Éditeur(s) : Université de Bretagne Occidentale
Résumé : The objective of the present work is to study the formation of the passive continental margins of the Central Segment of the South Atlantic, most particularly the Congo and Angola margins. We propose a combined approach, which integrates structural constraints based on geological cross-sections (based on seismic data) and global constraints based on plate kinematic reconstructions. The structural study is based on : i) MCS and refraction data collected during the ZaiAngo programme (a joint project conducted by Ifremer and Total) ; ii) proprietary, industrial seismic data (courtesy of Total) from the Angola margin and iii) on all available seismic lines from the Africa and Brazil conjugated margins, between Walvis Ridge and the Equatorial Fracture Zones. Based on theses data, three structural domains (continental, transitional and oceanic) have been defined, the major characteristics of which are : Crustal thinning occurs abruptly, mostly below the continental slope, over a lateral distance of less than 50 km. The top of the crust deepens as the Moho shallows. Only a few extensional structures are observed ; tilted blocks are very few (one or two, depending on the profile), found only on the upper part of the slope and sealed by a discordance prior to salt deposition. The transitional domain is characterized by the existence of a pre-salt basin lying over a thin crustal layer. No tilted blocks are observed in this domain and reflectors within the pre-salt sediment series are parallel to the base of the Aptian salt, over distances greater than 100 km, precluding the possibility of any significant deformation that would imply large horizontal motions. Two types of crust are observed in the transitional domain. "Type I" crust is found below the undeformed pre-salt sediment series located below the eastern part of the basin ; it is characterized by an upper layer of thickness greater than 5 km and a abnormal velocity layer (7.2 - 7.6 km/s), up to 6 km thick. "Type II" crust is less than 5 km thick and found below the salt compressive front that affects the western part of the basin. The salt cover is continuous (no erosion surface is observed), from the continental shelf to the western termination of the basin. Salt was not deposited in a confined environment (like in the Mediterranean), but in a shallow water, lagunal environment. This imposes the zero-level and constrains the paleo-bathymetry at the time of salt deposition, which dates the latest stage of margin formation. Understanding the formation of a margin cannot be approached without studying the homolog margin. Therefore, it is of major importance to reconstruct the closure of the ocean bordered by these homolog margins and take into account the constraints imposed by the kinematic reconstructions on the lateral motions of the lithospheric plates. In order to assess the relative position of the plates at the ocean closure (prior to crustal thinning), a global study was thus performed, integrating all geophysical and geological constraints, in the ocean and on land. The role of african intra-plate deformation and its limits and their consequences have been thoroughly studied. To juxtapose the margins of the central segment of the Southern Atlantic, it is all the margins bordering the Equatorial Atlantic that need to be adjuste precisely. The kinematic study of this last region shows that the reconstruction obtained are reliable, unambiguous with a quantifiable precision The best fitting poles (obtained using the PLACA software), show that it is impossible to close the margins beyond the superposition of the salt fronts, from the Angola and Brazil margins. The geological cross-sections based on seismic data from the homolog margins indicate that a 330 km wide basin with thin (< 12 km) crust was present at the time of the fit. This basin cannot result from horizontal movement related to pure stretching or simple shear, or any model implying conservative volume. This conclusion is consistent with the existence of presalt reflectors parallel to the salt layer wich extends to the platform: the formation of the pre-salt basin must be related to vertical motions. The scenario that we propose for the evolution of the Congo-Angola margin consist in four stages: the first phase corresponds to extensional deformation limited to the few tilted blocks observed on the upper part of the slope. During the second phase, the main crustal thinning occurs, vertical motions prevailes, resulting in the formation of the continental slope and in the subsidence of the basin. The third phase corresponds to the first stress striction: deformation is concentrated in a limited section of the basin, which corresponds to the salt compression front. A proto-oceanic crust is formed, probably composed of thinned continental crust intruded by mantle material. The second stress striction corresponds to the finale phase, resulting in oceanisation senso stricto. The evolution described shows that we can not apply conservative models for margin formation (such as McKenzie and Wernicke or any of their avatars). In order to explain this thinning, one should investigate non-conservative models (implying geochemical transformation, small scale convection, intrusion...) such as those proposed in marginal or continental basins with no horizontal movments.
Ce travail de thèse aborde la formation des marges continentales passives dans le segment central de l'océan Atlantique Sud (plus particulièrement au Congo et en Angola), en intégrant une étude en coupe (étude structurale à partir des coupes sismiques) et une étude en plan (étude cinématique). L'étude structurale de la marge a été réalisée à partir des données de sismique réflexion et réfraction de la campagne Zaïango et d'une compilation de données sismiques réflexion existantes sur toutes les marges africaine et brésilienne entre les zones de fracture équatoriales et la ride de Walvis. L'interprétation de ces données a permis d'individualiser la structure de la marge en trois domaines : continental, transitionnel et océanique et de déterminer quelques points majeurs sur la structuration de la marge. L'amincissement est abrupt, localisé dans la zone de pente continentale et restreint à 50 km. La marge montre peu de structures distensives : seuls un ou deux blocs basculés sont observés en haut de pente continentale. Le domaine transitionnel est caractérisé par la géométrie particulière de la sédimentation anté-salifère, l'absence de blocs basculés et la faible épaisseur de croûte. La couche sédimentaire anté-salifère montre des réflecteurs plans jusqu'à la base du sel, continus sur 100 km, éliminant toutes possibilités de déformation du socle pendant et après son dépôt. La croûte du domaine transitionnel peut-être divisée en deux types : une croûte de type I sur laquelle se déposent les sédiments non déformés, et une croûte de type II sur laquelle se superposent les limites du « front compressif salifère » bien exprimé dans les séries postsalifères. Enfin le sel, que l'on observe depuis la plate-forme jusqu'au bassin profond, ne se dépose pas dans un bassin confiné (comme en Méditerranée) mais à un niveau proche de 0 m (ressemblant probablement à un dépôt de type lagunaire) et donne la paléo-bathymétrie au moment de son dépôt qui marque la fin de la période de formation de la marge. La compréhension de la genèse d'une marge ne peut être approchée sans son homologue. Cette simple constatation, cette évidence, montre toute l'importance que l'on doit apporter à la reconstruction cinématique initiale de l'océan qui borde ces marges homologues et aux contraintes imposées par les reconstructions cinématiques sur les mouvements horizontaux des plaques lithosphériques. Afin d'étudier la position des marges au moment de cette fermeture, c'est-à-dire avant amincissement, une étude globale intégrant l'ensemble des données disponibles, géophysiques et géologiques, océaniques et continentales, a été réalisée. Le rôle de la déformation intraplaque africaine, ses limites et leurs conséquences a, en particulier, été l'objet d'une attention poussée. Pour juxtaposer les marges du segment central, ce sont toutes les marges de l'océan Atlantique Equatorial qui doivent être ajustées précisément. L'étude cinématique réalisée de la région équatoriale montre que l'on obtient une reconstruction fiable et sans ambiguïté, avec une précision que l'on peut quantifier. Les pôles issus de cette étude (et calculés avec le Logiciel PLACA) indiquent qu'il est impossible d'obtenir une fermeture plus serrée que celle qui conduit à la superposition des fronts salifères brésilien et angolais : les coupes issues de la sismique réflexion des deux marges indiquent qu'il subsiste un bassin aminci, large de plus de 330 km et dont la croûte n'excède jamais 13 kilomètres d'épaisseur. La formation de ce bassin ne peut résulter de mouvements horizontaux, ce qui exclut un amincissement par étirement (pure stretching) ou par l'existence d'une faille de détachement (simple shear) ou par quelque modèle conservatif que ce soit. Cette constatation corrobore l'observation de la présence d'horizons anté-salifère parallèles, entre eux et au sel, couche salifère que l'on retrouve sur la plate-forme : la création de ce bassin anté-salifère ne peut être que liée à un mouvement vertical. Le schéma d'évolution que nous proposons à partir des données structurales et des contraintes cinématiques présente quatre étapes : le premier stade correspond à une phase de déformation distensive limitée aux quelques rares blocs basculés observés en haut de pente continentale. C'est durant la deuxième étape que se déroule la phase d'amincissement principal, les mouvements verticaux prévalent, aboutissant à la formation de la pente continentale et à la subsidence du bassin. La troisième phase correspond à une première striction des contraintes : la déformation se concentre sur une partie réduite du bassin, coïncidant avec le front salifère compressif. Une proto-croûte océanique se forme, probablement composée de croûte continentale amincie et intrudée de matériel mantellique. La seconde striction correspond à la phase finale de formation de la marge et aboutit à l'océanisation sensu stricto. L'étude cinématique et la description de l'évolution de la marge à partir des données sismiques montre donc que l'on ne peut envisager l'application d'un modèle de genèse des marges avec conservation de volume (type McKenzie ou Wernicke et leurs avatars) : pour expliquer l'amincissement du bassin, il faudrait probablement nous intéresser aux modèles non-conservatifs (impliquant transformation, convection à petite échelle, ...) qui sont déjà invoqués pour la formation des bassins marginaux ou continentaux, sans mouvements horizontaux.

