Suppe, John et al. (2004): Shear fault-bend folding

Leg/Site/Hole:
ODP 131 808
ODP 196 808
Identifier:
2005-028969
georefid

Creator:
Suppe, John
Princeton University, Department of Geosciences, Princeton, NJ, United States
author

Connors, Christopher D.
Washington and Lee University, United States
author

Zhang, Yikun
author

Identification:
Shear fault-bend folding
2004
In: McClay, Ken R. (editor), Thrust tectonics and hydrocarbon systems
American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Tulsa, OK, United States
82
303-323
Shear fault-bend folding produces ramp anticlines with very distinctive shapes. They are characterized by long, gentle backlimbs that dip less than the fault ramp, in contrast with classical fault-bend folding. Backlimb dips and limb lengths increase progressively with fault slip, by a combination of limb rotation and kink-band migration. We summarize and apply two simple end-member theories of shear fault-bend folding involving a weak decollement layer of finite thickness at the base of ramp: (1) simple-shear fault-bend folding, in which the layer undergoes an externally imposed bedding-parallel simple shear with no basal fault, and (2) pure-shear fault-bend folding in which this basal layer slides above a basal fault and shortens and thickens above the ramp, with no externally applied bed-parallel simple shear. In the limit of large displacement, the fold geometry in pregrowth strata approaches the geometry of classical fault-bend folding, with a backlimb dip that approaches the ramp dip. However, even in these cases, growth strata may record the history of limb rotation that is characteristic of a shear fault-bend fold heritage. We demonstrate that these theories are in agreement with well-imaged seismic examples from the Nankai Trough and Cascadia accretionary wedges, which show substantial shears (40-65 degrees ) over stratigraphic intervals of a few hundred meters.
English
Coverage:Geographic coordinates:
North:32.2111
West:134.5634East: 134.5646
South:32.2105

Structural geology; Applied geophysics; accretionary wedges; anticlines; Cascadia Basin; case studies; cores; decollement; deformation; East Pacific; faults; fold and thrust belts; folds; geometry; geophysical methods; geophysical profiles; geophysical surveys; kinematics; mathematical models; Nankai Trough; North Pacific; Northeast Pacific; Northwest Pacific; Ocean Drilling Program; ODP Site 808; Pacific Ocean; ramps; seismic methods; seismic profiles; shear; surveys; tectonics; thrust faults; thrust sheets; West Pacific;

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