Using T–Z plots as a graphical method to infer lithological variations from growth strata

Castelltort, Sébastien; Pochat, Stéphane; Driessche, Jean Van Den

doi:10.1016/j.jsg.2004.01.002

Cited by 27 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…10) covering a broad range of fault sizes, orientations and geographic locations were selected for fault throw analysis. We examine fault throw variations with depth (T-z), although to aid in data comparison of faults across different depth ranges we plot fault throw against the age (T-a) of the offset horizon, to quantify fault growth histories (e.g., Mansfield & Cartwright, 1996;Castelltort et al, 2004;Hongxing & Anderson, 2007;Baudon & Cartwright, 2008;. The morphology of both T-z and T-a profiles may reflect: (i) continued growth of a single, unconstrained fault that does not breach the surface (i.e.…”

Section: Timing Of Faultingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fault‐controlled fluid flow inferred from hydrothermal vents imaged in 3D seismic reflection data, offshore NW Australia

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fluid migration pathways in the subsurface are heavily influenced by pre-existing faults. Although studies of active fluid-escape structures can provide insights into the relationships between faults and fluid flow, they cannot fully constrain the geometry of and controls on the contemporaneous subsurface fluid flow pathways. We use 3D seismic reflection data from offshore NW Australia to map 121 ancient hydrothermal vents, likely related to magmatic activity, and a normal fault array considered to form fluid pathways. The buried vents consist of craters up to 264 m deep, which host a mound of disaggregated sedimentary material up to 518 m thick. There is a correlation between vent alignment and underlying fault traces. Seismic-stratigraphic observations and fault kinematic analyses reveal that the vents were emplaced on an intra-Tithonian seabed in response to the explosive release of fluids hosted within the fault array. We speculate that during the Late Jurassic the convexupwards morphology of the upper tip-lines of individual faults acted to channelize ascending fluids and control where fluid expulsion and vent formation occurred. This contribution highlights the usefulness of 3D seismic reflection data to constraining normal fault-controlled subsurface fluid flow.

show abstract

Section: Timing Of Faultingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fault‐controlled fluid flow inferred from hydrothermal vents imaged in 3D seismic reflection data, offshore NW Australia

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As vertical displacement accumulates on a fault, the strata forming the sedimentary growth sequence are associated with increasing vertical offsets with depth. In contrast to gravity‐driven faults for which vertical displacement may be continuous over a variety of time intervals [ Castelltort et al , 2004; Pochat et al , 2009], on crustal faults that accumulate elastic strain and do not creep aseismically, all vertical throw is the sum of coseismic displacements and any potential postseismic slip that may last weeks to years after earthquakes. The progressively older layers in tectonic growth sequences have, therefore, been displaced by a larger number of earthquakes compared to the younger layers.…”

Section: Conceptual Framework: Submarine Fault Growth Sequences Highmentioning

confidence: 99%

Derivation of direct on‐fault submarine paleoearthquake records from high‐resolution seismic reflection profiles: Wairau Fault, New Zealand

Barnes

Pondard²

2010

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] Direct, on-fault submarine paleoearthquake records can be derived from high-resolution seismic reflection profiles of active fault growth sequences. Coseismic vertical increments of displacement are best preserved in the architecture of the growth sequence when the long-term rate of sedimentation exceeds the rate of fault vertical displacement. Postseismic stratigraphic intervals can be recognized on vertical displacement history curves, from which estimates of the earthquake timing and vertical displacements can be made. The strike-slip Wairau Fault is a major seismic hazard in central New Zealand and is partially submarine. Analysis of 10 high-resolution seismic profiles spanning a 20 km section of the offshore fault trace reveals two types of postseismic growth sequences and a composite paleoearthquake record with up to eight surface-rupturing earthquakes since 18 ka. The recurrence intervals range from ∼0.9 to 3.8 ka (mean is ∼2.2 ka), while the coseismic vertical displacements range from 0.5 to 5.3 m (mean is ∼2.5 m). These data conform to the variable slip model of earthquake behavior. The vertical coseismic displacement is not always predictable from the recurrence interval preceding the event. The data indicate that the seismic moment release has not been constant between earthquakes or that the ratio of horizontal to vertical coseismic displacement at a given site has varied over multiple earthquake cycles. The offshore data are consistent with onshore paleoearthquake records, long-term dextral slip rate of >2 mm/yr (compared to 3-5 mm/yr, 40 km in land), and paleoearthquakes of >M w 7.5. The last earthquake occurred on the fault 2.0 ± 0.3 kyr ago, indicating that significant elastic strain has now accrued.

show abstract

“…In contrast, bedload deposition of sands tends to fill the topographic lows before the highs. Castelltort et al (2004b) have proposed that, if fault displacement is treated as a continuous process on the scale of depositional cycles, the slope variations on a Th-z plot may be interpreted as faultinduced topography variations which can be in turn directly related to changes of the sedimentary dynamics, as in the case of alternating sand and shale deposition. In their work, were presented the interpretation of a Th-z plots with the two end-members ''fill-to-the-top'' model ( Fig.…”

Section: Determining Fault Kinematics From Growth Strata: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2a) and ''variable displacement/topography'' or ''fault scarp'' model ( Fig. 2b) (Castelltort et al, 2004b).…”

Section: Determining Fault Kinematics From Growth Strata: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-resolution record of tectonic and sedimentary processes in growth strata

Pochat

Castelltort

Choblet

et al. 2009

Marine and Petroleum Geology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a b s t r a c tGrowth strata are used to determine the kinematics of synsedimentary structures such as faults. Classical methods of analysis such as thickness versus throw plot consider that the available space created by fault slip in the hanging wall of faults is instantaneously filled up by sediments. This has lead many previous works to identify a cyclic activity for growth faults. Here we perform a careful analysis of the variation of strata thicknesses on each side of a very well documented normal growth fault in the Niger delta. We show that these thickness variations are induced by the alternation of sedimentary processes during continuous fault slip. Suspended-load processes induce either uniform or slightly variable thickness of a large majority of mudstone layers. Bedload processes result in a preferential thickening of sand layers in the hanging wall. These high quality data thus provide strong grounds for doubting the polycyclic growth diagnosed for some faults at the scale of sedimentary cycles and supports the notion that fault displacement rates can be very well behaved. Our study emphasizes the important conclusion that stable fault growth, and related displacement rates, can appear to be punctuated when viewed at the scale of sedimentary cycles. It follows that care should be taken when attempting to derive displacement rates on temporal scales equivalent to those of alternating sedimentological cycles.

show abstract

Using T–Z plots as a graphical method to infer lithological variations from growth strata

Cited by 27 publications

References 16 publications

Fault‐controlled fluid flow inferred from hydrothermal vents imaged in 3D seismic reflection data, offshore NW Australia

Fault‐controlled fluid flow inferred from hydrothermal vents imaged in 3D seismic reflection data, offshore NW Australia

Derivation of direct on‐fault submarine paleoearthquake records from high‐resolution seismic reflection profiles: Wairau Fault, New Zealand

High-resolution record of tectonic and sedimentary processes in growth strata

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About