Inverted fault systems and inversion tectonic settings

Cooper, Mark A.; Warren, Marian J.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-64134-2.00009-2

Cited by 22 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Shortening of passive continental margins is typically associated with the reactivation of inherited normal faults, inversion of sedimentary basins, and their incorporation in fold-and thrust belts (e.g., Turner and Williams, 2004;Cooper and Warren, 2020). 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).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Sieberer

Willingshofer

Klotz

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract. Polyphase deformation of continental crust is analysed through physical analogue models for settings where platform-basin geometries at passive continental margins are subject to subsequent shortening and orogenesis. In a first stage, segmentation of the brittle and brittle-ductile models into basins and platforms is achieved by extension. Basins are partly filled with brittle material to allow for a strength differences between basin and platform realms, simulating relatively weaker, incompetent deposits of grabens surrounded by competent pre-rift basement or carbonate platform rock, respectively. In a second stage of deformation, contraction parallel to oblique (10 to 20 degrees) with respect to the basin axes has been applied leading to the inversion of earlier formed basins. The experiments show that the simple presence of an inherited platform-basin configuration controls the overall style of compressional deformation, no matter of including frictional or viscous basal décollements, of varying the rheology of the basin fill, or of changing platform-basin thickness ratios. Orientations of thrust faults change laterally across inherited platform-basin transitions throughout all experiments; higher obliquity of basin inversion leading to stronger curvature of thrusts with respect to the pre-existing rift axes. Variations in the strike of thrust fronts are accompanied by changes of the shortening direction along one single fault and time step. Furthermore, our models support localisation of deformation in areas of lateral strength contrasts, as platform-basin transitions represent. Reactivation of normal faults occurs in oblique basin inversion settings only, favourably at platform-basin transitions where the normal faults face the shortening direction. The amount and style of fault reactivation depend on the material used. Both parallel and oblique inversion experiments can be applied to polyphase deformed continental crust, as, e.g., the Dolomites Indenter of the eastern Southern Alps. Our models involving two phases of deformation, suggest that the whole tectonic evolution of the Dolomites Indenter is controlled by inherited features. Fault slip data and shortening directions from fold axes from our field case study along the western segment of the Belluno thrust of the Valsugana fault system support variations of thrust fault orientation and a lateral change in shortening direction (from SSW to SSE along strike) along one single fault. Based on our modelling results, we infer that this variability of shortening directions depends on inherited structures and do not necessarily reflect different deformation phases.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Sieberer

Willingshofer

Klotz

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…In particular, structures formed by shortening and inversion of pre-orogenic basins are often governed by the reactivation of former basin-bounding normal faults as summarised by Turner and Williams (2004) or Cooper and Warren (2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Kooten

Ortner

Willingshofer

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract. Within the Northern Calcareous Alps fold-and-thrust belt of the Eastern Alps, multiple deformation phases have contributed to the structural grain that localised deformation at later stages. In particular, Jurassic rifting and opening of the Alpine Tethys led to the formation of extensional basins at the northern margin of the Apulian plate. Subsequent Cretaceous shortening within the Northern Calcareous Alps produced the enigmatic Achental structure, which forms a sigmoidal transition zone between two E-W striking major synclines. One of the major complexities of the Achental structure is that all structural elements are oblique to the Cretaceous direction of shortening. It was therefore proposed to be a result of forced folding at the boundaries of the Achental basin. This study analyses the structural evolution of the Achental structure through integrating field observations with crustal-scale physical analogue models, to elucidate the influence of pre-existing crustal heterogeneities on oblique basin inversion and the prerequisites for the formation of a sigmoidal hanging wall that outlines former basin margins. From brittle-ductile models, we infer that shortening oblique to pre-existing extensional faults can lead to the localisation of thrust faults at the existing structure within a single deformation phase. Prerequisites are 1) a weak basal décollement that is offset by an existing normal fault, 2) the presence of topography in the hinterland, 3) a thin-skinned deformation style. Consequently, the Achental low-angle thrust and corresponding folds was able to localise exactly at the basin margin, with a vergence opposite to the Jurassic normal fault, creating the characteristic sigmoidal morphology during a single phase of NW-directed shortening.

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“…Moreover, several factors controlling the structural style of basin inversion have been invoked which include: the strike and dip of the precursor faults (Gillcrist et al, 1987), preexisting extensional fault geometries (planar, listric, stepped;Gillcrist et al, 1987;McClay and Buchanan, 1992;Ferrer et al, 2017;Phillips et al, 2020); the architecture of the basin before inversion (Sieberer et al, 2023); the time interval since extension (e.g. Cooper and Warren, 2020), the amount of shortening relative to extension (e.g. Gillcrist et al, 1987; see also Mattioni et al, 2007 and references therein), the presence of salt/mechanical layering (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Tămaș

Tari³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Abstract. Many extensional basins worldwide are modified by subsequent compressional episodes, which lead to inverted structures. The structures associated with the reactivation of preexisting faults play are critically important in forming suitable subsurface traps for hydrocarbons. Major concerns regarding inverted structures are trap integrity and fault seal. In general, the preferred structures have simple four-way closures as the result of only mild to moderate inversion. Five physical sandbox models, coupled with Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) analysis, have been performed to address the influence of the syn- versus post-rift thickness ratio (Mode I and II) and the degree of positive inversion on the style of fault propagation into and overall deformation of the post-rift cover. The results of these experiments are broadly comparable with natural data examples from New Zealand, Israel and Turkey. The main control on the development of mild to moderate inversion structures is the degree of inversion, and the style of deformation within the post-rift sequence appears to be different due to the amount of displacement accommodated by the inherited listric fault and the thickness of the post-rift cover (Mode I and II inverted structures). These observations do have a direct impact on the understanding of the geo-energy systems associated with inverted structures.

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Inverted fault systems and inversion tectonic settings

Cited by 22 publications

References 53 publications

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

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

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

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

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