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2003/these-82.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/82/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
We performed torsional deformation experiments on pre-hydrated fine-grained olivine aggregates using an innovative experimental assembly to investigate water weakening in mantle rocks at high shear strains. San Carlos olivine powder was cold-pressed and then hot-pressed under hydrous conditions, producing aggregates with average grain sizes of 7 or 15 μm. Deformation experiments were performed in a high-resolution gas-medium apparatus equipped with a torsional actuator, under a confining pressure of 300 MPa, a temperature of 1200 °C, and constant shear strain rates ranging from 8 × 10−5 to 1.4 × 10−4 s−1. Maximum shear stresses range from 150 to 195 MPa. These values are 30% lower relative to those determined in previous torsion experiments on dry, fined-grained dunites under similar conditions. Textures and microstructures of the starting and deformed specimens were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. All deformed aggregates exhibit a shape-preferred orientation marking a foliation and lineation, as well as a reduction in mean grain size from 15 μm down to 3-4 μm due to dynamic recrystallization. Olivine crystallographic fabrics developed rapidly (γ < 0.1), but their strength, characterized by the J-index, is low compared to naturally deformed peridotites or to polycrystalline olivine deformed at similar finite shear strains under dry conditions. The crystallographic fabrics are consistent with deformation by a dislocation accommodated creep mechanism with activation of multiple {0 k l}[1 0 0] systems, among which the (0 1 0)[1 0 0] slip system is dominant, and minor participation of the (0 1 0)[0 0 1] slip system. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the occurrence of dislocations with [1 0 0] and [0 0 1] Burgers vectors in most grains. Analysis of unpolarized infrared spectra indicates that hydrogen concentration in the olivine lattice is below the saturation level of 18 ppm wt H2O, which is similar to those typically observed in spinel-bearing peridotite xenoliths, and also provide evidence for water-rich inter-granular material trapped in pores and grain boundaries. Seismic properties computed from the CPO observations correspond to those most commonly observed in naturally deformed mantle peridotites with fast P-wave propagation and S-wave polarization subparallel to the shear direction. These torsion experiments on fine-grained olivine polycrystals under hydrous conditions indicate that water weakening under lithospheric conditions is linked to various defects with hydrogen in the olivine structure, as well as with water-derived species in grain boundaries or pores.
ISSN: 0031-9201

hal-00745170
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00745170
DOI : 10.1016/j.pepi.2012.05.001

