Faulting of the lithosphere during extension and related rift-flank uplift: A numerical study

International Journal of Earth Sciences

Volumn 99, Issue 7, 2010, Pages 1619-1632

  Sachau, Till ^a   Koehn, Daniel ^a  

^a JOHANNES GUTENBERG UNIVERSITY   (Germany)

Author keywords

Faults; Flexure; Numerical model; Rift flank; Rifting; Uplift

Indexed keywords

ELASTICITY; EXTENSIONAL TECTONICS; FAULT GEOMETRY; FAULTING; LITHOSPHERE; NUMERICAL MODEL; RIFTING; UPLIFT;

EAST AFRICAN RIFT; WESTERN RIFT;

EID: 77957961625     PISSN: 14373254     EISSN: 14373262     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s00531-010-0513-6     Document Type: Article

References (40)

1. Allen PA, Allen JR (2005) Basin analysis: principles and applications. Blackwell, Oxford, p 549.
2. Allen DN, de G (1954) Relaxation methods. McGraw-Hill, New York.
3. Bassi G (1995) Relative importance of strain rate and rheology for the mode of continental extension. Geophys J Int 122: 195-210.
4. Bertotti G, Podladchikov Y, Daehler A (2000) Dynamic link between the level of ductile crustal flow and style of normal faulting of brittle crust. Tectonophysics 320: 195-218.
5. Bons PD, Koehn D, Jessell MW (2008) Microdynamics simulation, lecture notes in earth sciences, 106, Springer, Berlin, pp 405.
6. Bott MHP (1996) Flexure associated with planar faulting. Geophys J Int 126: F21-F24.
7. Brauch W, Dreyer H, Haacke W (1990) Mathematik für Ingenieure. Teubner, Stuttgart.
8. Buck WR (1988) Flexural rotation of normal faults. Tectonics 7: 959-973.
9. Buck WR (1991) Modes of continental lithospheric extension. J Geophys Res 96: 20.
10. Burov E, Cloetingh S (1997) Rift dynamics: new thermomechanical aspects of post-rift evolution of extensional basins. Earth Planet Sci Lett 150: 7-26.
11. Carter NL, Twenn M (1987) Flow properties of continental lithosphere. Tectonophysics 136: 27-63.
12. Clyne TW (1996) Residual stresses in surface coatings and their effects on interfacial debonding. Key Eng Mater 116/117: 307-330.
13. Ebinger CJ, Bechtel TD, Forsyth DW, Bowen CO (1989) Effective elastic thickness beneath the East African and Afar Plateaux and dynamic compensation of the uplifts. J Geophys Res 94: 2883-2901.
14. Fowler C (2001) The solid earth. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p 472.
15. Gölke M, Mechie J (1994) Finite-element modelling of the structure and evolution of the South Kenya Rift, East Africa. Tectonophysics 236: 439-452.
16. Govers R, Wortel MJR (1995) Extension of stable continental lithosphere and the initiation of lithospheric scale faults. Tectonics 14: 1041-1055.
17. Grah M, Alzebdeh K, Sheng P, Vaudin M, Bowman K, Ostatoja-Starzewski M (1996) Brittle intergranular failure in 2D microstructures: experiments and computer simulations. Acta Mater 44(10): 4003-4018.
18. Hampel A, Hetzel R (2006) Response of normal faults to glacial-interglacial fluctuations of ice and water masses on Earth's surface. JGR 111: B06406. doi: 10. 1029/2005JB004124.
19. Karner G, Byamungu B, Ebinger C, Kampunzu A, Mukasa R, Nyakaana J, Rubondo E, Upcott N (2000) Distribution of crustal extension and regional basin architecture of the Albertine rift system, East Africa. Mar A Petrol Geol 17: 1131-1150.
20. Koehn D, Arnold J, Passchier CW (2005) Fracture and vein patterns as indicators of deformation history: a numerical study. In: Gapais D, Brun JP, Cobbold PR (eds) Deformation mechanisms, rheology and tectonics: from minerals to the lithosphere, Geological Society of London, Special Publications 243, pp 11-24.
21. Koehn D, Malthe-Sørenssen A, Passchier CW (2006) The structure of reactive grain boundaries under stress containing confined fluids. J Chem Geol 230: 207-219.
22. Koehn D, Francois R, Toussaint R, Passchier CW (2007) Growth of stylolite teeth patterns depending on normal stress and finite compaction. Earth Planet Sci Lett 257: 582-595.
23. Koehn D, Aanyu K, Haines S, Sachau T (2008) Rift nucleation, rift propagation and the creation of basement micro-plates within active rifts. Tectonophysics 458: 105-116.
24. Kusznir NJ, Ziegler PA (1992) Mechanics of continental extension and sedimentary basin formation: a simple/pure-shear flexural cantilever model In: Ziegler PA, Geodynamics of rifting, vol 3, Thematic discussions. Tectonophysics 215: 117-131.
25. Malthe-Sørenssen A, Walmann T, Feder J, Jøssang W, Meakin P (1998) Simulation of extensional clay fractures. Phys Rev E 58: 5548-5564.
26. McKenzie D (1978) Some remarks on the development of sedimentary basins. Earth Planet Sci Lett 40: 25-32.
27. Monette L, Anderson MP (1994) Elastic and fracture properties of the two-dimensional triangular and square lattice. Model Simul Mater Sci Eng 2: 53-66.
28. Morley CK (1999) Geoscience of rift systems-evolution of East Africa. AAPG Stud Geol 44: 242.
29. Ramberg H (1975) Particle paths, displacement and progressive strain applicable to Rocks. Tectonophysics 28: 1-37.
30. Ranalli G (1995) Rheology of the earth, 2nd edn. Chapman & Hall, London.
31. Rowley DB, Sahagian D (1986) Depth-dependent stretching: a different approach. Geology 14: 32-35.
32. Royden L, Keen CE (1980) Rifting process and thermal evolution of the continental margin of eastern Canada determined from subsidence curves. Earth Planet Sci Lett 51: 343-361.
33. Ter Voorde M, van Balen RT, Bertotti G, Cloetingh S (1998) The influence of stratified rheology on the flexural response of the lithosphere to (un)loading by extensional faulting. Geophys J Int 134: 721-735.
34. Turcotte DL, Emermann SH (1983) Mechanisms of active and passive rifting. Tectonophysics 94: 39-50.
35. Upcott NM, Mukasa RK, Ebinger CJ, Karner GD (1996) Along-axis segmentation and isostasy in the Western rift, East Africa. J Geophys Res 101(B2): 3247-3268.
36. van Balen R, Podladchikov YY (1998) The effects of inplane force variations on a faulted elastic thin-plate, implications for rifted sedimentary basins. Geophys Res Lett 25: 3903-3906.
37. van Wijk JW, Blackman DK (2005) Dynamics of continental rift propagation: the end-member modes. Earth Planet Sci Lett 229: 247-258.
38. Weijermars R (1991) The role of stress in ductile deformation. J Struct Geol 13: 1061-1078.
39. Wernicke B (1981) Low angle normal faults in the Basin and Range province: nappe tectonics in an extension orogen. Nature 291: 645-647.
40. Ziegler PA (1992) Geodynamics of rifting and implications for hydrocarbon habitat. Tectonophysics 215: 221-253.