Transpression, orogenic float, and lithospheric balance

Oldow, John S.; Bally, A. W.; Lallemant, Hans G. Avé

doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1990)018<0991:tofalb>2.3.co;2

Cited by 214 publications

(115 citation statements)

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“…Several authors [Avé Lallemant, 1997;Avé Lallemant and Guth, 1990;Speed, 1985] proposed that the El Pilar strikeslip fault system (of which the San Sebastián fault is a component) is a strike-slip fault zone that connects at depth to sole of the fold and thrust belt. One of the implications of this interpretation is the existence of a basal decollement located at middle or lower crustal depths where the strikeslip fault and the thrusts merge and above which the orogen ''floats'' [Oldow et al, 1990]. Alternatively the strike-slip system has been interpreted as the location of an eastward propagating lithospheric tear in the context of slab detachment in convergent-to-transform plate boundaries [Clark et al, 2008b;Govers and Wortel, 2005;Molnar and Sykes, 1969].…”

Section: San Sebastián Strike-slip Faultmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of the complexity of the fault system and the lack of piercing points on the opposite sides of the fault planes, good estimates of the amount and rate of displacement along the faults have been extremely difficult to evaluate (see Mann et al [1990] for a comprehensive review), and many questions regarding the tectonics and the relationship between the strike-slip system and the rest of the structures in the plate boundary are still open. The strike-slip system is regarded as a crustal feature contained within the ''orogenic float'' and bounded at the base of the crust by a regional basal detachment connecting thrust systems coeval to the strike-slip system [Oldow et al, 1990].…”

Section: Tectonic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Crustal structure of the South American–Caribbean plate boundary at 67°W from controlled source seismic data

Magnani¹,

Zelt²,

Levander³

et al. 2009

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] We present the results of new seismic reflection and wide-angle data across the SE Caribbean plate boundary. The 550 km long N-S profile crosses the structures involved in the active 55 Ma long continent-arc oblique collision between the Caribbean (CAR) and the South American (SA) plate. From the north to the south these structures include the accretionary prism, the extinct volcanic arc (Leeward Antilles arc), the Tertiary Bonaire basin, the continental-size dextral strike-slip fault system (San Sebastián-El Pilar fault), the allochthonous exhumed terranes, and the authocthonous fold and thrust belt (Caribbean Mountain system) and foreland basin. The wide-angle data show that these elements are characterized by different velocity structures and that they are separated by sharp lateral velocity variations. The Leeward Antilles arc exhibits a velocity structure similar to that of the Lesser Antilles active volcanic arc, indicating that the extinct arc has not been modified by the collision with the SA plate. The data show a $20 km change in crustal thickness across the San Sebastián fault, suggesting that the dextral strike-slip fault is a crustal feature that likely continues in the mantle as a primary strand of the plate boundary between the South American and the Caribbean plates. South of the strike-slip fault and beneath the exhumed eclogitic terranes, the data image a north dipping, high-velocity (>6.5 km/s) anomaly in the upper crust (3-11 km), indicating that high-pressure/low-temperature rocks are the likely lithologies responsible for the high seismic velocities and suggesting that exhumation of these assemblages is enabled by the strike-slip fault.

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Section: San Sebastián Strike-slip Faultmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Tectonic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crustal structure of the South American–Caribbean plate boundary at 67°W from controlled source seismic data

Magnani¹,

Zelt²,

Levander³

et al. 2009

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…Near the Arctic margin the Brooks Range reveals crustal thickening attributed to the development of a foreland fold-and-thrust belt that overlies a tectonic wedge of North Slope lithosphere (Fuis et al 1997). Crustal underplating in southern Alaska and crustal thrusting in northern Alaska overlapped in the Palaeogene and can be related to an orogenic float model in which a décollement extended northward from the subduction zone in the south to the Brooks Range in the north (Oldow et al 1990;Fuis et al 2008).…”