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
We use first first-principle methods and the Peierls-Nabarro model to evaluate the resistance to glide, characterized by the Peierls stress, of glide systems for end-member MgSiO3 Perovskite at mantle pressures. [010](100) is the easiest glide system in Mg-Perovskite at all pressures. Peierls stresses increase systematically with pressure for all systems except [001](010), indicating the importance of lattice friction at lower mantle pressures. The ratio of the maximum Peierls stress for each system relative to the [010](100) value defines their critical resolved shear stress (CRSS). These CRSS are used in a visco-plastic self-consistent homogenization model to predict the evolution of crystal preferred orientations (CPO) during deformation of polycrystalline Mg-Perovskite. In axial compression, [100] tends to align with the compression direction, in agreement with in situ observations in axial compression experiments. In simple shear, [010] concentrates near the shear direction and (100), although more dispersed, tends to align near the shear plane, consistent with the dominant activity of the easier [010](100) system. The calculated seismic anisotropy for a 100% Mg-Perovskite aggregate using the CPO in simple shear and the elastic constants Of MgSiO3 perovskite at lower mantle pressures and temperatures is weak (>3% for P-waves with and >2% for S-waves) and decreases with increasing temperature and pressure. P-waves show the fastest propagation parallel to the lineation and S-waves fast polarization is in the foliation at 38 GPa and normal to the lineation at 88 GPa. This weak anisotropy is consistent with global seismological observations of a nearly isotropic lower mantle. There are however two regions where strain-induced Mg-Perovskite CPO could contribute to anisotropy; a) low temperature regions in the uppermost lower mantle, where the predicted S-wave polarization anisotropy may attain 1.6% with a fast polarization parallel to the foliation, b) in high high-temperature domains in the D '' layer, where Mg-Perovskite may be the major stable phase, leading to polarization of fast S-waves normal to the lineation for propagation directions at high angle to the lineation and an apparent isotropy for all other propagation directions.
ISSN: 0012-821X

hal-00411460
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00411460
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2008.03.058

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD AGU and the Geochemical Society
Résumé : International audience
The association of experimental data showing that the plastic deformation of olivine, the main constituent of the upper mantle, is highly anisotropic and the ubiquitous seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle, which indicates that olivine crystals show coherent orientations over scales of tens to hundreds of kilometers, implies that the long-term deformation in the upper mantle is anisotropic. We propose a multiscale approach, based on a combination of finite element and homogenization techniques, to model the deformation of a lithospheric plate while fully considering the mechanical anisotropy stemming from a strain-induced orientation of olivine crystals in the mantle. This multiscale model explicitly takes into account the evolution of crystal preferred orientations (CPO) of olivine and of the mechanical anisotropy during the deformation. We performed a series of numerical experiments simulating the uniaxial extension of a homogeneous (100% olivine) but anisotropic plate to test the role of the olivine CPO on the plate mechanical behavior and the link between CPO and mechanical anisotropy evolution. Even for this simple solicitation, different orientations and intensity of the initial olivine CPO result in variable plate strengths and deformation regimes. A plate with an initial CPO where the olivine [100] and [010] axes are concentrated at 45 degrees to the extension direction has high resolved shear stresses on the easy (010)[100] and (001)[100] slip systems of olivine. This results in low strength and in deformation by transtension. Plates with an initial CPO where the maximum of [100] axes is parallel or normal to the extension direction show a high initial strength. Isotropic plates have an intermediate behavior. The progressive rotation of olivine [100] axes toward the imposed stretching direction results in hardening in all models, except in those characterized by an initial concentration of olivine [100] axes normal to the imposed extension, in which softening is followed by hardening.
ISSN: 1525-2027

hal-00420063
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00420063
DOI : 10.1029/2009GC002423

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : Folds with hinge lines subparallel to stretching lineation are common features in shear zones and represent extreme cases of fold modification. However, their microstructures and in particular their kinematic significance remain poorly understood. Here we describe the meso- and micro-scale structures and crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) of quartz and muscovite from a metric-scale shear-modified fold from Plattjen, Saas Fee, Western Internal Alps. The studied fold is of class-2 and the samples collected around the fold have essentially the same microstructures. Quartz [c]-axes plotted in the tectonic coordinate system exhibit an apparent reverse obliquity on opposing limbs. Muscovite fabrics are controlled essentially by the orientation of {001} planes. If the CPO data are plotted in a common reference frame (e.g. either fold or geographical), all samples exhibit essentially the same patterns for both minerals. In particular, relative to the fold axis and axial surface, the reversal of quartz CPO obliquity on opposing limbs is no longer evident. The small obliquity (~ 15°) between the intersection lineation of the two planes of {001} of muscovite and the fold axis results in the apparent reversal of shear sense on opposite limbs when viewing the CPO related to the macroscopic fabric. The homogeneity of the microstructures and CPOs of quartz and muscovite across the fold support the interpretation that the fold developed during simultaneous activation of heterogeneous and homogeneous simple shear, with the former responsible for fold development and the latter responsible for fold rotation and the overwhelming of the heterogeneous deformation. These processes led to the observed parallelism between fold hinge line and local stretching lineation.
ISSN: 0040-1951

hal-00824537
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00824537
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2011.03.003

