[1] We present the first complete balanced cross section across the southeastern Zagros fold-thrust belt (ZFTB). The following main structural features emerge from this section: (1) In the south of the ZFTB, the Proterozoic-to-Recent sedimentary sequence has been decoupled from its Panafrican basement along the ductile basal evaporites and folded into a series of large detachment anticlines. Ongoing shortening of these structures has resulted in migration of the basal salt layers into the cores of the anticlines and propagation of forelimb thrusts. (2) In the north of the ZFTB, deep-seated ramps have folded the hanging wall rocks and produced imbrications and duplex structures within the higher levels of the sedimentary sequence. (3) Out-of-sequence thrusts, linked to major seismogenic basement faults, have cut through the structures in the cover of the ZFTB. A three-step incremental restoration of the section shows that two main phases of deformation can be separated in the tectonic evolution of the ZFTB: a MioPliocene thin-skinned phase, in the course of which most of the structures in the cover were generated, followed by a Pliocene to Recent thick-skinned phase, expressed as out-of-sequence faulting in the cover, which is currently underlined by the seismicity within the basement. In plan view, the initial structures of the southeastern ZFTB developed with a curved shape essentially controlled by the shape and thickness of the underlying Proterozoic salt basin (i.e., the ''Jura style''). In the following basement-involved phase, out-of-sequence thrusts cut at oblique angles through the preexisting structures of the cover. The total shortening absorbed in the cover amounts to at least 45 km, corresponding to a ratio of $22%. From thin-skinned to thick-skinned tectonics, Tectonics, 24, TC3007,
[1] We investigate the respective roles of crustal tectonic shortening and asthenospheric processes on the topography of the High Atlas and surrounding areas (Morocco). The lithospheric structure is modeled with a direct trial-and-error algorithm taking into account gravity (Bouguer and free air), geoid, heat flow, and topography. Three parallel cross sections, crossing the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas ranges, show that the lithosphere is thinned to 60 km below these mountain ranges. An analysis of the effect of the lithospheric thinning allows us to conclude that the whole topography of the Anti-Atlas, which belongs to the Sahara domain, is due to asthenospheric processes. In the High Atlas the lithospheric thinning explains a third of the relief of the western High Atlas, 500 m for a mean altitude of 1500 m, and half of the relief of the central High Atlas, 1000 m for a mean altitude of 2000 m. At the scale of Morocco the domain affected by lithospheric thinning forms an elongated NE-SW strip crossing not only the main structural zones but also the Atlantic margin to the south and the Africa-Eurasia plate boundary to the north. This major lithospheric thinning is associated with Miocene to recent alkaline volcanism and seismicity. We propose that this thermal anomaly is related to a shallow mantle plume, emplaced during middle to late Miocene time, during a period of relative tectonic quiescence.
S U M M A R YBecause earthquakes on large active thrust or reverse faults are not always accompanied with surface rupture, paleoseismological estimation of their associated seismic hazard is a difficult task. To improve the seismic hazard assessments in the Andean foreland of western Argentina (San Juan Province), this paper proposes a novel approach that combines structural geology, geomorphology and exposure age dating. The Eastern Precordillera of San Juan is probably one of the most active zones of thrust tectonics in the world. We concentrated on one major regional active reverse structure, the 145 km long Villicúm-Pedernal thrust, where this methodology allows one to: (1) constrain the Quaternary stress regime by inversion of geologically determined slip vectors on minor or major fault planes; (2) analyse the geometry and the geomorphic characteristics of the Villicúm-Pedernal thrust; and (3) estimate uplift and shortening rates through determination of in situ-produced 10 Be cosmic ray exposure (CRE) ages of abandoned and uplifted alluvial terraces. From a structural point of view, the Villicúm-Pedernal thrust can be subdivided into three thrust portions constituting major structural segments separated by oblique N40• E-trending fault branches. Along the three segments, inversion of fault slip data shows that the development of the Eastern Precordillera between 31• S and 32• S latitude is dominated by a pure compressive reverse faulting stress regime characterized by a N110• ± 10 • E-trending compressional stress axis (σ 1 ). A geomorphic study realized along the 18 km long Las Tapias fault segment combined with CRE ages shows that the minimum shortening rate calculated over the previous ∼20 kyr is at least of the order of 1 mm yr −1 . An earthquake moment tensor sum has also been used to calculate a regional shortening rate caused by seismic deformation. This analysis of the focal solutions available for the last 23 yr shows that the seismic contribution may be three times greater than the shortening rate we determined for the Las Tapias fault (i.e. ∼3 mm yr −1 ), suggesting that the San Juan region may have experienced a seismic crisis during the 20th century. Moreover, the ramp that controls the development of the Eastern Precordillera appears to be one of the main seismic sources in the San Juan area, particularly the 65 km long Villicúm-Las Tapias segment. A first-order evaluation of the seismic hazard parameters shows that this thrust segment can produce a maximum earthquake characterized by a moment magnitude of ∼7.3 (±0.1) and a recurrence interval of 2.4 (±1.5) kyr. This part of the Villicúm-Pedernal ramp may have ruptured during the M s = 7.4, 1944 San Juan earthquake producing very few surface ruptures and only distributed flexural slip deformation on to the Neogene foreland bedding planes between the Eastern Precordillera and Pie de Palo.
[1] We study the controls on drainage development in tectonically active regions using a numerical tectonic surface processes model combining tectonic uplift caused by faultrelated folding with erosion by fluvial incision, hillslope diffusion, and landsliding. Our model shows the fundamental control exerted by the dip of the detachment underlying the folds on drainage evolution. When the detachment is horizontal, the relative rates of tectonic uplift and fluvial incision control the evolution. For a nonzero dip, in contrast, the lateral displacement gradient associated with fold propagation sets up a lateral slope behind the active structure, which deflects the stream network. We also demonstrate the importance of landsliding for the attainment of realistic and steady state topography. In contrast, discontinuous tectonic movements do not appear to influence the system. We apply our model to the Dundwa fault-related fold ridge (Siwalik, Nepal). We estimate a remarkably low mean propagation rate for different segments of the structure. This finding, together with the structure and morphology of the ridge, leads us to propose that the ridge developed by linkage of several component segments. The drainage evolution predicted when modeling this scenario compares favorably with field observations. Our models provide insights into the dynamics of fault-related fold propagation: In particular, as a result of fault segment linkage, estimates of propagation rate of these structures may be strongly scale-dependent, and the observed morphology and drainage patterns on faultrelated fold ridges may be controlled by fault geometry rather than by the relative rates of tectonics and surface processes.
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