Late Cretaceous coeval multi-directional extension in South Zealandia: Implications for eastern Gondwana breakup

Barrier, Andrea; Nicol, Andrew; Browne, Greg H.; Bassett, Kari N.

doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104383

Cited by 19 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…The similar thickness of growth strata in the early stage of faulting suggest coeval extension of both the NE and NW trending faults. Similar patterns of extension have been reported immediately north of the GSB in the Canterbury Basin where Barrier et al (2020) attribute multidirectional extension to Gondwana breakup associated with the formation of variably oriented spreading centers, which might also account for the patterns of faulting in the GSB.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…Extension across much of Zealandia occurred from ~105–83 Ma in regions including the Canterbury Basin, West Coast Basin, Taranaki Basin, Chatham Rise, and Southland Basin (Strogen et al, 2017, and references therein) (Figure 12) and supports a model in which crustal stretching is controlled by plate tectonic processes. We follow others in suggesting that the growth and death of rifting in the GSB and across the Zealandia continental crust reflects plate‐scale localization of extension along spreading centers (Barrier, 2019; Barrier et al, 2020; Strogen et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

“…Longer faults (>100 km) are developed in the central and southern regions, while the longest fault mapped in the northern area is around 75 km. NE striking faults are widespread throughout the GSB and Canterbury Basin (Barrier, 2019; Barrier et al, 2020; Sahoo, Browne, & Hill, 2014; Sahoo, King, et al, 2014; Sahoo, Kroeger, et al, 2015) and trend subparallel to the eastern margin of Southern Zealandia. NW striking faults are locally subparallel to the Mesozoic basement terrane boundaries (Barrier, 2019; Sahoo, King, et al, 2014).…”

Section: Geometries Displacements and Timing Of Faultingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolution of a Normal Fault System Along Eastern Gondwana, New Zealand

et al. 2020

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The Great South Basin (GSB) developed in the Cretaceous from continental rifting at the southeastern margin of Gondwana. The basin contains a thick Cretaceous succession that is largely unaffected by Neogene compressional tectonics, with rift faults and associated growth strata imaged by good-quality 2-D and 3-D seismic data tied to wells. These data show three distinct stages of normal faulting here referred to as fault system initiation (Stage 1), fault system growth (Stage 2), and fault system death (Stage 3). The different stages of fault system evolution comprise dominant NE trending faults (NW-SE extension), and minor NW trending faults (NE-SW extension). Fault initiation at~105-101 Ma mainly occurred in the central GSB with rift depocenters mostly on, or close to, NW trending basement terrane boundaries. These preexisting basement boundaries represent zones of weakness that locally promoted early localization of NW faults and retarded the propagation of NE faults. With increasing regional extension and fault system growth from~101 to 90 Ma the influence of the basement fabric gradually decreased, while NE trending faults increased in length, number, displacements, and spatial distribution. Finally, during the fault system death stage from~90 to 83 Ma the length, number and displacements of faults decreased. Fault death coincided in time with Gondwana breakup and reflects the localization of extension along spreading centers distal to the GSB.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Section: Geometries Displacements and Timing Of Faultingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolution of a Normal Fault System Along Eastern Gondwana, New Zealand

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“…<5 km) and ca. 90 km, respectively, for the top basement and syn‐rift horizons (Barrier et al., 2020). Similarly, onshore the Kyeburn Fault has an estimated maximum throw of ca.…”

Section: Results and Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sedimentary architecture of a Late Cretaceous under‐filled rift basin, Canterbury Basin, New Zealand

et al. 2021

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The Canterbury Basin in southeastern Zealandia was initiated during the late Albian (ca. 105 Ma) as a rift system, prior to the onset of seafloor spreading between Zealandia and eastern Gondwana at ca. 85 Ma. Basin‐fill architecture and sediment types have been determined from interpretation of 2D and 3D seismic‐reflection lines tied to five wells and compared to outcrop data from the literature. These data show that Cretaceous syn‐rift basin‐fill architecture was controlled by normal faulting, which produced basin and range topography that persisted for more that ca. 30 Myr after the cessation of faulting. Initial sedimentation was dominated by short drainage systems sourced from within the basin to produce alluvial fans along fault scarps, which inter‐fingered with axial‐flowing braided river conglomerates, coal measures and mudstone‐rich lake deposits in more central portions of the basins. Marine incursion of the basin from the east commenced during rifting and onset of Gondwana breakup, with maximum water depths achieved in the Oligocene. Post‐rifting, detrital sediments were mainly sourced locally from structural highs and augmented by pelagic sedimentation, which collectively draped and eventually buried most of the earlier‐formed horsts by the Early Eocene. The temporal persistence of basin and range topography reflected the low rates of erosion of horst blocks compared to the rates of fault displacement. The lack of substantial sediment input from outside of the rift basin was a key factor in the under‐filling of the Canterbury Basin. This research emphasises the key role played by sediment supply in rift basin filling. Despite an abundance of active faulting at initiation, some rift basins may fill slowly over tens of million years after rift cessation.

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“…Seismic studies of northern and southern Zealandia's basement indicate multi‐directional normal faulting (NE‐SW, E‐W, NW‐SW), which was active between at least 105 to 85 Ma (Barrier et al, 2020). In southern Zealandia, the major direction of extension likely rotated by ~60° from NE‐SW (orthogonal to the then‐active East Gondwana margin; Davy, 2014) to NW‐SE (approximately orthogonal to the Pacific‐Antarctic ridge active after ~85 Ma) at around 90 Ma as indicated (Tulloch et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extent and Cessation of the Mid‐Cretaceous Hikurangi Plateau Underthrusting: Impact on Global Plate Tectonics and the Submarine Chatham Rise

et al. 2020

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Subduction of oceanic plateaux are events that have occurred infrequently in Earth's history. Although rare, these events are thought to considerably influence regional tectonics and global plate motions. In the mid‐Cretaceous the oceanic Hikurangi Plateau collided with the formerly active East Gondwana margin: An event which falls into the same of a sudden change from subduction to extensional processes, including graben formation, development rift basin development, and exhumation of metamorphic core complexes in the Zealandia continent as well as a global‐scale plate reorganization event. In this study, we use recently acquired seismic refraction and gravity data along one profile across the submarine Chatham Rise, which represent a former accretionary wedge of the East Gondwana subduction zone. We demonstrate that the southward extent of the subducted Hikurangi Plateau in the lower crust beneath the submarine Chatham Rise along our profile is only ~150. This is ~150 km less than the previously suggested extent. Furthermore, we interpret that a slice of the subducted Phoenix Plate remains attached to the southern edge of the Hikurangi Plateau. We suggest that cessation of subduction in response to the Hikurangi Plateau jamming as well as the rollback and detachment of the Phoenix Plate slab played an important role in the changing tectonic forces across Zealandia in mid‐Cretaceous. Moreover, we suggest that the subduction cessation along the Hikurangi Plateau segment led to the fragmentation of the Gondwana subduction zone and Phoenix Plate, which significantly influenced and potentially prolonged the global mid‐Cretaceous plate reorganization event.

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Late Cretaceous coeval multi-directional extension in South Zealandia: Implications for eastern Gondwana breakup

Cited by 19 publications

References 65 publications

Evolution of a Normal Fault System Along Eastern Gondwana, New Zealand

Evolution of a Normal Fault System Along Eastern Gondwana, New Zealand

Sedimentary architecture of a Late Cretaceous under‐filled rift basin, Canterbury Basin, New Zealand

Extent and Cessation of the Mid‐Cretaceous Hikurangi Plateau Underthrusting: Impact on Global Plate Tectonics and the Submarine Chatham Rise

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