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Homogenization models are widely used to predict the evolution of texture (crystal preferred orientations) and resulting anisotropy of physical properties in metals, rocks, and ice. They fail, however, in predicting two main features of texture evolution in simple shear (the dominant deformation regime on Earth) for highly anisotropic crystals, like olivine: (1) the fast rotation of the CPO towards a stable position characterized by parallelism of the dominant slip system and the macroscopic shear and (2) the asymptotical evolution towards a constant intensity. To better predict CPO-induced anisotropy in the mantle, but limiting computational costs and use of poorly-constrained physical parameters, we modified a viscoplastic self-consistent code to simulate the effects of subgrain rotation recrystallization. To each crystal is associated a finite number of fragments (possible subgrains). Formation of a subgrain corresponds to introduction of a disorientation (relative to the parent) and resetting of the fragment strain and internal energy. The probability of formation of a subgrain is controlled by comparison between the local internal energy and the average value in the polycrystal. A two-level mechanical interaction scheme is applied for simulating the intracrystalline strain heterogeneity allowed by the formation of low-angle grain boundaries. Within a crystal, interactions between subgrains follow a constant stress scheme. The interactions between grains are simulated by a tangent viscoplastic self-consistent approach. This two-level approach better reproduces the evolution of olivine CPO in simple shear in experiments and nature. It also predicts a marked weakening at low shear strains, consistently with experimental data.
ISSN: 0012-821X

hal-01243503
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01243503
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2015.08.018

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : We have studied the phase transformation of forsterite to wadsleyite under shear stress at the Earth's transition zone pressure and temperature conditions. Two-step experiments were performed using a multi-anvil press. First, we hot pressed iron-free forsterite at 6 or 11 GPa and 1100 degrees C. Then we deformed a slab of this starting material using a direct simple shear assembly at 16 GPa and 1400 degrees C for 1, 15, 35, 40, or 60 min. Both the starting material and the deformed samples were characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy including measurements of crystal preferred orientations (CPO) by electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The phase transformation occurs very rapidly, in less than 1 min, and metastable forsterite relics are not observed after deformation. The grain size of wadsleyite is slightly smaller than the forsterite starting material. The water contents obtained from FTIR analyses in forsterite and wadsleyite are 65-124 wt ppm H2O and 114-736 wt ppm H2O, respectively, which are well below water solubility at similar conditions in the presence of free water. Wadsleyite aggregates display weak CPO patterns with [1 0 0] axes concentrated at low angle to the shear direction, [0 1 0] axes perpendicular to the shear plane and nearly random [0 0 1] axes. Only a few dislocations were observed in wadsleyite with TEM. This observation is consistent with the assumption that most dislocations formed during the initial high-stress stages of these stress-relaxation experiments, were consumed in the phase transformation, probably enhancing the transformation rate. CPO patterns vary as a function of the water content: with increasing water content the density of [1 0 0] axes parallel to the shear direction decreases, and the density of [0 0 1] axes increases. Viscoplastic self-consistent modeling of CPO evolution using previously reported glide systems for wadsleyite, i.e., [1 0 0]{0 k 1} and 1/2 (1 1 1){1 0 1}, cannot reproduce the measured CPO, unless the [0 0 1](0 1 0) system, for which dislocations have not been observed by TEM, is also activated. In addition, wadsleyite grain growth suggests the participation of diffusion-assisted processes in deformation. Calculated anisotropies for P and S-waves using measured CPO are always below 1%. This very low anisotropy is due to both the low finite strain achieved in the experiments, which leads to weak wadsleyite CPO, and to the diluting effect of added majorite. The present experiments emphasize the importance of stress, grain size evolution and water content in the forsterite to wadsleyite phase transformation and subsequent deformation in the transition zone.
ISSN: 0031-9201

hal-00617430
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00617430
DOI : 10.1016/j.pepi.2010.11.001

Éditeur(s) : The Geological Society of London
Résumé : Conservational models, like simple shear, pure shear or polyphase models that exclude exchanges between the lower continental crust and upper mantle, are usually proposed to explain the lithospheric stretching and consequent crustal thinning of passive continental margins. These models need large amounts of horizontal movement, and have, therefore, important implications for plate kinematic reconstructions and intraplate deformation. In this paper we propose to show these implications in the Central Segment of the South Atlantic Ocean. In the Angola–Brazilian system, these models imply about 240 km of horizontal movement. This movement can be compensated by two end-member mechanisms: (1) an intraplate deformation located in Africa; and (2) an intraplate deformation located in South America. We detail for each solution the strong geological and geodynamical implications, and discuss the consequences for the genesis of passive continental margins.
Geological Society, special publication (0375-6440) (The Geological Society of London), 2012-02 , Vol. 369 , P. 75-90

Droits : The Geological Society of London 2012
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00087/19839/17757.pdf
DOI:10.1144/SP369.5
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00087/19839/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Metamorphic soles correspond to m to 500 m thick highly strained metamorphic rock units found beneath myloniticbanded peridotites at the base of large-scale ophiolites, as exemplified in Oman. Metamorphic soles aremainly composed of metabasalts deriving from the downgoing oceanic lithosphere and metamorphosed up togranulite-facies conditions by heat transfer from the mantle wedge. Pressure–temperature peak conditions areusually estimated at 1.00.2 GPa and 800100ºC. The absence of HP–LT metamorphism overprint implies thatmetamorphic soles have been formed and exhumed during subduction infancy. In this view, metamorphic soleswere strongly deformed during their accretion to the mantle wedge (corresponding, now, to the base of the ophiolite).Therefore, metamorphic soles and banded peridotites are direct witnesses of the dynamics of early subductionzones, in terms of thermal structure, fluid migration and rheology evolution across the nascent slab interface.Based on fieldwork and EBSD analyses, we present a detailed (micro–) structural study performed on samplescoming from the Sumeini window, the better-preserved cross-section of the metamorphic sole of Oman. Largedifferences are found in the deformation (CPO, grain size, aspect ratio) of clinopyroxene, amphibole and plagioclase,related to mineralogical changes linked with the distance to the peridotite contact (e.g., hardening due to theappearance of garnet and clinopyroxene).To model the incipient slab interface in laboratory, we carried out 5 hydrostatic annealing and simple-shear experimentson Griggs solid-medium apparatus. Deformation experiments were conducted at axial strain rates of 10-6s-1. Fine-grained amphibolite was synthetized by adding 1 wt.% water to a (Mid-Ocean Ridge) basalt powder asa proxy for the metamorphic sole (amphibole + plagioclase + clinopyroxene garnet assemblage). To synthetizegarnet, 2 experiments were carried out in hydrostatic conditions and with deformation at 800C with confiningpressure of 2 GPa. Another simple-shear experiment has been carried out at 800C and 1 GPa with fined-grainednatural garnet. With the aim of mimicking the early slab interface (between the metamorphic sole and bandedperidotites at the base of the ophiolite), 2 simple-shear deformation experiments with 2 layers have been carriedout at 800C and confining pressure of 1 GPa. The bottom layer was made of hydrated basalt powder and the toplayer was made of olivine.Fined-grained garnet-free amphibolite is significantly weaker than dunite but the appearance of harder mineralsin the amphibolite (garnet and clinopyroxene) has major implications on its rheological evolution. These resultsallow liking field observations of strain localization at the interface to the metamorphic sole formation
European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2016
Vienne, Austria

insu-01309394
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01309394

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union
Résumé : International audience
We analyze the kinematics of fault tip folding at the front of a fold-and-thrust wedge using a sandbox experiment. The analog model consists of sand layers intercalated with low-friction glass bead layers, deposited in a glass-sided experimental device and with a total thickness h = 4.8 cm. A computerized mobile backstop induces progressive horizontal shortening of the sand layers and therefore thrust fault propagation. Active deformation at the tip of the forward propagating basal décollement is monitored along the cross section with a high-resolution CCD camera, and the displacement field between pairs of images is measured from the optical flow technique. In the early stage, when cumulative shortening is less than about h/10, slip along the décollement tapers gradually to zero and the displacement gradient is absorbed by distributed deformation of the overlying medium. In this stage of detachment tip folding, horizontal displacements decrease linearly with distance toward the foreland. Vertical displacements reflect a nearly symmetrical mode of folding, with displacements varying linearly between relatively well defined axial surfaces. When the cumulative slip on the décollement exceeds about h/10, deformation tends to localize on a few discrete shear bands at the front of the system, until shortening exceeds h/8 and deformation gets fully localized on a single emergent frontal ramp. The fault geometry subsequently evolves to a sigmoid shape and the hanging wall deforms by simple shear as it overthrusts the flat ramp system. As long as strain localization is not fully established, the sand layers experience a combination of thickening and horizontal shortening, which induces gradual limb rotation. The observed kinematics can be reduced to simple analytical expressions that can be used to restore fault tip folds, relate finite deformation to incremental folding, and derive shortening rates from deformed geomorphic markers or growth strata.
ISSN: 2169-9313

hal-00138061
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00138061
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00138061/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00138061/file/Bernard_et_al-2007-Journalsur Geophysical_Research__Solid_Earth_%281978-2012%29.pdf
DOI : 10.1029/2005JB004149

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Quartz is a common crustal mineral that deforms plastically in a wide range of temperatures and pressures, leading to the development of different types of crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) patterns. In this contribution we present the results of an extensive modeling of quartz fabric transitions via a viscoplastic self-consistent (VPSC) approach. For that, we have performed systematic simulations using different sets of relative critical resolved shear stress of the main quartz slip systems. We have performed these simulations in axial compression and simple shear regimes under constant Von Mises equivalent strain of 100% (γ = 1.73), assuming that the aggregates deformed exclusively by dislocation glide. Some of the predicted CPOs patterns are similar to those observed in naturally and experimentally deformed quartz. Nevertheless, some classical CPO patterns usually interpreted as result from dislocation glide (e.g. Y-maxima due to prism < a > slip) are clearly not developed in the simulated conditions. In addition we reported new potential preferred orientation patterns that might happen in high temperature conditions, both in axial compression and simple shear. We have demonstrated that CPOs generated under axial compression are usually stronger that those predicted under simple shear, due to the continuous rotation observed in the later simulations. The fabric strength depends essentially on the dominant active slip system, and normally the stronger CPOs result from dominant basal slip in < a >, followed by rhomb < a > and prism [c] slip, whereas prism < a > slip does not produce strong fabrics. The opening angle of quartz [0001] fabric used as a proxy of temperature seems to be reliable for deformation temperatures of ~ 400 °C, when the main slip systems have similar behaviors.
ISSN: 0040-1951

hal-01115674
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01115674
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2014.08.011

