Structure of melange and associated units in the Torlesse accretionary wedge, Tararua Range, New Zealand

Abstract

Deformation of the Late Jurassic -Early Cretaceous Torlesse Complex in the southeastern Tararua Range is characterised by development of melange, several generations of folds, faults at both a low angle and high angle to bedding, shear foliation, and cleavage. The region has undergone the following deformational sequence: (1) Development of at least two fold generations; (2) Fragmentation and disruption by faulting. Faults at a low angle and high angle to bedding have disrupted the sequence, in places producing chaotically disrupted units (melange). The Tauherinikau Melange represents a probable along-strike northern continuation of the Esk Head Melange from the South Island; (3) Post-melange folding; (4) Holocene faulting. Overall, the deformation is consistent with accretion at a convergent plate margin, followed by the present strike-slip dominant regime.

Mélanges and mélange-forming processes: a historical overview and new concepts

“…Different mélanges and broken formations have been related to tectonic processes that occurred during the evolution of accretionary wedges (Fig. 1), as in the Franciscan Complex and in the Western US Cordillera (e.g., Ernst, 1965;Hsü, 1968;Cowan, 1974Cowan, , 1978Cowan, , 1985Cloos, 1982;Dilek, 1989;Maekawa and Brown, 1991;Dilek and Moores, 1993;Kimura et al, 1996), in Alaska (e.g., Moore and Wheeler, 1978;Orange, 1990;Bradley and Kusky, 1992;Kusky and Bradley, 1999), in Shimanto (e.g., Ditullio and Byrne, 1990;Taira et al, 1992;Kimura, 1997;Ikesawa et al, 2005;Shibata and Hashimoto, 2005), Sambagawa (Takasu et al, 1994), Mino-Tamba-Ashio (Kimura and Hori, 1993) and, Chichibu (Matsuda and Ogawa, 1993;Takahashi, 1999) Belts, the Miura-Bozo accretionary complex (Yamamoto et al, 2009) of Japan and in the Torlesse Group (Esk Head mélange and North Island equivalents, Barnes and Korsch, 1991;Orr et al, 1991;Sunesson, 1993) and the Coastal Range of Hikurangi margin in New Zealand (Pettinga, 1982;Chanier and Ferrière, 1991). Mélanges occur in these places commonly at the base of imbricate thrust sheets (e.g.…”

Formation of ophiolite-bearing tectono-sedimentary mélanges in accretionary wedges by gravity driven submarine erosion: Insights from analogue models and case studies

“…In turn, their internal structure and rockassemblages contain valuable information regarding orogenic processes and corresponding geodynamic setting. Many studies document a complete history including mélanges evolution throughout time (among others; Silver and Beutner, 1980;Page and Suppe, 1981;Sakai, 1981;Cloos, 1984;Raymond, 1984;Saleeby, 1984;Yilmaz and Maxwell, 1984;Cowan, 1985;Moore and Byrne, 1987;Barber and Brown, 1988 ;Cloos and Shreve, 1988;Betelli and Panini, 1989;Brandon, 1989;Pollock, 1989;Talbot and von Brunn, 1989;Kimura and Mukai, 1991;Orr et al, 1991;Roure et al, 1991;Jeanbourquin et al, 1992;Labaume, 1992;Matsuda and Ogawa, 1993;Needham, 1995;Steen and Andreson, 1997;Meschede et al, 1999;Bettelli and Vannucchi, 2003;Alonso et al, 2006;Huang et al, 2008;Meneghini et al, 2009;Osozawa et al, 2009;Ghikas et al, 2010;Festa et al, 2010;Wakabayashi, 2011b;Codegone et al, 2012;Hernaiz Huerta et al, 2012;Ogata et al, 2012;Hajna et al, 2014;Ogawa et al, 2014;Alonso et al, 2015;Platt, 2015;Uk...…”

Early deformation fabrics of melange in the Mesozoic Waipapa Terrane, North Island, New Zealand

“…However, such melange is not a dominant feature in that area. Other recent reports from the Mesozoic Torlesse Terrane have not described abundant occurrences of chaotically mixed, hydrofractured and injection features, but stressed the significance of layer-parallel shearing with extensional and/or contractional strains for the formation of mklanges (Barnes & Korsch 1990, 1991Orr et al 1991;Suneson 1993).…”