Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : We present results from multibeam bathymetric data acquired during 2005 and 2006, in the region of maximum slip of the 26 Dec. 2004 earthquake (Mw 9.2). These data provide high-resolution images of seafloor morphology of the entire NW Sumatra forearc from the Sunda trench to the submarine volcanic arc just north of Sumatra. A slope gradient analysis of the combined dataset accurately highlights those portions of the seafloor shaped by active tectonic, depositional and/or erosional processes. The greatest slope gradients are located in the frontal 30 km of the forearc, at the toe of the accretionary wedge. This suggests that long-term deformation rates are highest here and that probably only minor amounts of slip are accommodated by other thrust faults further landward. Obvious N-S oriented lineaments observed on the incoming oceanic plate are aligned sub-parallel to the fracture zones associated with the Wharton fossil spreading center. Active strike-slip motion is suggested by recent deformation with up to 20-30 m of vertical offset. The intersection of these N-S elongated bathymetric scarps with the accretionary wedge partly controls the geometry of thrust anticlines and the location of erosional features (e.g. slide scars, canyons) at the wedge toe. Our interpretation suggests that these N-S lineaments have a significant impact on the oceanic plate, the toe of the wedge and further landward in the wedge. Finally, the bathymetric data indicate that folding at the front of the accretionary wedge occurs primarily along landward-vergent (seaward-dipping) thrusts, all unusual style in accretionary wedges worldwide. The N-S elongated lineaments locally act as boundaries between zones with predominant seaward versus landward vergence.
Earth and Planetary Science Letters (0012-821X) (Elsevier), 2008-11 , Vol. 275 , N. 3-4 , P. 201-210

Droits : 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2008/publication-5166.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.epsl.2008.04.053
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/5166/

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
Résumé : This work addresses a study of geodynamics in Armenia, a country located in the central part of the zone of continental collision between the Arabian and Eurasian lithosphere plates. The work includes two main parts: study of recent deformations of the lithosphere by means of GPS and detailed paleoseismological and morphometric investigations in the zone of the Artanish-Tskhouk segment of the PSSF. We analyze and compare rates of deformation determined by the GPS data and the rates estimated by the paleoseismological and morphometric studies. The Armenian-French network of GPS observations was installed in Armenia in 1998. Three observation sessions were conducted in 1998, 2000 and 2003. Based on the evidence obtained, a detailed study of the velocity field was conducted to analyze lithosphere deformation in Central and Northern Armenia. Slip rates were estimated for the principal active faults in Armenia. Several field works, including paleoseismological, archaeo-seismological, archaeological, geodetic and morphological studies, had been implemented in the zone of the Artanish-Tskhouk segment of the PSSF in 2003-2005. The fault was mapped in detail; rates of main horizontal and vertical slip along the fault were estimated and re-estimated. Four (4) paleo- and archeo-earthquakes were studied and dated. Eventually, the obtained data allowed us to re-estimate slip rates, maximum possible magnitudes and recurrence intervals of strong earthquakes on the Artanish-Tskhouk segment of the PSSF. A technique enabling estimation of horizontal and vertical displacements along strike-slip faults during paleo-earthquakes by the evidence obtained from paleo-seismological trenching was developed.
Les travaux présentés dans ce mémoire sont consacrés à l'étude de la géodynamique du territoire de l'Arménie qui est situé dans la partie centrale de la zone de collision continentale entre les plaques Arabique et Eurasienne. Le mémoire comprend deux parties principales: 1/ l'étude des déformations actuelles par la géodésie GPS; 2/ l'étude paléosismologique et morphométrique détaillée de la zone du segment d'Artanish-Tskhuk de la faille de Pambak-Sevan-Syunik (PSSF). On présente l'analyse et la comparaison des vitesses de déformations estimées par les données de GPS et par les données paléosismologiques et morphométriques. Le réseau d'observations GPS Arméno - Français a été installé en Arménie en septembre 1998. Trois campagnes de mesure du réseau ont été réalisées en 1998, 2000 et 2003. L'analyse détaillée du champ de vitesse à partir des données GPS a permis d'étudier et de quantifier les déformations actuelles de l'Arménie centrale et septentrionale. On a pu estimer les vitesses des déplacements des failles actives principales du territoire de l'Arménie. Un ensemble de travaux sur le terrain comprenant des recherches paléosismologiques, archéosismologiques, archéologiques, géodésiques, et morphologiques a été réalisé entre 2003 et 2005 dans la zone du segment d'Artanish-Tskhuk de la faille de PSSF. La cartographie détaillée de la faille a été réalisée et l'on a estimé et/ou re-estimés les déplacements horizontaux et verticaux le long de la faille. Quatre paléo- et archéoséismes ont été étudiés et datés. À partir des données obtenues, pour le segment d'Artanish-Tskhuk de la faille de PSSF, on a réévalué les vitesses de déplacements, la magnitude maximale possible, et l'intervalle récurrence des séismes forts. Une méthode d'évaluation des déplacements horizontaux et verticaux a été proposée à partir des logs de tranchées sur les failles de décrochements associées à des paléoséismes.
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00551535