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD European Geosciences Union
Résumé : This study presents a unique database of 172 plagioclase Crystallographic Preferred Orientations (CPO) of variously deformed gabbroic rocks. The CPO characteristics as a function of the deformation regime (magmatic or crystal-plastic) are outlined and discussed. The studied samples are dominantly from slow- and fast-spread present-day ocean crust, as well as from the Oman ophiolite. Plagioclase is the dominant mineral phase in the studied samples. Plagioclase CPOs are grouped into three main categories: Axial-B, a strong point alignment of (010) with a girdle distribution of [100]; Axial-A, a strong point maximum concentration of [100] with parallel girdle distributions of (010) and (001); and P-type, point maxima of [100], (010), and (001). A majority of CPO patterns are Axial-B and P-type, in samples showing either magmatic or crystal-plastic deformation textures. Axial-A CPOs are less common; they represent 21% of the samples deformed by crystal-plastic flow. Although fabric strength (ODF J index) does not show any consistent variation as a function of the CPO patterns, there is a significant difference in the relationship between the ODF and pole figures J indices; the magmatic type microstructures have high (010) pole figures J indices, which increase linearly with ODF J index, whereas the high [100] pole figures J indices of plastically deformed samples vary in a more scattered manner with ODF J index. The multistage nature of plastic deformation superposed on a magmatic structure compared with magmatic flow, and the large number of possible slip-systems in plagioclase probably account for these differences. Calculated seismic properties (P wave and S wave velocities and anisotropies) of plagioclase aggregates show that anisotropy (up to 12% for P wave and 14% for S wave) tends to increase as a function of ODF J index. In comparison with the olivine 1998 CPO database, the magnitude of P wave anisotropy for a given J index is much less than olivine, whereas it is similar for S wave anisotropy. Despite a large variation of fabric patterns and geodynamic setting, seismic properties of plagioclase-rich rocks have similar magnitudes of anisotropy. There is a small difference in the aggregate elastic symmetry, with magmatic microstructures having higher orthorhombic and hexagonal components, whereas plastic deformation microstructures have a slightly higher monoclinic component, possibly correlated with predominant monoclinic simple shear flow in plastically deformed samples. Overall, plots for CPO strength (ODF J index), pole figure strength, CPO symmetry and seismic anisotropy show significant scattering. This could be related to sampling statistics, although our database is a factor of ten higher than the olivine database of 1998, or it could be related to the low symmetry (triclinic) structure of plagioclase resulting in the addition of degrees of freedom in the processes creating the CPOs.
ISSN: 1869-9510

hal-00963439
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00963439
DOI : 10.5194/se-4-511-2013

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The Aegean domain is a key area for understanding the processes of back-arc extension. Observed deformation pattern and present day kinematics result from the interaction between the southward retreat of the Hellenic trench and the westward escape of Anatolia. Lithosphere-scale analogue models were employed to display that the overall pattern of Aegean extension requires not only the combination of trench retreat and Anatolia escape since middle Miocene but also the presence of an inherited lithosphere-scale mechanical discontinuity: the Vardar Suture Zone (VSZ). The reactivation in dextral shear of the eastern branch of the VSZ accommodates both the trench retreat (NS stretching) and the westward escape of Anatolia (EW shortening) in the Cyclades area since middle Miocene. Additionally, our model shows that the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) is a late structure in the evolution of the Aegean, initiated around 10 Ma after the onset of Anatolia escape. The displacement field at the surface of the model allows the identification of sub-domains, which result from strain partitioning instead of being "rigid microplates", directly comparable to the present-day displacement field (GPS) of the Aegean and western Anatolia. Our model provides a simple but powerful way to look at the dynamics of Aegean extension in two main stages. From middle Eocene to middle Miocene, extension was only driven by the southward retreat of the Hellenic trench at a rate lower than 1 cm*y− 1. Since middle Miocene, the combination of slab rollback with Anatolia westward escape resulted in a southwest direction of trench retreat, with an accelerating rate of up to 3 cm*y− 1.
ISSN: 0040-1951

insu-01066042
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01066042
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01066042/document
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01066042/file/Philippon-brun-tect-2014-HAL.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2014.04.039

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD AGU and the Geochemical Society
Résumé : International audience
How reliable are shear wave splitting measurements as a means of determining mantle flow direction? This remains a topic of debate, especially in the context of subduction. The answer hinges on whether our current understanding of mineral physics provides enough to accurately translate between seismic observations and mantle deformation. Here, we present an integrated model to simulate strain-history-dependent texture development and estimate resulting shear wave splitting in subduction environments. We do this for a mantle flow model that, in its geometry, approximates the double-sided Molucca Sea subduction system in Eastern Indonesia. We test a single-sided and a double-sided subduction case. Results are compared to recent splitting measurements of this region by Di Leo et al. (2012a). The setting lends itself as a case study, because it is fairly young and, therefore, early textures from the slab's descent from the near surface to the bottom of the mantle transition zone--which we simulate in our models--have not yet been overprinted by subsequent continuous steady state flow. Second, it allows us to test the significance of the double-sided geometry, i.e., the need for a rear barrier to achieve trench-parallel subslab mantle flow. We demonstrate that although a barrier amplifies trench-parallel subslab anisotropy due to mantle flow, it is not necessary to produce trench-parallel fast directions per se. In a simple model of A-type olivine lattice-preferred orientation and one-sided subduction, trench-parallel fast directions are produced by a combination of simple shear and extension through compression and pure shear in the subslab mantle.
ISSN: 1525-2027

hal-01053506
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01053506
DOI : 10.1002/2013GC005032

