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Journal Article

Kinematics of footwall exhumation at oceanic detachment faults:solid‐block rotation and apparent unbending

Authors
/persons/resource/dansand

Sandifort,  Daniel
2.5 Geodynamic Modelling, 2.0 Geophysics, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

/persons/resource/brune

Brune,  Sascha
2.5 Geodynamic Modelling, 2.0 Geophysics, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

/persons/resource/acglerum

Glerum,  A.
2.5 Geodynamic Modelling, 2.0 Geophysics, Departments, GFZ Publication Database, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum;

Naliboff,  John
External Organizations;

Whittaker,  Joanne M.
External Organizations;

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Fulltext (public)

5006331.pdf
(Publisher version), 4MB

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Citation

Sandifort, D., Brune, S., Glerum, A., Naliboff, J., Whittaker, J. M. (2021): Kinematics of footwall exhumation at oceanic detachment faults:solid‐block rotation and apparent unbending. - Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems (G3), 22, 4, e2021GC009681.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GC009681


Cite as: https://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/item_5006331
Abstract
Sea‐floor spreading at slow rates can be accommodated on large‐offset oceanic detachment faults (ODFs), that exhume lower crustal and mantle rocks in footwall domes termed oceanic core complexes (OCCs). Footwall rocks experience large rotation during exhumation, yet important aspects of the kinematics ‐ particularly the relative roles of solid‐block rotation and flexure ‐ are not clearly understood. Using a high‐resolution numerical model, we explore the exhumation kinematics in the footwall beneath an emergent ODF/OCC. A key feature of the models is that footwall motion is dominated by solid‐block rotation, accommodated by the non‐planar, concave‐down fault interface. A consequence of this fault shape is that curvature measured along the ODF is representative of a neutral stress configuration, rather than a ‘bent one. Instead, it is in the subsequent process of ‘apparent unbending that significant flexural stresses are developed in the model footwall. The brittle strain associated with apparent unbending is produced dominantly in extension, beneath the OCC, consistent with earthquake clustering observed in the Trans‐Atlantic Geotraverse at the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge.