have developed in these rocks under anchimetamorphic conditions, in a single, protracted deformation during thrust-sheet emplacement. The contraction faults dominate the structure at all scales. Three fault associations (isolated contraction faults, contraction faults in series and complex fault zones with intense folding) determine the pattern and intensity of local structures. Regional displacement transfer of strain along and across faults has produced local variations in structural style. Duplex-like systems of second-order faults terminate laterally into zones of intense folding and third-order faulting. Fold tightness, cleavage intensity, strain magnitude and total longitudinal strain (ε_T) are maximum in these regions. Contraction faults in this thrust-sheet have propagated along zones of high strain rate associated with mesoscopic folding and intense cleavage. Regional hinge migration, and greater structural complexity along the southeast limb of the Clover Hollow anticline, are considered to be due to emplacement of the adjacent thrust-sheet.     

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.     

Geometric and kinematic analysis of structural elements along north front of Bagharan Kuh Mountain,NE Iran

At the end of the western part of Bagharan Kuh Mountain in the northeast of Iran, mountain growth has been stopped toward the west because of the stress having been consumed by the thrusting movements and region rising instead of shear movement. Chahkand fault zone is situated at the western part of this mountain; this fault zone includes several thrust sheets that caused upper cretaceous ophiolite rocks up to younger units, peridotite exposure and fault related fold developing in the surface. In transverse perpendicular to the mountain toward the north, reduction in the parameters like faults dip, amount of deformation, peridotite outcrops show faults growth sequence and thrust sheets growth from mountain to plain, thus structural vergence is toward the northeast in this fault zone. Deformation in the east part of the region caused fault propagation fold with axial trend of WNW-ESE that is compatible with trending of fault plane. In the middle part, two types of folds is observed; in the first type, folding occurred before faulting and folds was cut by back thrust activity; in the second type, faults activity caused fault related folds with N60-90W axial trend. In order to hanging wall strain balance, back thrusts have been developed in the middle and western part which caused popup and fault bend folds with N20-70E trend. Back thrusts activity formed footwall synclines, micro folds, foliations, and uplift in this part of the region. Kinematic analysis of faults show stress axis σ₁ = N201.6, 7, σ₂ = N292.6, 7.1, σ₃ = N64.8, 79.5; stress axis obtained by fold analysis confirm that minimum stress (σ₃) is close to vertical so it is compatible with fault analysis. Based on the results, deformation in this region is controlled by compressional stress regime. This stress state is consistent with the direction of convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian plates. Also study of transposition, folded veins, different movements on the fault planes and back thrusts confirm the progressive deformation is dominant in this region that it increases from the east to the west.     

Influence of syntectonic sedimentation on thrust geometry. Field examples from the Iberian Chain (Spain) and analogue modelling

Steep thrusts are usually interpreted as oblique-slip thrusts or inverted normal faults. However, recent analogical and numerical models have emphasised the influence of surface mass-transfer phenomena on the structural evolution of compressive systems. This research points to sedimentation and erosion during deformation as an additional explanation for the origin of steeply dipping thrusts. The present study uses both field observations and analogue modelling to attempt to isolate critical parameters of syntectonic sedimentation that might control the geometry of the upper part of thrust systems.A field study of thrust systems bounding two compressive intermountain Tertiary basins of the Iberian Chain is first briefly presented. We describe the surface geometry of thrusts surrounding the Montalbán Basin and the Alto Tajo Syncline at the vicinity of deposits of Oligocene–Early Miocene alluvial fans at the footwall of faults. Field observations suggest that synthrusting sedimentation should influence the structure of thrusts. Indeed, the faults are steeper and splitted at the edge of the syntectonic deposits.Effects of sedimentation rate on footwall of thrusts, and of its change along fault strike are further investigated on two-layer brittle-ductile analogue models submitted to compression and syntectonic sediment supply. Two series of experiments were made corresponding to two end-members of depositional geometries. In the first series, the sedimentation was homogeneously distributed on both sides of the relief developed above the thrust front. In the second series, deposits were localised on a particular area of the footwall of thrust front. In all experiments, the sedimentation rate controls the number and the dip of faults. For low sedimentation rates, a single low-angle thrust develops; whereas for high sedimentation rates, a series of steeper dipping thrust is observed. In experiments with changing sedimentation rate along fault strike, the thrust geometry varies behind the areas with the thickest sediment pile.     

Displacement variation along thrust faults: implications for the development of large faults

Displacement analyses along thrust faults of different maturity (or size) reveal maxima and minima, often associated with minor folding of the adjacent beds, between the tip points. The results show that these faults are segmented, and that they formed through the linkage of smaller (previously independent) faults, and (or) by propagation of a single fault affected by the existence of barriers. Points of potential linkage (marked by displacement minima) are fault bends or distinct fault breaks. Fault nucleation (marked by displacement maxima) occurs within the planar segments of a fault; only in one of eight examples is the nucleation point seen to occur at a fault bend.Displacement variations along inferred or extrapolated regional-scale thrust faults show a variety of patterns, most of which involve constant displacement or a monotonic increase or decrease away from the basal décollement. These data are not considered to be as reliable as those from observed thrusts due to the necessary subjectivity involved in the extrapolation process.In general, displacement variation appears to be a reflection of the symmetry of the thrust fault system, such that, for example, a flat-ramp geometry ending in a steep tip will show an asymmetrical displacement function skewed toward the surface, with a nucleation point above the basal décollement.     

龙门山中段彭灌断裂带汶川Ms8.0地震同震破裂断层识别及其浅、表构造特征

2008年汶川Ms8.0地震在龙门山中段的彭灌断裂带产生的地表破裂,是该地震产生的第二大地表破裂带.综合应用地质、钻井以及二维、三维地震数据,利用横贯前山带的多条人工地震反射剖面,对彭灌断裂带产生同震破裂的断层进行准确识别和解释.研究表明,龙门山中段的彭灌断裂带是一套由3条主要断层和次级广泛发育的断裂组合构成,浅层表现...     

Trishear for curved faults

Fault-propagation folds form an important trapping element in both onshore and offshore fold-thrust belts, and as such benefit from reliable interpretation. Building an accurate geologic interpretation of such structures requires palinspastic restorations, which are made more challenging by the interplay between folding and faulting. Trishear (Erslev, 1991; Allmendinger, 1998) is a useful tool to unravel this relationship kinematically, but is limited by a restriction to planar fault geometries, or at least planar fault segments. Here, new methods are presented for trishear along continuously curved reverse faults defining a flat–ramp transition. In these methods, rotation of the hanging wall above a curved fault is coupled to translation along a horizontal detachment. Including hanging wall rotation allows for investigation of structures with progressive backlimb rotation. Application of the new algorithms are shown for two fault-propagation fold structures: the Turner Valley Anticline in Southwestern Alberta, and the Alpha Structure in the Niger Delta.