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Résumé : Mantle xenoliths in Pliocene alkali basalts of the eastern Betics (SE Iberia, Spain) are spinel ± plagioclase lherzolite, with minor harzburgite and wehrlite, displaying porphyroclastic or equigranular textures. Equigranular peridotites have olivine crystal preferred orientation (CPO) patterns similar to those of porphyroclastic xenoliths but slightly more dispersed. Olivine CPO shows [100]-fiber patterns characterized by strong alignment of [100]-axes subparallel to the stretching lineation and a girdle distribution of [010]-axes normal to it. This pattern is consistent with simple shear or transtensional deformation accommodated by dislocation creep. One xenolith provides evidence for synkinematic reactive percolation of subduction-related Si-rich melts/fluids that resulted in oriented crystallization of orthopyroxene. Despite a seemingly undeformed microstructure, the CPO in orthopyroxenite veins in composite xenoliths is identical to those of pyroxenes in the host peridotite, suggesting late-kinematic crystallization. Based on these observations, we propose that the annealing producing the equigranular microstructures was triggered by melt percolation in the shallow subcontinental lithospheric mantle coeval to the late Neogene formation of veins in composite xenoliths. Calculated seismic properties are characterized by fast propagation of P waves and polarization of fast S waves parallel to olivine [100]-axis (stretching lineation). These data are compatible with present-day seismic anisotropy observations in SE Iberia if the foliations in the lithospheric mantle are steeply dipping and lineations are subhorizontal with ENE strike, implying dominantly horizontal mantle flow in the ENE-WSW direction within vertical planes, that is, subparallel to the paleo-Iberian margin. The measured anisotropy could thus reflect a lithospheric fabric due to strike-slip deformation in the late Miocene in the context of WSW tearing of the subducted south Iberian margin lithosphere.
ISSN: 0278-7407

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
hal-01685809
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01685809
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01685809/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01685809/file/Hidas_et_al-2016-Tectonics.pdf
DOI : 10.1002/2016TC004165

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
In the framework of the Africa-Europe convergence, the Mediterranean system presents a complex interaction between subduction rollback and upper-plate deformation during the Tertiary. The western end of the system shows a narrow arcuate geometry across the Gibraltar arc, the Betic-Rif belt, in which the relationship between slab dynamics and surface tectonics is not well understood. The present study focuses on the Western Betics, which is characterized by two major thrusts: 1/ the Internal/External Zone Boundary limits the metamorphic domain (Alboran Domain) from the fold-and-thrust belts in the External Zone; 2/ the Ronda Peridotites Thrust allows the juxtaposition of a strongly attenuated lithosphere section with large bodies of sub-continental mantle rocks on top of upper crustal rocks. New structural data show that two major E-W strike-slip corridors played a major role in the deformation pattern of the Alboran Domain, in which E-W dextral strike-slip faults, N60 thrusts and N140 normal faults developed simultaneously during dextral strike-slip simple shear. Olistostromic sediments of Lower Miocene age were deposited and deformed in this tectonic context and hence provide an age estimate for the inferred continuous westward translation of the Alboran Domain that is accommodated by an E-W lateral (strike-slip) ramp and a N60 frontal thrust. The crustal emplacement of large bodies of sub-continental mantle may occur at the onset of this westward thrusting in the Western Alboran domain. At lithosphere-scale, we interpret the observed deformation pattern as the subduction upper-plate expression of a lateral slab tear and its westward propagation since Lower Miocene.
ISSN: 0040-1951

insu-01163695
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01163695
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01163695/document
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01163695/file/Frasca-2015.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2015.05.017

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union
Résumé : International audience
We present Contact Dynamics discrete element simulations of the earthquake-triggered Jiufengershan avalanche, which mobilized a 60 m thick, 1.5 km long sedimentary layer, dipping similar to 22 degrees SE toward a valley. The dynamic behavior of the avalanche is simulated under different assumptions about rock behavior, water table height, and boundary shear strength. Additionally, seismic shaking is introduced using strong motion records from nearby stations. We assume that seismic shaking generates shearing and frictional heating along the surface of rupture, which, in turn, may induce dynamic weakening and avalanche triggering; a simple "slip-weakening'' criterion was adopted to simulate shear strength drop along the rupture surface. We investigate the mechanical processes occurring during triggering and propagation of an avalanche mobilizing shallowly dipping layers. Incipient deformation forms a pop-up structure at the toe of the dip slope. As the avalanche propagates, the pop-up deforms into an overturned fold, which overrides the surface of separation along a decollement. Simultaneously, uphill layers slide at high velocity (125 km/h) and are folded and disrupted as they reach the toe of the dip slope. The avalanche foot forms a wedge that is pushed forward as deformed rocks accrete at its rear. We simulated five cross sections across the Jiufengershan avalanche, which differ in the geometry of the surface of separation. Topographic and simulated surface profiles are similar. The friction coefficient at the surface of separation determined from back analysis is abnormally low (mu(SS) = 0.2), possibly due to lubrication by liquefied soils. The granular deposits of simulated earthquake- and rain-triggered avalanches are similar.
ISSN: 0148-0227

hal-00420882
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00420882
DOI : 10.1029/2008JF001075