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
tel-00551535
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00551535
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00551535/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00551535/file/thesedavtyan2.pdf

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The dating of the uplift onset of the Mongolian mountain ranges, the northernmost relief associated with the India-Eurasia convergence, is a fundamental issue to better understand the mechanisms of propagation of the Cenozoic transpressive deformation in Central Asia. Using apatite fission tracks we determined the timing and strain rates of the tectonics affecting the Gurvan Bogd system, in the Gobi-Altay, since the Middle Mesozoic to the Late Cenozoic. The region was firstly affected by a Lower-Middle Jurassic tectonic phase, characterized by a vertical crustal movement larger than 2 km. Then followed a protracted period without major crustal vertical movements until the last uplift phase. The peneplanation of the Jurassic relief produced an erosional surface that has undergone negligible denudation or sedimentation for more than 100 Ma. This same surface corresponds to the present summit plateaux of the massifs, standing about 2000 m above the surrounding region, which corresponds to the vertical movement produced by the ongoing uplift. Modelling of fission track data from the massifs of Ih Bogd and Baga Bogd shows that this uplift phase probably started at 5 ± 3 Ma. The Gobi-Altay mountain range appears therefore as one of the youngest mountain ranges in Central Asia, which is consistent with the idea of a northward propagation of the transpressional deformation from the Himalayan front to the Siberian craton. The Cenozoic uplift rate of the massifs is estimated to be between 0.25 and 1 mm/yr, which is slightly higher than the upper Pleistocene vertical slip rates of the bordering faults. This suggests that thrust faults observed within the massifs would increase the uplift rate inside the massifs compared to the uplift rate determined at their boundaries.
ISSN: 0012-821X

insu-00191116
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00191116
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2007.04.047

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Transmission electron microscopy observations on olivine crystals deformed at moderate (≤1273 K) temperature evidenced dislocations interactions explaining the hardening observed in the experiments, but also recovery mechanisms by the absorption or emission of point defects. Thus we investigate the possibility that, at geological strain-rates, these recovery processes allow steady-state deformation by dislocation creep at low to moderate temperatures in the lithospheric mantle. We test this hypothesis using a 2.5-D dislocation dynamics (DD) model, which combines dislocation glide and recovery by climb. This model shows that diffusion-controlled recovery processes allow for steady-state deformation by dislocation creep in the lithospheric mantle at stresses <500 MPa. For stresses of 50–200 MPa, steady-state strain-rates of 10−15 s−110−15 s−1 may be attained at temperatures as low as 900 K. Fitting of the DD model produces a flow law, which represents a lower bound for the lithospheric mantle strength, since the models describe the deformation of an olivine single crystal in an easy slip orientation. Comparison of strain-rates and Moho temperatures inferred for different geodynamic environments and the predictions of this model-based flow law implies, nevertheless, that, except in incipient rifts, most of the observed deformation may be produced by stress levels ≤200 MPa, consistent with those inferred to be produced by convection. This convergence suggests that the present models, which explicitly calculate the time-dependent dislocation dynamics, may provide a correct first order estimate of the mechanical behaviour of the lithospheric mantle, which cannot be derived directly from any existing data.
ISSN: 0012-821X

hal-01277178
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01277178
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01277178/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01277178/file/Boioli.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2015.10.012

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Located in central Europe at the junction of the Southern Alps and the Dinarides, the ≈ 100 km long Idrija fault, striking N310 and dipping ≈ 80°NE is often considered as the potential source of the historical 1511 earthquake (estimated macroseismic magnitude: Mm 6.8). Using 1/25,000 to 1/5000 topographical maps, satellite images (SPOT5), 12.5 m illuminated DEM and airborne LiDAR data-derived 1-m-DEM, we examined in detail the Idrija fault trace along a 20-km-long swath in the central portion of the fault. Combining topographic and remote sensing data allows characterizing the recent activity along the Idrija fault and estimating its cumulative displacement along strike.Between Tolmin and Godovič, the fault trace is mostly linear but appears divided into three disconnected segments of 11–20-km-long. Morphological evidences such as offset streams and ridges and major drainage abandonments suggest ongoing movement. At three sites, field observations and LiDAR-DEM analysis allow measuring cumulative dextral offsets comprised between 35 and 65 m. We found two larger offsets of ≈ 140 m and ≈ 360 m at the southeasternmost site. The vertical component is significant and revealed by a rake ranging from 0 to 33°. The derived N303–N310 striking slip-vector is in agreement with the motion along this fault as suggested by the geodesy. Assuming that the smallest measured offsets have been recorded after the last glacial maximum (LGM, about 20 ka ago), the minimum slip-rate for the Idrija fault is about 1.5 mm/yr over this period of time.
ISSN: 0040-1951

hal-01115724
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01115724
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2014.04.043

