Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-07-08DOI: 10.5194/se-15-763-2024
Onyedika Anthony Igbokwe, Jithender J. Timothy, Ashwani Kumar, Xiao Yan, Mathias Mueller, Alessandro Verdecchia, Günther Meschke, Adrian Immenhauser
{"title":"Impact of stress regime change on the permeability of a naturally fractured carbonate buildup (Latemar, the Dolomites, northern Italy)","authors":"Onyedika Anthony Igbokwe, Jithender J. Timothy, Ashwani Kumar, Xiao Yan, Mathias Mueller, Alessandro Verdecchia, Günther Meschke, Adrian Immenhauser","doi":"10.5194/se-15-763-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-763-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Changing stress regimes control fracture network geometry and influence porosity and permeability in carbonate reservoirs. Using outcrop data analysis and a displacement-based linear elastic finite-element method, we investigate the impact of stress regime change on fracture network permeability. The model is based on fracture networks, specifically fracture substructures. The Latemar, predominantly affected by subsidence deformation and Alpine compression, is taken as an outcrop analogue for an isolated (Mesozoic) carbonate buildup with fracture-dominated permeability. We apply a novel strategy involving two compressive boundary loading conditions constrained by the study area's NW–SE and N–S stress directions. Stress-dependent heterogeneous apertures and effective permeability were computed in the 2D domain by (i) using the local stress state within the fracture substructure and (ii) running a single-phase flow analysis considering the fracture apertures in each fracture substructure. Our results show that the impact of the modelled far-field stresses at (i) subsidence deformation from the NW–SE and (ii) Alpine deformation from N–S increased the overall fracture aperture and permeability. In each case, increasing permeability is associated with open fractures parallel to the orientation of the loading stages and with fracture densities. The anisotropy of permeability is increased by the density and connectedness of the fracture network and affected by shear dilation. The two far-field stresses simultaneously acting within the selected fracture substructure at a different magnitude and orientation do not necessarily cancel each other out in the mechanical deformation modelling. These stresses affect the overall aperture and permeability distributions and the flow patterns. These effects – potentially ignored in simpler stress-dependent permeability – can result in significant inaccuracies in permeability estimation.","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141568390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-07-08DOI: 10.5194/se-15-789-2024
Renxian Xie, Lin Chen, Jason P. Morgan, Yongshun John Chen
{"title":"Various lithospheric deformation patterns derived from rheological contrasts between continental terranes: insights from 2-D numerical simulations","authors":"Renxian Xie, Lin Chen, Jason P. Morgan, Yongshun John Chen","doi":"10.5194/se-15-789-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-789-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Continents are formed by the amalgamation of numerous micro-terranes and island arcs, so they have spatially varying lithosphere strengths. The crème brûlée (CB) model and the jelly sandwich (JS) model have been commonly used to describe continental lithosphere strength–depth variations. Depending on the strength of the continental lower crust, the CB and JS models can be further subdivided into two subclasses in which the I subclass (CB-I and JS-I) and II subclass (CB-II and JS-II), respectively, have a strong or weak lower crust. During the continental collision, lithosphere deformation is the byproduct of the comprehensive interaction of multiple terranes. Here we used 2-D thermomechanical numerical models that contain three continental terranes to systematically explore the effects of terranes with various strengths on continental deformation and studied the effects of different rheological assumptions on terrane deformation. We found four types of lithosphere deformation patterns: collision, subduction, thickening and delamination, and replacement. These simulation patterns are seen in observed deformation patterns and structures in East Asia, suggesting they are likely to be naturally occurring modes of intracontinental orogenesis.","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141568394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-07-05DOI: 10.5194/se-15-747-2024
Folarin Kolawole, Rasheed Ajala
{"title":"Propagating rifts: the roles of crustal damage and ascending mantle fluids","authors":"Folarin Kolawole, Rasheed Ajala","doi":"10.5194/se-15-747-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-747-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. We investigate the upper-crustal structure of the Rukwa–Tanganyika rift zone in East Africa, where the Tanganyika rift interacts with the Rukwa and Mweru-Wantipa rift tips, evidenced by prominent fault scarps and seismicity across the rift interaction zones. We invert earthquake P-wave and S-wave travel times to produce 3D upper-crustal velocity models for the region and perform seismicity cluster analysis to understand strain accommodation in rift interaction zones and at the propagating rift tips. The resulting models reveal the occurrence of anomalously high Vp/Vs (primary-to-secondary wave velocity) ratios in the upper crust beneath the Rukwa and Mweru-Wantipa rift tips – regions with basement exposures and sparse rift sedimentation. We detect distinct earthquake families within the deeper clusters which exhibit a temporal evolution pattern characterized by an upward linear trend that suggests triggering caused by upward fluid migration and creep failure. A spatial transition from proximal tip zones dominated by a thinned crust and through-going crustal and upper-mantle seismicity to distal tip zones with a thick crust and dominantly upper-crustal seismicity indicates an along-axis variation in the controls on rift tip deformation. Overall, the collocation of basement faulting, crustal and upper-mantle seismicity, and high upper-crustal Vp/Vs ratios suggests a mechanically weakened crust at the rift tips, likely accommodated by brittle damage from crustal-bending strain and thermomechanical alteration via ascending fluids (mantle-sourced volatiles and hydrothermal fluids). These findings provide new insights into the physics of the propagation, linkage, and coalescence of continental rift tips – a necessary ingredient for initiating continental-breakup axes.","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141546594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-07-04DOI: 10.22541/essoar.171995191.13613873/v1
