Wilson cycle passive margins: Control of orogenic inheritance on continental breakup

Petersen, K.; Schiffer, Christian

doi:10.1016/j.gr.2016.06.012

Cited by 75 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 119 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, a number of studies have discussed the weakening impact of tectonic processes on the lithosphere to facilitate continental rifting (Dunbar & Sawyer, , ). The subduction of crustal material into the mantle through ancient processes could increase volatiles to the lower lithosphere, weakening the seismically imaged scarred material (Petersen & Schiffer, ; Pollack, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Segmentation of Rifts Through Structural Inheritance: Creation of the Davis Strait

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mesozoic‐Cenozoic rifting between Greenland and North America created the Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay, while leaving preserved continental lithosphere in the Davis Strait, which lies between them. Inherited crustal structures from a Palaeoproterozoic collision have been hypothesized to account for the tectonic features of this rift system. However, the role of mantle lithosphere heterogeneities in continental suturing has not been fully explored. Our study uses 3‐D numerical models to analyze the role of crustal and subcrustal heterogeneities in controlling deformation. We implement continental extension in the presence of mantle lithosphere suture zones and deformed crustal structures and present a suite of models analyzing the role of local inheritance related to the region. In particular, we investigate the respective roles of crust and mantle lithospheric scarring during an evolving stress regime in keeping with plate tectonic reconstructions of the Davis Strait. Numerical simulations, for the first time, can reproduce first‐order features that resemble the Labrador Sea, Davis Strait, Baffin Bay continental margins, and ocean basins. The positioning of a mantle lithosphere suture, hypothesized to exist from ancient orogenic activity, produces a more appropriate tectonic evolution of the region than the previously proposed crustal inheritance. Indeed, the obliquity of the continental mantle suture with respect to extension direction is shown here to be important in the preservation of the Davis Strait. Mantle lithosphere heterogeneities are often overlooked as a control of crustal‐scale deformation. Here, we highlight the subcrust as an avenue of exploration in the understanding of rift system evolution.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Segmentation of Rifts Through Structural Inheritance: Creation of the Davis Strait

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Numerous studies also indicate that initial crustal thickness and thermal structure indirectly affect lower crustal strength and therefore rift evolution (e.g., Brun, 1999;Brune et al, 2017a;Buck, 1991;Huismans & Beaumont, 2011;Petersen & Schiffer, 2016; Ros Here we focus exclusively on the effect of crustal strength due to compositional differences, but note that varying crustal thickness and/or thermal structure could have similar effects. Numerous studies also indicate that initial crustal thickness and thermal structure indirectly affect lower crustal strength and therefore rift evolution (e.g., Brun, 1999;Brune et al, 2017a;Buck, 1991;Huismans & Beaumont, 2011;Petersen & Schiffer, 2016; Ros Here we focus exclusively on the effect of crustal strength due to compositional differences, but note that varying crustal thickness and/or thermal structure could have similar effects.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Crustal Strength in Controlling Magmatism and Melt Chemistry During Rifting and Breakup

Armitage

Petersen

Pérez‐Gussinyé

2018

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The strength of the crust has a strong impact on the evolution of continental extension and breakup. Strong crust may promote focused narrow rifting, while wide rifting might be due to a weaker crustal architecture. The strength of the crust also influences deeper processes within the asthenosphere. To quantitatively test the implications of crustal strength on the evolution of continental rift zones, we developed a 2‐D numerical model of lithosphere extension that can predict the rare Earth element (REE) chemistry of erupted lava. We find that a difference in crustal strength leads to a different rate of depletion in light elements relative to heavy elements. By comparing the model predictions to rock samples from the Basin and Range, USA, we can demonstrate that slow extension of a weak continental crust can explain the observed depletion in melt chemistry. The same comparison for the Main Ethiopian Rift suggests that magmatism within this narrow rift zone can be explained by the localization of strain caused by a strong lower crust. We demonstrate that the slow extension of a strong lower crust above a mantle of potential temperature of 1,350 °C can fit the observed REE trends and the upper mantle seismic velocity for the Main Ethiopian Rift. The thermo‐mechanical model implies that melt composition could provide quantitative information on the style of breakup and the initial strength of the continental crust.

show abstract

“…Structural softening differs from material softening that requires an a priori defined alteration of material properties with increasing strain and which has been implemented in numerical models to explain the structures of rifted margins22. The role of coarse mechanical layering of the lithosphere, inherited dipping heterogeneities, and the role of bimineralic crust and mantle on rifting processes has been addressed in previous studies5232425262728293031. Here we present high-resolution numerical models that incorporate layering at finer scale, which show that structural softening arises during the extension of lithosphere and controls the development of the key structures observed in passive margins.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The importance of structural softening for the evolution and architecture of passive margins

Duretz

Petri

Mohn

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lithospheric extension can generate passive margins that bound oceans worldwide. Detailed geological and geophysical studies in present and fossil passive margins have highlighted the complexity of their architecture and their multi-stage deformation history. Previous modeling studies have shown the significant impact of coarse mechanical layering of the lithosphere (2 to 4 layer crust and mantle) on passive margin formation. We built upon these studies and design high-resolution (~100–300 m) thermo-mechanical numerical models that incorporate finer mechanical layering (kilometer scale) mimicking tectonically inherited heterogeneities. During lithospheric extension a variety of extensional structures arises naturally due to (1) structural softening caused by necking of mechanically strong layers and (2) the establishment of a network of weak layers across the deforming multi-layered lithosphere. We argue that structural softening in a multi-layered lithosphere is the main cause for the observed multi-stage evolution and architecture of magma-poor passive margins.

show abstract

Wilson cycle passive margins: Control of orogenic inheritance on continental breakup

Cited by 75 publications

References 119 publications

Segmentation of Rifts Through Structural Inheritance: Creation of the Davis Strait

Segmentation of Rifts Through Structural Inheritance: Creation of the Davis Strait

The Role of Crustal Strength in Controlling Magmatism and Melt Chemistry During Rifting and Breakup

The importance of structural softening for the evolution and architecture of passive margins

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About