Éditeur(s) : Elsevier
Résumé : Beach sediment cementation (beachrock formation) is a sedimentary process that can transform significant sections of beaches into rock outcrops. This contribution reports the results of two questionnaire surveys (one focusing on foreign tourists and the other on local people) carried out in coastal resorts of the island of Lesbos (Greece), on the perceptions of beach users regarding the impacts of beachrocks on their recreational activities. The survey focusing on foreign tourists showed that the majority of the interviewees took notice of the formations and commented negatively on them. Although most of the interviewees did not consider beachrocks a significant safety risk, a considerable proportion of the sample stated that beachrocks influenced their beach ratings that they would prefer beachrock-free beaches and would be willing to contribute financially to preventative and protective measures. In contrast, the results of the survey focusing on local people, who are more familiar with the phenomenon, showed a high perception of beachrock-related risks and limited beachrock tolerance. In addition to the safety risks that the irregular, slippery, beachrock surfaces may pose to beach users, beachrocks may also degrade beach aesthetics. promote beach sediment erosion and decrease the beach carrying capacity. As beachrocks are a common attribute of tropical, subtropical and low-temperate beaches that are typically associated with major tourist destinations, and are likely to spread under global warming conditions, they may be considered as a significant threat to the coastal tourist industry. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Tourism Management (0261-5177) (Elsevier), 2009-08 , Vol. 30 , N. 4 , P. 544-552

Droits : 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2009/publication-6625.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.tourman.2008.09.007
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00000/6625/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The interseismic velocity field provided by geodetic methods is generally interpreted in the framework of a thick elastic lithosphere with a slipping fault at depth. Because lateral variations of lithospheric rheology play a key role in determining the geological strain distribution, I examine the idea that interseismic strain rate variations also occur in response to lateral variations in the elastic thickness of the lithosphere. Using a stress balance principle and some simplifying assumptions, I show using a 1D model that elastic thickness is inversely proportional to strain rate for the simple case of pure strike-slip faulting. Elastic thickness computed on three profiles crossing the San Andreas fault system (SAFS) suggests that the distribution of interseismic strain rate is compatible with a thick elastic lithosphere in the Great Basin-Sierra Nevada province and on the Pacific plate. Conversely, a thin plate with a shallow asthenosphere is needed on the SAFS to explain its high strain rate. A 2.5D Finite Element model of interseismic strain in the Carrizo Plain region in Central California shows how known vertical and horizontal variations of elastic properties refine 1D model predictions. In a case of a multiple fault system, I point out that the interseismic velocity is not causally tied to faults slip rate. Therefore, analysing the velocity field across the SAFS cannot reliably provide faults slip rate distribution as previously claimed. Rather, the apparent correlation between geologic slip rate and interseismic strain may only indicate that the elastic thickness plays a dominant role in controlling fault strength. Finally, I suggest that interseismic geodetic strain could be a new way to infer effective elastic plate thickness on the continents.
ISSN: 0012-821X

hal-00412155
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00412155
DOI : 10.1016/j.epsl.2008.01.046

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
We present the 1998-2009 GPS-derived velocity field for the Armenia region based on a survey-mode observation network of 31 GPS sites.We combine our results with previous GPS studies of the region to better assess the deformation of the Lesser Caucasus and Kura basin region. The results show that the Kura basin and the Lesser Caucasus regions are two different blocks, and that the main fault (Pambak-Sevan-Sunik) between these two regions has a right-lateral slip rate of 2±1 mm/yr. This is consistentwithmorphotectonic estimates and suggests a fairly constant slip rate over the last 120-300 ka. The right-lateral slip rate on one of the southern branch of the Pambak-Sevan-Sunik fault is lower than 1 mm/yr and the good agreementwith a geologically estimated slip rate suggests a constant slip rate over the last 1.4 Myr. The Sardarapat and Akhurian faults experience some shortening. This shortening is consistentwith someindependent geological estimates and shows the Arabian push.However, NNW-SSE-orientated faults have an extensional fault normal component instead of the expected shortening due to the Arabia-Eurasia convergence. This substantial extensive strain, and the sharp azimuth change of the velocity vectors between the Arabia promontory and the Lesser Caucasus suggest that processes other than "extrusion", possibly related to old subduction or delamination, contribute to the geodynamics of the region.
ISSN: 0040-1951

hal-00812623
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00812623
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2013.02.002

