Analogue modelling of basin inversion: a review and future perspectives

Abstract

Abstract. Basin inversion involves the reversal of subsidence in a basin due to compressional tectonic forces, leading to uplift of the basin's sedimentary infill. Detailed knowledge of basin inversion is of great importance for scientific, societal, and economic reasons, spurring continued research efforts to better understand the processes involved. Analogue tectonic modelling forms a key part of these efforts, and analogue modellers have conducted numerous studies of basin inversion. In this review paper we recap the advances in our knowledge of basin inversion processes acquired through analogue modelling studies, providing an up-to-date summary of the state of analogue modelling of basin inversion. We describe the different definitions of basin inversion that are being applied by researchers, why basin inversion has been historically an important research topic and what the general mechanics involved in basin inversion are. We subsequently treat the wide range of different experimental approaches used for basin inversion modelling, with attention to the various materials, set-ups, and techniques used for model monitoring and analysing the model results. Our new systematic overviews of generalized model results reveal the diversity of these results, which depend greatly on the chosen set-up, model layering and (oblique) kinematics of inversion, and 3D along-strike structural and kinematic variations in the system. We show how analogue modelling results are in good agreement with numerical models, and how these results help researchers to better understand natural examples of basin inversion. In addition to reviewing the past efforts in the field of analogue modelling, we also shed light on future modelling challenges and identify a number of opportunities for follow-up research. These include the testing of force boundary conditions, adding geological processes such as sedimentation, transport, and erosion; applying state-of-the-art modelling and quantification techniques; and establishing best modelling practices. We also suggest expanding the scope of basin inversion modelling beyond the traditional upper crustal “North Sea style” of inversion, which may contribute to the ongoing search for clean energy resources. It follows that basin inversion modelling can bring valuable new insights, providing a great incentive to continue our efforts in this field. We therefore hope that this review paper will form an inspiration for future analogue modelling studies of basin inversion.

Oblique basin inversion leads to fold localisation at bounding faults: Analogue modelling of the Achental structure, Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria

“…Inversion of basins, either orthogonal or oblique to the former basin margins, has been subject of many analogue modelling 455 studies (e.g., Deng et al 2020;Yagupsky et al 2008;Del Ventisette et al 2006;Bonini et al 2012;Brun and Nalpas 1996;Zwaan et al 2022). The high variance of geological structures leads to a myriad of deformation styles characterizing inverted and reactivated fault systems (Bonini et al 2012; their Figure 3), especially for inversional set-ups involving a viscous décollement (Brun and Nalpas 1996).…”

“…Consequently, previous studies have focused on the mechanics of fault reactivation (e.g., Sibson 1995;Etheridge 1986;Tong and Yin 2011;Nielsen and Hansen 2000), or present regional case studies of basin inversion (e.g., Kley et al 2005;Thorwart et al 2021;Héja et al 2022). Existing literature presenting analogue and numerical modelling of inversional settings is 35 extensive and includes the re-activation of planar and listric extensional fault systems of various orientation as well as basin inversion orthogonal or oblique to the basin axes (e.g., Bonini 1998;Buiter and Pfiffner 2003;Amilibia et al 2005;Buchanan and McClay 1992;Koopman et al 1987;Konstantinovskaya et al 2007;Sassi et al 1993;Dubois et al 2002;Zwaan et al 2022;Brun and Nalpas 1996). In most models, newly formed reverse faults are synthetic to the pre-existing normal faults (see https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1529 Preprint.…”

Does the syn- versus post-rift thickness ratio have an impact on the inversion-related structural style?

“…Koopman et al, 1987;Buchanan and McClay, 1991;McClay and Buchanan, 1992;Yamada andMcClay, 2004, Gomez et al, 2012;Molnar and Buiter, 2022). For a more detailed review of inversion model setups and materials, see Zwaan et al (2022). The models were constructed from alternating layers of yellow (light brown) and coloured sand that were sieved into the apparatus and scraped to the desired thickness.…”

Inversion of extensional basins parallel and oblique to their boundaries: Inferences from analogue models and field observations from the Dolomites Indenter, eastern Southern Alps

“…Inverted sedimentary basins are known from numerous orogenic settings worldwide, from, e.g., the European Alps (Boutoux et al, 2014;Gillcrist et al, 2015;Granado et al, 2016;Oswald et al, 2018;Héja et al, 2022), the Apennines (Scisciani et al, 2001;Pace et al, 2014), the Pyrenees (Tavani et al, 2011;Mencos et al, 2015), Iberia (Ramos et al, 2017), the Atlas Mountains of Morocco (Beauchamp et al, 1999) and Algeria (Bracène and Froizon De Lamotte, 2002), and from the South American Andes (Kley and Monaldi, 2002;Giambiagi et al, 2003;Kley et al, 2005;Carrera et al, 2006). For understanding complex and large-scale 3D tectonic patterns resulting from superposed extension and compression phases, tectonic inversion was already long studied through analogue (e.g., Buchanan and Mcclay, 1991;Sassi et al, 1993;Brun and Nalpas, 1996;Amiliba et al, 2005;Panien et al, 2005;Mattioni et al, 2007;Yagupsky et al, 2008;Cerca et al, 2010;Yamada and Mcclay, 2010;Bonini et al, 2012;Di Domenica et al, 2014;Granado et al, 2017;Deng et al, 2020;Zwaan et al, 2022) and numerical (Buiter et al, 2006;Panien et al, 2006;Buiter et al, 2009;Granado and Ruh, 2019;Ruh, 2019) modelling.…”