Éditeur(s) : Amer Geophysical Union
Résumé : A tectonic model of the evolution of the northern half of the South Fiji Basin, including the Minerva Triple Junction and Cook Fracture Zone, is developed from regional gravity, multibeam bathymetry, and a new interpretation of magnetic anomalies pinned to radiometric dates of oceanic crust in the basin. The geometry and age of a portion of the Minerva Triple Junction and the Cook-Minerva spreading center (the connection from the triple junction to the Cook Fracture Zone, which accommodated coeval opening of the Norfolk Basin), are resolved with multibeam bathymetry and magnetics. The South Fiji Basin opened from about 34 to 15 Ma in an anticlockwise sweep about an Euler pole located at the northern end of the present Lau Ridge. This rotation and a rigidly straight southeastward motion of the Three Kings Ridge were accommodated by the configuration of the triple junction changing from ridge-fault-fault to ridge-ridge-fault to ridge-ridge-ridge. During this evolution the southeastern arm of the system, the Julia Fracture Zone, underwent several transformations and the Cook-Minerva spreading center experienced repeated ridge jumps. The kinematics of the northern South Fiji Basin dictate, to a large extent, the evolution of the southern South Fiji Basin and the Norfolk Basin. This in turn leads to the interpretation of a complex trench-trench-double transform fault framework at the northern New Zealand margin, which explains most aspects of the geology, structure, and arc volcanic history of the margin and provides a radical new setting for the origin of the Northland Allochthon.
Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems (1525-2027) (Amer Geophysical Union), 2011-02 , Vol. 12 , N. Q02004 , P. 1-20

Droits : 2011 American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00030/14112/11362.pdf
DOI:10.1029/2010GC003291
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00030/14112/

Éditeur(s) : Gauthier-Villars
Résumé : Over 400,000 km of low level aeromagnetic data were collected by US Navy research organization over the Arctic Basin and Greenland-Norwegian Sea during the years 1972 to 1978. These data provide new constraints on the crustal structure and tectonic evolution of this vast region. Magnetic anomalies over continental fragments (Lomonosov Ridge and Chukchi Borderland) are irregular, with local short-wavelength features indicating relatively shallow basement. Sea-floor spreading between Scandinavia and Greenland commenced about 58 m.y.b.p. during the reversed period preceding anomaly 24. Spreading between the Lomonosov Ridge and Eurasia also began at this time or possibly somewhat earlier. An extinct spreading axis in the Canada Basin is indicated by gravity and magnetic data.
Oceanologica Acta, Special issue (0399-1784) (Gauthier-Villars), 1981

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00245/35663/34171.pdf
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00245/35663/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Guadeloupe Island (West French Indies) is one of the twenty islands that compose the Lesser Antilles Arc, which results from the subduction of the Atlantic Ocean plate beneath the Caribbean one. The island lies in a complex volcano-tectonic system and the need to understand its geological context has led to numerous on- and offshore geophysical investigations. This work presents the compilation and processing of available, on-land, airborne and marine, gravity and magnetic data acquired during the last 40 years on Guadeloupe Islands and at the scale of the Lesser Antilles Arc. The overall dataset provides new Bouguer and reduced to the pole magnetic anomaly maps at the highest achievable resolution. Regionally, the main central negative gravity trend of the arc allows defining two subsident areas. The first one is parallel to the arc direction (~N160°E) to the north, whereas the second unexpected southern one is oriented parallel to oceanic ridges (N130°E). Along the Outer Arc, the long wavelength positive anomaly is interpreted, at least along the Karukera Spur, as an up-rise of the volcanic basement in agreement with the seismic studies. To the NE of Guadeloupe, the detailed analysis of the geophysical anomalies outlines a series of structural discontinuities consistent with the main bathymetric morphologies, and in continuity of the main fault systems already reported in this area. Based on geophysical evidences, this large scale deformation and faulting of the Outer Arc presumably primarily affects the Atlantic subducting plate and secondarily deforms the upper Caribbean plate and the accretion prism. At the scale of Guadeloupe Island, joined gravity and magnetic modeling has been initiated based on existing interpretation of old seismic refraction profiles, with a general structure in three main layers. According to our geophysical anomalies, additional local structures are also modeled in agreement with geological observations: i) the gravity and magnetic signals confirm an up-rise of the volcanic basement below the limestone platforms outcropping on Grande-Terre Island ; ii) the ancient volcanic complexes of Basse-Terre Island are modeled with high density and reverse magnetized formations; iii) the recent volcanic centre is associated with formations consistent with the low measured density and the underlying hydrothermal system. The EW models coherently image a NNW-SSE depression structure in half-graben beneath Basse-Terre Island, its western scarp following the arc direction in agreement with bathymetric and seismic studies to the north of the island. The so-defined depressed area, and particularly its opening in half-graben toward the SW, is interpreted as the present-day front of deformation of the upper plate associated with the recent volcanic activity on and around Guadeloupe. Based on this regional deformation model, perspectives are given for further integrated investigation of key targets to address the internal structure and evolution of the Lesser Antilles Arc and Guadeloupe volcanic system.
Colloque 2012 du Comité National Français de Géodésie et Géophysique (CNFGG)
Clermont-Ferrand, France