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : The territory of Armenia was located in the collision zone between Arabia and Eurasia, and is the seat of active intercontinental deformations, which was attested by the many historical earthquakes that have occurred in this region. All these destructive earthquakes show a strong regional seismic activity, and therefore it is important to evaluate the seismic hazard associated with active structures that generates this seismicity.This study presents the results of the analysis of the active tectonics within the northwestern and southeastern extensions of the Pambak-Sevan-Syunik fault (PSSF), a major right-lateral strike-slip fault cutting through Armenia (NW - SE). Quantifying the deformations in terms of geometry, kinematics, slip rates and earthquake activity, using cosmogenic 3He, OSL/IRSL and radiocarbon dating techniques, reveal different behaviors between the two regions.Within the northwestern extension, in the region of Amassia, the PSSF bends to the west and splits into two main WNW-ESE trending reverse faults defining a compressional pop-up structure. We estimate an uplift rate and a shortening rate of 0.5 ± 0.1 mm/y and 1.4 ± 0.6 mm/y, respectively. This suggests that most of the ~2 mm/y right lateral movement of the PSSF seems to be absorbed within the Amasia pop-structure.Within the southeastern extension, in the region of Tsghuk volcano, the PSSF shows signs of dying out at the southernmost tip of the Syunik graben. A very slow NS trending normal faulting associated with a slight right-lateral movement characterizes the tectonic activity in the region of Tsghuk volcano. We estimate vertical slip rates, EW stretching rate, and right-lateral slip rate of ~0.2 mm/y, ~0.1 mm/y and ~0.05 mm/y, respectively. These results lead to the conclusion that the right lateral movement observed further north along the PSSF is mainly transferred within other active faults further west within the Karabagh (Hagari fault or other structures further northwestwards).
L’Arménie se situe dans la zone de collision entre Arabie et Eurasie et est le siège d’une déformation intracontinental active comme l’atteste les nombreux tremblements de terre historiques qui s’y sont produits. Tous ces séismes, destructeurs, attestent d’une forte activité sismique régionale, et il est par conséquent important d'évaluer l’aléa sismique associé aux structures actives qui génère cette sismicité.Le travail présenté ici, expose les résultats de l’analyse de la tectonique active au niveau des terminaisons nord-ouest et sud-est de la faille de Pambak-Sevan-Syunik (PSSF), une des failles décrochant majeure qui traverse l'Arménie du NW au SE. La quantification des déformations en termes de géométrie, cinématique, vitesse de glissement et paléosismicité, en utilisant les méthodes de datation 3He cosmogénique, OSL/IRSL et radiocarbone, révèlent des comportements différents entre les deux régions.Au niveau de la terminaison nord-ouest, dans la région d’Amassia, la faille PSSF s’incurve vers l'ouest et se subdivise en deux branches de direction WNW-ESE, et de cinématique inverse, définissant une structure en pop-up. Nous estimons une vitesse de soulèvement de 0.5 ± 0.1 mm/an et une vitesse de raccourcissement NNE-SSW de 1.4 ± 0.6 mm/an. Ces résultats suggère que l’essentiel des ~2 mm/an de mouvement dextre estimés le long de la faille de PSSF sont absorbés au niveau du pop-up d’Amassia.Au niveau de la terminaison sud-est, dans la région du volcan Tsghuk, la faille PSSF semble disparaitre. Le peu d’activité tectonique est caractérisée par des failles normales sub-méridiennes associées à une légère composante décrochant dextre. Nous déterminons une vitesse de glissement vertical de ~0,2 mm/an, une vitesse d’extension ~EW de ~0,1 mm/an associée à une composante dextre de ~0,05 mm/an. Ces résultats suggèrent que le mouvement dextre observé le long de la faille de PSSF plus au nord, a été transféré sur d'autres failles plus à l'ouest dans le Karabakh (faille Hagari ou autres structures situés encore plus au NW).
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01621440

NNT : 2016MONTT152
tel-01621440
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01621440
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01621440v2/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01621440/file/2016_MKRTCHYAN_archivage.pdf

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union (AGU) American Geophysical Union
Résumé : International audience
GPS data reveal that the Brahmaputra Valley has broken from the Indian Plate and rotates clockwise relative to India about a point a few hundred kilometers west of the Shillong Plateau. The GPS velocity vectors define two distinct blocks separated by the Kopili fault upon which 2–3 mm/yr of dextral slip is observed: the Shillong block between longitudes 89 and 93°E rotating clockwise at 1.15°/Myr and the Assam block from 93.5°E to 97°E rotating at ≈1.13°/Myr. These two blocks are more than 120 km wide in a north-south sense, but they extend locally a similar distance beneath the Himalaya and Tibet. A result of these rotations is that convergence across the Himalaya east of Sikkim decreases in velocity eastward from 18 to ≈12 mm/yr and convergence between the Shillong Plateau and Bangladesh across the Dauki fault increases from 3 mm/yr in the west to >8 mm/yr in the east. This fast convergence rate is inconsistent with inferred geological uplift rates on the plateau (if a 45°N dip is assumed for the Dauki fault) unless clockwise rotation of the Shillong block has increased substantially in the past 4–8 Myr. Such acceleration is consistent with the reported recent slowing in the convergence rate across the Bhutan Himalaya. The current slip potential near Bhutan, based on present-day convergence rates and assuming no great earthquake since 1713 A.D., is now ~5.4 m, similar to the slip reported from alluvial terraces that offsets across the Main Himalayan Thrust and sufficient to sustain a Mw ≥ 8.0 earthquake in this area.
ISSN: 0148-0227

