Theoretical studies of the geodynamics of accretion boundaries in the plate tectonics

Various aspects of the physical processes occurring at the accretion plate boundary in plate tectonics have been investigated. Regional stresses have been investigated, arising from lateral density contrasts in the ocean lithosphere. Elastic, visco-elastic and elastic/visco-elastic models predict regional stresses in the ocean basin of the order of 0.25 kb. Investigation of the thermal stresses created in the oceanic lithosphere as a consequence of the cooling of the ocean lithosphere as it moves away from the ridge axis, shows that tensional stresses occur in the upper lithosphere and compressional stresses in the lower lithosphere. An elastic/viscous model of the lithosphere predicts deviatoric stresses of the order of 3 kb. in the upper crust. The temperature distribution beneath the ocean ridge with magma solidifying to form crustal layer 3 has been investigated. Numerical models show that the width of the magma chamber and the thickness of the dyke complex depends on half spreading rate. If there is significant crystal settling, the width of the chamber is predicted to be considerably reduced. A critical half spreading rate of 0.45 cm/yr is predicted, below which the intruded material solidifies instantaneously. Computations support Cann's petrological model. Investigation of the magnitude of the stresses caused by the buoyancy of a magma chamber in the lower crust at the ridge axis suggest that the magma chamber is unable to cause crustal fracture and is, alone, a dynamically stable structure. The additional stresses due to the upthrust of molten upper mantle material is required to cause crustal fracture and a zone of fracture of less than 5 km wide is predicted. The stress field created in the oceanic lithosphere by a mantle plume has been calculated analytically. Estimates of the plume dimensions and velocity suggested by Morgan are predicted to be just sufficient to cause fracture of the lithosphere above the plume axis

Structure of the ocean–continent transition, location of the continent–ocean boundary and magmatic type of the northern Angolan margin from integrated quantitative analysis of deep seismic reflection and gravity anomaly data

AbstractThe crustal structure and distribution of crustal types on the northern Angolan rifted continental margin have been the subject of much debate. Hyper-extended continental crust, oceanic crust and exhumed serpentinized mantle have all been proposed to underlie the Aptian salt and the underlying sag sequence. Quantitative analysis of deep seismic reflection and gravity anomaly data, together with reverse post-break-up subsidence modelling, have been used to investigate the ocean–continent transition structure, the location of the continent–ocean boundary, the crustal type and the palaeobathymetry of Aptian salt deposition. Gravity inversion methods (used to give the depth to the Moho and the crustal thickness), residual depth anomaly analysis (used to identify departures from oceanic bathymetry) and subsidence analysis have all shown that the distal Aptian salt is underlain by hyper-extended continental crust rather than exhumed mantle or oceanic crust. We propose that the Aptian salt was deposited c. 0.2 and 0.6 km below global sea-level and that the inner proximal salt subsided by post-rift (post-tectonic) thermal subsidence alone, whereas outer distal salt formation was synrift, prior to break-up, resulting in additional tectonic subsidence. Our analysis argues against Aptian salt deposition on the Angolan margin in a 2–3 km deep isolated ocean basin and supports salt deposition on hyper-extended continental crust formed by diachronous rifting migrating from east to west and culminating in the late Aptian.</jats:p

Pre‐breakup extension in the northern North Sea defined by complex strain partitioning and heterogeneous extension rates

The early stages of continental rifting are accommodated by the growth of upper‐crustal normal fault systems that are distributed relatively evenly across the rift width. Numerous fault systems define fault arrays , the kinematics of which are poorly understood due to a lack of regional studies drawing on high‐quality subsurface data. Here we investigate the long‐term (~150 Myr) growth of a rift‐related fault array in the East Shetland Basin, northern North Sea, using a regionally extensive subsurface dataset comprising 2D and 3D seismic reflection surveys and 107 boreholes. We show that rift‐related strain during the pre‐Triassic‐to‐Middle Triassic was originally distributed across several sub‐basins. The Middle‐to‐Late Triassic saw a decrease in extension rate (~14 m/Myr) as strain localized in the western part of the basin. Early Jurassic strain initially migrated eastwards, before becoming more diffuse during the main, Middle‐to‐Late Jurassic rift phase. The highest extension rates (~89 m/Myr) corresponded with the main rift event in the East Shetland Basin, before focusing of strain within the rift axis and ultimate abandonment of the East Shetland Basin in the Early Cretaceous. We also demonstrate marked spatial variations in timing and magnitude of slip along‐strike of major fault systems during this protracted rift event. Our results imply that strain migration patterns and extension rates during the initial, pre‐breakup phase of continental rifting may be more complex than previously thought; this reflects temporal and spatial changes in both thermal and mechanical properties of the lithosphere, in addition to varying extension rates

Formation and deformation of hyperextended rift systems: Insights from rift domain mapping in the Bay of Biscay-Pyrenees

International audienceThe Bay of Biscay and the Pyrenees correspond to a Lower Cretaceous rift system including both oceanic and hyperextended rift domains. The transition from preserved oceanic and rift domains in the West to their complete inversion in the East enables us to study the progressive reactivation of a hyperextended rift system. We use seismic interpretation, gravity inversion, and field mapping to identify and map former rift domains and their subsequent reactivation. We propose a new map and sections across the system illustrating the progressive integration of the rift domains into the orogen. This study aims to provide insights on the formation of hyperextended rift systems and discuss their role during reactivation. Two spatially and temporally distinct rift systems can be distinguished: the Bay of Biscay-Parentis and the Pyrenean-Basque-Cantabrian rifts. While the offshore Bay of Biscay represent a former mature oceanic domain, the fossil remnants of hyperextended domains preserved onshore in the Pyrenean-Cantabrian orogen record distributed extensional deformation partitioned between strongly segmented rift basins. Reactivation initiated in the exhumed mantle domain before it affected the hyperthinned domain. Both domains accommodated most of the shortening. The final architecture of the orogen is acquired once the conjugate necking domains became involved in collisional processes. The complex 3-D architecture of the initial rift system may partly explain the heterogeneous reactivation of the overall system. These results have important implications for the formation and reactivation of hyperextended rift systems and for the restoration of the Bay of Biscay and Pyrenean domain