hal-00742653
https://hal-brgm.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00742653
https://hal-brgm.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00742653/document
https://hal-brgm.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00742653/file/CNFGG_Caraibes.pdf

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Société géologique de France
Résumé : International audience
Guadeloupe island (West French Indies) is one of the twenty islands that compose the Lesser Antilles arc, which results from the subduction of the Atlantic ocean plate beneath the Caribbean one. The island lies in a complex volcano-tectonic system and the need to understand its geological context has led to numerous on- and offshore geophysical investigations. This work presents a compilation and the processing of available, on-land, airborne and marine, gravity and magnetic data acquired during the last 40 years on Guadeloupe islands and at the scale of the Lesser Antilles arc. The overall dataset provides new Bouguer and reduced to the pole magnetic anomaly maps at the highest achievable resolution. Regionally, the main central negative gravity trend of the arc allows defining two subsident areas. The first one is parallel to the arc direction (~N160°E) to the north, whereas the second unexpected southern one is oriented parallel to oceanic ridges (N130°E). Along the Outer arc, the long wavelength positive anomaly is interpreted, at least along the Karukera spur, as an up-rise of the volcanic basement in agreement with the seismic studies. To the NE of Guadeloupe, the detailed analysis of the geophysical anomalies outlines a series of structural discontinuities consistent with the main bathymetric morphologies, and in continuity of the main fault systems already reported in this area. Based on geophysical evidences, this large scale deformation and faulting of the Outer arc presumably primarily affects the Atlantic subducting plate and secondarily deforms the upper Caribbean plate and the accretion prism, as evidenced in bathymetry as well as on the islands. At the scale of Guadeloupe island, combined gravity and magnetic modeling has been initiated based on existing interpretation of old seismic refraction profiles, with a general structure in three main layers. According to our geophysical anomalies, additional local structures are also modeled in agreement with geological observations: i) the gravity and magnetic signals confirm an up-rise of the volcanic basement below the limestone platforms outcropping on Grande-Terre island ; ii) the ancient volcanic complexes of Basse-Terre island are modeled with high density and reverse magnetized formations; iii) the recent volcanic centre is associated with formations consistent with the low measured density and the underlying hydrothermal system. The E-W models coherently image a NNW-SSE depression structure in half-graben beneath Basse-Terre island, its western scarp following the arc direction in agreement with bathymetric and seismic studies to the north of the island. The so-defined depressed area, and particularly its opening in half-graben toward the SW, is interpreted as the present-day front of deformation of the upper plate, associated with the recent volcanic activity on and around Guadeloupe. Based on this regional deformation model, perspectives are given for further integrated investigation of key targets to address the internal structure and evolution of the Lesser Antilles arc and Guadeloupe volcanic system.
EISSN: 1777-5817

hal-00853352
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00853352
DOI : 10.2113/gssgfbull.184.1-2.77