hal-01115084
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01115084
DOI : 10.1002/2014JB011196

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
I use GPS interseismic velocities and classic 2D elastic half-space models with a screw dislocation to estimate the long-term fault slip rate, locking depth, and the offset between the surface fault trace and the location of the dislocation below the seismogenic zone for 13 segments along 8 major strike-slip faults. Using deduced strike-slip rates and the position of the dislocation to normalize the interseismic velocities to facilitate comparison of spatial patterns of deformation, I show that no substantial differences can be detected, ruling out a large asymmetry in interseismic velocities across the 8 faults used in this study. Only the Carrizo Plain segment of the San Andreas Fault shows a significant asymmetry that cannot be explained by shifting the position of the dislocation at depth relative to the fault trace. However, the resulting perturbation is less than 10% of total strike-slip rate. Fault traces are usually curved, defining a concave side. When the dislocation at depth is significantly offset from the fault trace, the shift is always toward the block on the concave side of the fault trace. This suggests that the fault zone in the lower crust may develop a simpler geometry more consistent with relative motion across the fault than its upper seismogenic part constrained by the structural complexity of the brittle crust. Since the faults used in this study are at different times in their interseismic period, comparing the interseismic velocity fields across them allows identification of possible variations of the interseismic velocities with time. When normalized by slip rate and dislocation location, all the faults show the same interseismic strain with no significant differences between deduced locking depths. These comparisons suggest that if temporal variations occur as suggested by some dynamic earthquake cycle models, they are small and below the accuracy of the available geodetic measurements.
ISSN: 0040-1951

hal-01171753
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01171753
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2015.01.013

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union
Résumé : International audience
Previous estimates of the geodetic and geologic slip rates of the 1500 km long Altyn Tagh fault bordering the northern edge of the Tibetan plateau vary by a factor of five. Proposed reasons for these discrepancies include poor GPS geometry, interpretative errors in terrace morphology, and changes in fault slip rate over time. Here we present results from a new dense GPS array orthogonal to the fault at ~86.2°E that indicates a velocity of 9.0−3.2/+4.4 mm/yr, in close agreement with geomorphologic estimates at the same location. Our estimated geodetic slip rate is consistent with recent geological slip rates based on terrace offsets. The resulting mean combined geological and geodetic slip rate (9.0 ± 4.0 mm/yr) is remarkably uniform for the central ~800 km of the Altyn Tagh fault, significantly lower than early kinematic estimates and consistent with deformation elsewhere in Tibet and central Asia.
ISSN: 0094-8276

hal-00963568
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00963568
DOI : 10.1002/2013GL057497

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Tectonically controlled landforms develop morphologic features that provide useful markers to investigate crustal deformation and relief growth dynamics. In this paper, we present results of morphotectonic experiments obtained with an innovative approach combining tectonic and surface processes (erosion, transport, and sedimentation), coupled with accurate model monitoring techniques. This approach allows for a qualitative and quantitative analysis of landscape evolution in response to active deformation in the three end-member geological settings: compression, extension, and strike–slip.Experimental results outline first that experimental morphologies evolve significantly at a short time scale. Numerous morphologic markers form continuously, but their lifetime is generally short because erosion and sedimentation processes tend to destroy or bury them. For the compressional setting, the formation of terraces above an active thrust appears mainly controlled by narrowing and incision of the main channel through the uplifting hanging-wall and by avulsion of deposits on fan-like bodies. Terrace formation is irregular even under steady tectonic rates and erosional conditions. Terrace deformation analysis allows retrieving the growth history of the structure and the fault slip rate evolution. For the extensional setting, the dynamics of hanging-wall sedimentary filling appears to control the position of the base level, which in turn controls footwall erosion. Two phases of relief evolution can be evidenced: the first is a phase of relief growth, and the second is a phase of upstream propagation of topographic equilibrium that is reached first in the sedimentary basin. During the phase of relief growth, the formation of triangular facets occurs by degradation of the fault scarp, and their geometry (height) becomes stationary during the phase of upstream propagation of the topographic equilibrium. For the strike–slip setting, the complex morphology of the wrench zone, composed of several interacting fault segments, enhances the interactions with the drainage network. Because of the widening of the main fault zone toward the surface, a significant amount of distributed deformation is observed along the wrench zone. Locally, where two terminations of fault segments interact, less than a quarter of the far field displacement can remain measurable using fault offsets, leading to a systematic underestimation of the real fault slip rate.These different experimental examples illustrate the great potential of the approach coupling deformation mechanisms and erosion–transport–sedimentation processes to investigate qualitatively and quantitatively the morphotectonic evolution of tectonically controlled landscapes.
ISSN: 0169-555X

hal-01243587
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01243587
DOI : 10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.02.011