Section: Western Margin Of North Americamentioning

confidence: 99%

Accretionary orogens through Earth history

et al. 2009

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Accretionary orogens form at intraoceanic and continental margin convergent plate boundaries. They include the supra-subduction zone forearc, magmatic arc and back-arc components. Accretionary orogens can be grouped into retreating and advancing types, based on their kinematic framework and resulting geological character. Retreating orogens (e.g. modern western Pacific) are undergoing long-term extension in response to the site of subduction of the lower plate retreating with respect to the overriding plate and are characterized by back-arc basins. Advancing orogens (e.g. Andes) develop in an environment in which the overriding plate is advancing towards the downgoing plate, resulting in the development of foreland fold and thrust belts and crustal thickening. Cratonization of accretionary orogens occurs during continuing plate convergence and requires transient coupling across the plate boundary with strain concentrated in zones of mechanical and thermal weakening such as the magmatic arc and back-arc region. Potential driving mechanisms for coupling include accretion of buoyant lithosphere (terrane accretion), flat-slab subduction, and rapid absolute upper plate motion overriding the downgoing plate. Accretionary orogens have been active throughout Earth history, extending back until at least 3.2 Ga, and potentially earlier, and provide an important constraint on the initiation of horizontal motion of lithospheric plates on Earth. They have been responsible for major growth of the continental lithosphere through the addition of juvenile magmatic products but are also major sites of consumption and reworking of continental crust through time, through sediment subduction and subduction erosion. It is probable that the rates of crustal growth and destruction are roughly equal, implying that net growth since the Archaean is effectively zero.Classic models of orogens involve a Wilson cycle of ocean opening and closing with orogenesis related to continent-continent collision. These imply that mountain building occurs at the end of a cycle of ocean opening and closing, and marks the termination of subduction, and that the mountain belt should occupy an internal location within an assembled continent (supercontinent). The modern Alpine -Himalayan chain exemplifies the features of this model, lying between the Eurasian and colliding African and Indian plates (Fig.

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“…The earliest Laramide deformation overlaps in time with the end of thrusting within the Cordilleran orogenic belt (Bird, 1988). Several models have been proposed to drive Laramide orogenesis including, low angle subduction (Bird, 1988;Dickinson and Snyder, 1978), detachment and delamination within the crust (Erslev, 1993;Oldow et al, 1990), collisional orogenesis (Maxson and Tikoff, 1996), extension within the Sevier hinterland (Livaccari, 1991), rotation of the Colorado Plateau (Cather, 1999) and lithospheric buckling (Tikoff and Maxson, 2001). All of these mechanisms attempt to explain the transmission of stress well into the plate interior causing deformation of the foreland.…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geologic structure of the northern margin of the Chihuahua trough: Evidence for controlled deformation during Laramide Orogeny

Carciumaru¹,

Ortega

2008

BSGM

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In this article we studied the northern part of the Laramide foreland of the Chihuahua Trough. The purpose of this work is twofold; fi rst we studied whether the deformation involves or not the basement along crustal faults (thin-or thick-skinned deformation), and second, we studied the nature of the principal shortening directions in the Chihuahua Trough. In this region, style of deformation changes from motion on moderate to low angle thrust and reverse faults within the interior of the basin to basement involved reverse faulting on the adjacent platform. Shortening directions estimated from the geometry of folds and faults and inversion of fault slip data indicate that both basement involved structures and faults within the basin record a similar Laramide deformation style. Map scale relationships indicate that motion on high angle basement involved thrusts post dates low angle thrusting. This is consistent with the two sets of faults forming during a single progressive deformation with in -sequence -thrusting migrating out of the basin onto the platform.We found that the style of deformation in the Chihuahua trough is variable. In places such as the East Potrillo Mountains and Indio Mountains is typical of the thin-skinned style, associated with the Cordilleran thrust belt, while in other places, the thick -skinned deformation present is typical of the Laramide orogeny in the southern Rocky Mountains. The Franklin Mountains record the transition from thick-to thin -skinned deformation. We notice that this difference in the style of deformation is related to the thickness of the Cretaceous section within the Chihuahua trough. On the other hand, the orientation of the shortening direction can be explained based on the geometry of the trough and especially the strike of its eastern margin. Along strike variations in shortening direction and kinematics are controlled by the curved northeast margin of the trough and refl ect stress reorientation along the weak interface between the strong platform and weak basin interior. These processes were wide spread affecting the 300 km long eastern margin of the Chihuahua trough between El Paso and the Big Bend region of west Texas.Key words: Chihuahua trough, kinematic analysis, Laramide orogeny, thin-skinned deformation, thick-skinned deformation, stress inversion. Resumen

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Transpression, orogenic float, and lithospheric balance

Cited by 214 publications

References 0 publications

Crustal structure of the South American–Caribbean plate boundary at 67°W from controlled source seismic data

Crustal structure of the South American–Caribbean plate boundary at 67°W from controlled source seismic data

Accretionary orogens through Earth history

Geologic structure of the northern margin of the Chihuahua trough: Evidence for controlled deformation during Laramide Orogeny

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