Analogue modelling of the inversion of multiple extensional basins in foreland fold-and-thrust belts
<p>The presence of pre-existing rheological heterogeneities in the lithosphere plays a significant role during subsequent stages of deformation in essentially every geological process. Extensional basins located in foreland fold-and-thrust belts will alter the spatio-temporal evolution of its...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Solid Earth |
| Online Access: | https://se.copernicus.org/articles/14/213/2023/se-14-213-2023.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>The presence of pre-existing rheological heterogeneities in the lithosphere
plays a significant role during subsequent stages of deformation in
essentially every geological process. Extensional basins located in foreland
fold-and-thrust belts will alter the spatio-temporal evolution of its
associated orogen. It remains unclear how far horizontal stresses can act
and reactivate extensional structures due to their intrinsic irregular
patterns of deformation deflection and localisation. Overprinting events and
relative dating uncertainties in the geological record make it difficult to
interpret how stresses were transferred across a heterogeneous crust. Here
we examine the inversion of extensional basins in foreland fold-and-thrust
belts by using three-dimensional analogue experiments that simulate first an
extensional stage, followed by a shortening stage. Our results show how
extensional basins proximal to the orogenic front effectively localise
deformation in the shape of thrusts and prevent stress transfer beyond their
location. Basins that are located at large distances from the orogenic front
also show evidence of mild inversion at early stages but are characterised only
by basin infill contraction and uplift. When multiple extensional basins are
present, the degree and type of inversion will depend primarily on their
relative location and distance to the orogenic front. Here we also prove
that the presence of additional extensional features in the vicinity of a
basin can be a first-order controlling factor in their overall reactivation
history. We share additional insights of how a fold-and-thrust belt evolves
once the extensional basins have been incorporated by the advancing wedge,
and we provide comparisons with natural examples that shed light on some
still unanswered questions related to the process of basin inversion in
orogenic belts.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1869-9510 1869-9529 |