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The Espinho Branco anatexite, located within a transcurrent, high-temperature shear zone in NE Brazil, was the subject of a comprehensive petrostructural study (Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility - AMS, Anisotropy of Anhysteretic Remanence - AAR, Electron Backscatter Diffraction - EBSD) to evaluate the compatibility of different fabrics with the kinematics of melt deformation. Magnetite dominates susceptibilities larger than 1 mSI and biotite displays [001] lattice directions consistent with AMS k3 axes. In contrast, migmatites with a susceptibility lower than 0.5 mSI and no visible mesoscopic foliation provide crystallographic fabrics distinct from AMS and AAR. However, AAR remains consistent with the regional strain field. These results suggest that the correlation of field, AMS and crystallographic fabrics is not always straightforward despite the relatively simple organisation of the magnetic fabric in the anatexite. We conclude that AMS recorded the final stages of the strain field in the migmatite irrespective of its complex mesoscale structures and contrasting crystallographic fabrics.
ISSN: 0191-8141

hal-00823056
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00823056
DOI : 10.1016/j.jsg.2012.12.008

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
In the frame of the Africa-Europe convergence, the Mediterranean tectonic system presents a complex interaction between subduction rollback and upper-plate deformation during the Tertiary. The western Mediterranean is characterized by the exhumation of the largest subcontinental mantle massif worldwide (the Ronda Peridotite) and a narrow arcuate geometryacross the Gibraltar arc within the Betic-Rif belt (the internal part being called the Alboran domain), where the relationship between slab dynamics and surface tectonics is not well understood. New structural and geochronological data are used to argue for 1/ hyperstrechting of the continental lithosphere allowing extensional mantle exhumation to shallow depths, followed by 2/ lower miocene thrusting. Two Lower Miocene E-W-trending strike-slip corridors played a major role in the deformation pattern of the Alboran Domain, in which E-W dextral strike-slip faults, N60°-trending thrusts and N140°-trending normal faults developed simultaneously during dextral strike-slip simple shear. The inferred continuous westward translation of the Alboran Domain is accommodated by a major E-W-trending lateral ramp (strike-slip) and a N60°-trending frontal thrust. At lithosphere-scale, we interpret the observed deformation pattern as the upper-plate expression of a lateral slab tear and of its westward propagation since Lower Miocene. The crustal emplacement of the Ronda Peridotites occurred at the onset of this westward motion.The Miocene tectonics of the western Alboran is therefore marked by the inversion of a continental rift, triggered by shortening of the upper continental plate and accommodated by E-W dextral strike-slip corridors. During thrusting and westward displacement of the Alboran domain with respect to Iberia, the hot upper plate, which involved the previously exhumed sub-continental mantle, underwent fast cooling.
AGU Fall Meeting 2015
San Francisco, United States

insu-01242043
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01242043

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union
Résumé : International audience
We have analyzed shear wave splitting recorded by portable and permanent broadband and long-period stations located in the eastern United States. Teleseismic shear waves (SKS, SKKS, and PKS) were used to retrieve the splitting parameters: the orientation of the fast wave polarization plane ϕ and the delay time δt. In total, 120 seismic events were processed, allowing for more than 600 splitting measurements. Within the Appalachians, stations located in the western (external) part are characterized by δt≈1s and ϕ trending N50°– 70°E in the south and central regions and N30°–40°E in the north, closely following the trend of the orogenic belt in these areas. The transition region between north and central is characterized by δt≈1–1.3 s and by E-W trending ϕ that are at a high angle to the regional geologic trend. Measurements at two stations located in the eastern (internal) part of the belt indicate very weak anisotropy. The large-scale pattern of anisotropy is not consistent with that predicted for simple asthenospheric flow beneath the plate. Splitting along the southern and eastern margins of the continent is consistent with that expected for Grenvillian deformation, an alternative model of asthenospheric flow around the cratonic keel cannot be ruled out. Within the cratonic core, the correlation between δt and lithospheric thickness suggests a lithospheric anisotropy. Smaller-length-scale variations also argue for a significant contribution of lithospheric structures. The fabric responsible for shear wave splitting may have formed during tectonic episodes that affected the eastern United States, i.e., the Grenville and Appalachian orogenies and the subsequent rifting of the North Atlantic Ocean. Our observations in the western Appalachians suggest that the anisotropy may be preserved since the Grenvillian orogeny. The absence of detectable splitting in the two stations in the eastern Appalachians is attributed to the igneous intrusions related to the Atlantic rifting. The measurements in the transition between the northern and central southern Appalachians, constitute an intriguing anomaly, whose E-W ϕ have little obvious relation to the regional surface geology. We suggest two possible causes: (1) the local dominance of asthenospheric flow, motivated by the proximity of a pervasive low-velocity anomaly and (2) lithospheric deformation in a transcontinental strike-slip fault zone active during the Appalachian collision.
ISSN: 2169-9313

hal-01388859
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01388859
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01388859/document
http://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-01388859/file/Barruol_JGR_1997.pdf
DOI : 10.1029/96JB03800