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Résumé : The role of the Karakorum fault zone (KFZ) is debated. South of 33°N, ongoing dextral-oblique slip along the SW edge of the Gar basin exhumes metamorphic and magmatic rocks of the Ayilari range. Minerals have recorded a continuum of deformation from temperatures >600–400°C down to <250_C. The 40Ar/39Ar ages, the oldest being 21.2 ± 1.0 Ma, yield minimum estimates for the initiation of the KFZ. These are in agreement with the U-Th/Pb ages constraining the onset of deformation at ca 25–22 Ma. Thermochronologic results show slow cooling for the period ca 21– 14 Ma, followed by rapid cooling between 14 and 4 Ma. These data demonstrate that right-lateral motion was in progress in the early Miocene and that shear continued at least until 4 Ma, pointing to >20 Ma of deformation along the fault. Greenschist facies deformation superimposed upon the medium- to high-grade deformation marks a kinematic change from pure dextral to dextral-normal motion associated with the onset of rapid cooling. At the regional scale, the coexistence of transtension in the Gar basin with transpression documented along the Pangong range farther north suggests another example of the ‘‘zipper tectonics'' model developed along the Red River fault. The kinematic shift induced the rise of the Ayilari range starting at 16–12 Ma and the incision of major river courses. The Indus River might have become captive of the relief at this time. The river's 120 km of apparent offset implies dextral motion at a long-term rate of ca 8.5 ± 1.5 mm/yr.
ISSN: 0278-7407

hal-00197561
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00197561
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00197561/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00197561/file/Valli_Karakorum_thermochron_Tectonics_07_pre_print.pdf
DOI : 10.1029/2005TC001913

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP): Policy P - Oxford Open Option A Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
While the kinematics of Anatolia plate and the North Anatolian Fault System (NAFS) has been studied extensively, the slip rate and locking depth along the NAFS are usually assumed constant in the analyses due to the lack of sufficient data. This is also partly due to the reasonably good fit of Euler small circle and partly due to the lack of spatial resolution of observations to determine slip rates independently from locking depths. On the other hand, recent geodetic studies show a contrast for locking depth between Marmara and other parts of the NAFS, implying a non-uniform locking depth across the NAFS. In this study, we analyse new GPS data and homogenously combine available data sets covering the eastern part of the NAFS to form the most complete data set. In particular, we incorporate the first results of Turkish Real-Time Kinematic GPS Network (CORS-TR) into our data set. A detailed analysis of three profiles within the NAFS reveals an increase of locking depth in the middle profile to 19.1 ± 3.4 km from 11.9 ± 3.5 km in the easternmost profile while the slip rate is nearly constant (20–22 mm yr−1), which implies a variation of strain rate of ∼100 nanostrain yr−1. Assuming a constant locking depth throughout whole NAFS gives an average locking depth of 14.3 ± 1.7 km. Our best estimates of slip rates in block modelling which takes the variation of locking depths into account are in the range between 22.5 and 22.8 mm yr−1 over eastern part of the NAFS.
ISSN: 0956-540X

hal-01218392
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01218392
DOI : 10.1093/gji/ggv274

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : In order to identify and quantify the Rif (Morocco) present-day deformation, especially those related to active faults (location, geometry, kinematic), we perform a morphotectonic study. The studied area and faults are located in the Northern part (conjugate faults of Al-Hoceima Bay: Trougout, Boujibar and Rouadi), the Eastern part (Nekor fault) and the Southern part of the chain (Rif frontal thrust between Fes and Meknes cities).Morphotectonic tools (DEMs at different scales, satellite and aerial pictures), field studies and Quaternary dating methods (U/Th, OSL, 14C and in-situ cosmogenic isotopes 10Be, 3He, 36Cl) allow us to characterize transtensional deformation in the Northern Rif. Horizontal and vertical slip rates along the N-S-oriented Trougout major fault are ~1.6 mm/yr and ~2 mm/yr respectively. In the Southern part, the Rif frontal thrust shows a shortening rate of ~1.8 mm/yr into Fes and Meknes area. In the Eastern part, the deformation is focused on the Nekor left-lateral strike-slip major fault with ~1.5 mm/yr. Incision features and raised marine terraces involve an uplift of the chain about ~0.2 mm/yr. The overall deformation in the Rif seems to be continuous since the Messinian-Pliocene time.These new morphotectonic constraints are consistent with the GPS measurements showing southwestward overall motion of most of the Rif belt with respect to stable Africa, associated to clockwise rotation. Finally, we propose a geodynamic model in which the Rif, the Alboran sea and the Betics belong to a single microplate bounded by the strike-slip faults of the Betics on the North, the Rif frontal thrust on the South, the Nekor and TASZ (Trans Alboran Shear Zone) strike-slip faults on the East and North-East, and the western Rif folded structures on the West.
L'objectif de cette étude est d'identifier et de quantifier les déformations actuelles dans la chaine du Rif (Maroc), notamment celles associées aux failles actives (localisation, géométrie, cinématique). Pour ce faire, nous mettons en œuvre pour la première fois dans cette région, une approche morphotectonique. Les sites et failles sélectionnés et étudiés se situent dans la partie Nord (les failles conjuguées de la baie d'Al-Hoceima: Trougout, Boujibar et Rouadi), l'Est (la faille de Nékor) et le Sud (front chevauchant sud rifain entre Fes et Meknes).A partir des outils de la morphotectonique (MNTs à différentes résolutions, images satellitaires, photographies aériennes), d'analyses de terrain et grâce aux méthodes de datation du Quaternaire (U/Th, OSL, 14C et isotopes cosmogéniques produits in-situ 10Be, 3He, 36Cl), cette étude met en évidence et quantifie une déformation transtensive dans la partie Nord de la chaine. Les vitesses de glissement horizontales et verticales le long de la faille principale d'orientation méridienne de Trougout sont de ~1.6 mm/an et ~2 mm/an, respectivement. Dans la partie Sud, nous montrons que le front rifain entre Fez et Meknes est actif avec une vitesse de raccourcissement de ~1.8 mm/an. La déformation dans la région Est se localise principalement sur la faille du Nékor avec une vitesse décrochante senestre de ~1.5 mm/an. Par ailleurs, la présence de nombreuses figures d'incision et de surfaces marines soulevées au niveau du littoral Nord témoignent d'une surrection généralisée de la chaine de l'ordre de ~0.2 mm/an. L'ensemble de cette déformation semble être constante depuis la période du Messino-Pliocène. Ces résultats sont cohérents avec les données GPS qui montrent un déplacement de ~5mm/an vers le SW de l'ensemble du Rif associé à un mouvement rotatif horaire, dans le référentiel Afrique stable. D'un point de vue géodynamique, nous proposons que le Rif, la mer d'Alboran et les Bétiques appartiennent à une même microplaque limitée au Nord par les failles décrochantes des Bétiques, au Sud par le chevauchement rifain, à l'Est et au Nord-Est par les failles décrochantes de Nékor et de la TASZ (Trans Alboran Shear Zone) et à l'Ouest par les structures plissées bordières du Rif.
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01170466

NNT : 2014MON20105
tel-01170466
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01170466
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01170466v2/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01170466/file/41875_POUJOL_2014_archivage_cor.pdf