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Evidence of anomalous volcanism is readily observed in the Gulf of Aden, although, much of this oceanic basin remains as yet unmapped. In this paper, we investigate the possible connection of the Afar hotspot with a major off-axis volcanic structure and its interpretation as a consequence of a the anomalous presence of melt by integrating several data sets, both published and unpublished, from the Encens-Sheba cruise, the Aden New Century (ANC) cruise and several other onshore and marine surveys. These include bathymetric, gravity, magnetic, magneto-telluric data, and rock samples. Based upon these observations, interpretations were made of seafloor morphology, gravity and magnetic models, seafloor age, geochemical analyses and tectonic setting. We discuss the possible existence of a regional melting anomaly in the Gulf of Aden area and of the probability of its connection to the Afar plume. Several models that might explain the anomalous volcanism are taken into account, such as a local melting anomaly unrelated to the Afar plume, an anomalously large volume of melt associated with seafloor spreading, and interaction of the ridge with the Afar plume. A local melting anomaly and atypical seafloor spreading prove inconsistent with our observations. Two previously proposed models of plume-ridge interactions are examined: the diffuse plume dispersion called pancaked flow and channelized along-axis flow. We conclude that the configuration and structure of this young ocean basin may have the effect of channeling material away from the Afar plume along the Aden and Sheba Ridges to produce the off-axis volcanism observed on the ridge flanks. This interpretation implies that the influence of the Afar hotspot may extend much farther eastwards into the Gulf of Aden than previously believed. The segmentation of the Gulf of Aden and the configuration of the Aden-Sheba system may provide a potential opportunity to study channeled flow of solid plume mantle from the plume along a segmented ridge and nearby continental margins.
ISSN: 0012-821X

hal-00486140
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00486140
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2010.02.036

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
This paper provides a synthesis of current data and interpretations on the crustal structure of the Pyrenean-Cantabrian orogenic belt, and presents new tectonic models for representative transects. The Pyrenean orogeny lasted from Santonian (~84 Ma) to early Miocene times (~20 Ma), and consisted of a spatial and temporal succession of oceanic crust/exhumed mantle subduction, rift inversion and continental collision processes at the Iberia-Eurasia plate boundary. A good coverage by active-source (vertical-incidence and wide-angle reflection) and passive-source (receiver functions) seismic studies, coupled with surface data have led to a reasonable knowledge of the present-day crustal architecture of the Pyrenean-Cantabrian belt, although questions remain. Seismic imaging reveals a persistent structure, from the central Pyrenees to the central Cantabrian Mountains, consisting of a wedge of Eurasian lithosphere indented into the thicker Iberian plate, whose lower crust is detached and plunges northwards into the mantle. For the Pyrenees, a new scheme of relationships between the southern upper crustal thrust sheets and the Axial Zone is here proposed. For the Cantabrian belt, the depth reached by the N-dipping Iberian crust and the structure of the margin are also revised.The common occurrence of lherzolite bodies in the northern Pyrenees and the seismic velocity and potential field record of the Bay of Biscay indicate that the precursor of the Pyrenees was a hyperextended and strongly segmented rift system, where narrow domains of exhumed mantle separated the thinned Iberian and Eurasian continental margins since the Albian-Cenomanian. The exhumed mantle in the Pyrenean rift was largely covered by a Mesozoic sedimentary lid that had locally glided along detachments in Triassic evaporites. Continental margin collision in the Pyrenees was preceded by subduction of the exhumed mantle, accompanied by the pop-up thrust expulsion of the off-scraped sedimentary lid above. To the west, oceanic subduction of the Bay of Biscay under the North Iberian margin is supported by an upper plate thrust wedge, gravity and magnetic anomalies, and 3D inclined sub-crustal reflections. However, discrepancies remain for the location of continent-ocean transitions in the Bay of Biscay and for the extent of oceanic subduction. The plate-kinematic evolution during the Mesozoic, which involves issues as the timing and total amount of opening, as well as the role of strike-slip drift, is also under debate, discrepancies arising from first-order interpretations of the adjacent oceanic magnetic anomaly record.
ISSN: 0040-1951

insu-01683989
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01683989
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01683989/document
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01683989/file/teixell-tectono-2018.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2018.01.009