Interaction of surface erosion and sequential thrust progression: Implications on exhumation processes

This paper investigates the evolution of thrust wedges with concomitant surface erosion, and its bearing on the exhumation processes in orogenic belts. We performed sandbox experiments, simulating syn-orogenic erosion on forelandward sloping surfaces (∼4°). Experiments show that the erosion process has a significant control on the progression of frontal thrusts. In case of no-erosion condition, wedges with high basal friction develop frontal thrusts with strongly increasing spacing. In contrast, for the same basal friction the thrusts show uniform spacing as the wedge development involves concomitant surface erosion. On the other hand, the erosion promotes reactivation of hinterland thrusts in wedges with low basal friction. We show that erosion-assisted thrust reactivation is the principal mechanism for exhumation of deeper level materials in orogens. Efficiency of this mechanism is largely controlled by basal friction. The exhumation of deeper level materials is limited, and occurs within a narrow, sub-vertical zone in the extreme hinterland when the basal friction is high (μ_b = 0.46). In contrast, the process is quite effective in wedges with low basal friction (μ_b =0.36), resulting in exhumation along gently dipping foreland-vergent thrusts as well as along thrusts, subsequently rotated into steep attitude. The zone of exhumation also shifts in the foreland direction in the course of horizontal movement. Consequently, deeper level materials cover a large area of the elevated part of the wedge.