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Ocean Drilling Programm
Résumé : This paper provides a summary of postcruise scientific results from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 209 available to date, building upon shipboard observations and syntheses summarized in the Leg 209 Initial Results volume. During Leg 209, 19 holes were drilled at 8 sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge from 14°43´ to 15°44´N, mainly in residual mantle peridotite intruded by gabbroic rocks, in order to understand the tectonic and structural processes responsible for formation of oceanic lithosphere with abundant residual peridotite exposed on the seafloor coupled with a relatively low proportion of volcanic rocks. Based on proportions of recovered lithologies, the entire area may be underlain by mantle peridotite with ~20%–40% gabbroic intrusions and impregnations. Impregnated peridotites with olivine + two pyroxenes + plagioclase + spinel that apparently formed in equilibrium probably record crystallization from primitive mid-ocean-ridge basalt at pressures of 0.5–0.6 GPa. Metamorphic equilibria record isobaric cooling to ~1100°C at this pressure. Thus, the conductively cooled thermal boundary layer beneath the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in this region is >15 km thick. Combined crystallization and reaction with residual peridotite formed a series of impregnated peridotites recording increasing Na content at nearly constant Mg#; this process could explain some of the variation in fractionation-corrected Na (e.g., Na = 8.0) observed in mid-ocean-ridge basalts. Clinopyroxene textures and compositions record such impregnation processes, and they are particularly well documented for Site 1274. Other Leg 209 gabbroic rocks formed from extensive crystallization of highly evolved melts, indicating that a substantial proportion of melt entering the thermal boundary layer crystallizes entirely beneath the seafloor, with no volcanic equivalent. Alteration of peridotites occurred over a range of temperatures and is the result of three distinct processes: rock-dominated serpentinization with formation of brucite in olivine-rich lithologies, fluid-dominated serpentinization with formation of magnetite and no brucite, and fluid-dominated talc alteration with addition of SiO2 as well as H2O and oxygen. The latter two processes also exhibit detectable trace element metasomatism that is distinct in its character from the igneous impregnation described in the previous paragraph. Microstructures show that most residual peridotites were not ductilely deformed at temperatures less than ~1200°C. Structural and paleomagnetic data require tectonic rotations of relatively undeformed blocks; some rotations probably exceeded 60° around nearly horizontal axes parallel to the rift axis. Rotations occurred along several generations of high-temperature mylonitic shear zones extending deeper than 15 km depth and numerous faults at lower temperature. Early formed shear zones and faults were passively rotated around later features; such a process could have produced low-angle fault surfaces without slip on low-angle faults. This region provides end-member examples of processes that are common at many or most slow-spreading ridges. Osmium isotope ratios indicate an ancient history of depletion for residual peridotites from the 14°–16°N region along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Though depleted Os isotope ratios in peridotite have been reported elsewhere along the global ridge system, the values from this region are among the most depleted. In general, Os isotope ratios from mid-ocean-ridge basalts are systematically more radiogenic than Os isotope ratios from ridge peridotite samples, suggesting a polygenetic heterogeneous source for mid-ocean-ridge basalts. Geochemical studies of zircons from Leg 209 gabbroic rocks and impregnated peridotites, together with other ridge and arc-related zircons, indicate that ridge zircons have systematically lower fractionation-corrected U and Th concentrations compared to arc zircons. This observation provides a tool for interpreting the tectonic provenance of ancient detrital zircons and indicates an arclike provenance for Hadean detrital zircons. Geobiological studies and aerobiological studies were also undertaken during Leg 209. The geobiological work found no measurable microbial enhancement of olivine dissolution rate, possibly because the samples from Leg 209 were sterile. The aerobiological study determined that dust from North Africa, collected from the derrick of the JOIDES Resolution during Leg 209, contains a variety of abundant microorganisms.
Proceedings ODP, scientific results, 209

hal-00407966
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00407966
DOI : 10.2973/odp.proc.sr.209.001.2007

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Techno-Press
Résumé : Fractures and faults riddle the Earth’s crust on all scales, and the deformation associated with them is presumed to have had significant effects on its petrological and structural evolution. However, despite the abundance of directly observable earthquake activity, unequivocal evidence for seismic slip rates along ancient faults is rare and usually related to frictional melting and the formation of pseudotachylites. We report novel microstructures from garnet crystals in the immediate vicinity of seismic slip planes that transected lower crustal granulites during intermediate-depth earthquakes in the Bergen Arcs area, western Norway, some 420 million years ago. Seismic loading caused massive dislocation formations and fragmentation of wall rock garnets. Microfracturing and the injection of sulfide melts occurred during an early stage of loading. Subsequent dilation caused pervasive transport of fluids into the garnets along a network of microfractures, dislocations, and subgrain and grain boundaries, leading to the growth of abundant mineral inclusions inside the fragmented garnets. Recrystallization by grain boundary migration closed most of the pores and fractures generated by the seismic event. This wall rock alteration represents the initial stages of an earthquake-triggered metamorphic transformation process that ultimately led to reworking of the lower crust on a regional scale.
ISSN: 2287-528X

hal-01553309
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01553309
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01553309/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01553309/file/austrheim2017.pdf
DOI : 10.1126/sciadv.1602067

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
We present evidence that GPS velocity estimates of plate motions and fault slip rates agree to within uncertainties with geologic estimates during the most recent phase of the geologic evolution of the E Mediterranean region (post-Late Miocene). On this basis, we use the GPS differential velocities to estimate the timing of initiation of the principal structures in NW Turkey, the N Aegean Sea, and central Greece, including, the Marmara Sea, the Gulfs of Evia (GoE) and Corinth (GoC). and the Kephalonia Transform fault (KTF). We interpret these ages to indicate that the North Anatolian fault propagated across the N Aegean, opening the GoE and GoC and initiating the KTF, during the past 1-4 Ma. We further suggest that Aegean extension that was earlier more distributed across the Aegean Basin became focused on this new fault system allowing the southern Aegean and Peloponnisos to translate SW with little internal deformation, as observed today with GPS. This change in tectonic configuration may account for the clear geologic evidence for crustal thinning throughout the S Aegean in apparent contradiction with low present-day strain rates. We further show that the low present-day strain rate along the southern edge of the Aegean micro-plate requires substantial aseismic slip along the plate interface below Crete, consistent with the low level of historic, subduction-type earthquakes along this segment of the subduction zone.
ISSN: 0040-1951

hal-00512634
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00512634
DOI : 10.1016/j.tecto.2009.05.027