Simone Masoch, Giorgio Pennacchioni, Michele Fondriest, Rodrigo Gomila, Piero Poli, José Cembrano, Giulio Di Toro
{"title":"Earthquake swarms frozen in an exhumed hydrothermal system (Bolfin Fault Zone, Chile)","authors":"Simone Masoch, Giorgio Pennacchioni, Michele Fondriest, Rodrigo Gomila, Piero Poli, José Cembrano, Giulio Di Toro","doi":"10.22541/essoar.171995191.13613873/v1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22541/essoar.171995191.13613873/v1","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> Earthquake swarms commonly occur in upper-crustal hydrothermal-magmatic systems and activate mesh-like fault networks. How these networks develop through space and time along seismic faults is poorly constrained in the geological record. Here, we describe a spatially dense array of small-displacement (< 1.5 m) epidote-rich fault-veins within granitoids, occurring at the intersections of subsidiary faults with the exhumed seismogenic Bolfin Fault Zone (Atacama Fault System, Northern Chile). Epidote faulting and veining occurred at 3–7 km depth and 200–300 °C ambient temperature. At distance ≤ 1 cm to fault-veins, the magmatic quartz of the wall-rock shows (i) thin (< 10-µm-thick) interlaced deformation lamellae, and (ii) crosscutting quartz-filled veinlets. The epidote-rich fault-veins (i) include clasts of deformed magmatic quartz, with deformation lamellae and quartz-filled veinlets, and (ii) record cyclic events of extensional-to-hybrid veining and either aseismic or seismic shearing. Deformation of the wall-rock quartz is interpreted to record the large stress perturbations associated with the rupture propagation of small earthquakes. In contrast, dilation and shearing forming the epidote-rich fault-veins are interpreted to record the later development of a mature and hydraulically-connected fault-fracture system. In this latter stage, the fault-fracture system cyclically ruptured due to fluid pressure fluctuations, possibly correlated with swarm-like earthquake sequences.","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141546595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-07-03DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-2024-1906
Anthony Adwan, Bertrand Maillot, Pauline Souloumiac, Christophe Barnes, Christophe Nussbaum, Meinert Rahn, Thomas Van Stiphout
{"title":"Understanding the stress field at the lateral termination of a thrust fold using generic geomechanical models and clustering methods","authors":"Anthony Adwan, Bertrand Maillot, Pauline Souloumiac, Christophe Barnes, Christophe Nussbaum, Meinert Rahn, Thomas Van Stiphout","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2024-1906","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1906","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> <span>This study employs numerical simulations based on the Limit Analysis (LA) method to calculate the stress distribution in a </span><span>kilometric</span><span>-scale model developed over a basal detachment, featuring the lateral termination of a generic fault under compression. We conduct 2500 </span><span>2D</span><span> and 500 </span><span>3D</span><span> simulations, varying basement and fault friction angles, to analyze and classify the results into clusters representing similar failure patterns to understand the stress fields. Automatic fault detection methods are employed to identify the number and positions of fault lines in </span><span>2D</span><span> and fault surfaces in </span><span>3D</span><span>. Clustering approaches are utilized to group the models based on the detected failure patterns. For the </span><span>2D</span><span> models, the analysis reveals three primary clusters and five transitional ones, qualitatively consistent with the critical Coulomb wedge theory and the influence of inherited structural and geometric aspects over rupture localization. In the </span><span>3D</span><span> models, four different clusters portray the lateral prolongation of the inherited fault. High stress magnitudes are detected between the </span><span>compressive</span><span> boundary and the activated or created faults, and at the root of the inherited active fault. Tension zones appear near the outcropping surface relief while stress decreases with depth at the </span><span>footwall</span><span> of the created back-thrusts. A statistical, cluster-based stress field analysis indicates that for a given cluster, the stress field mainly conserves the same orientations, while the magnitude varies with changes in friction angles and </span><span>compressive</span><span> field intensity, except in failure zones where variations are sparse. Small parametric variations could lead to significantly different stress fields, while larger deviations might result in similar configurations. The comparison between </span><span>2D</span><span> and </span><span>3D</span><span> models shows the importance of lateral stresses and their influence on rupture patterns, distinguishing between </span><span>3D</span><span> analysis and </span><span>2D</span><span> cross-sections. Lastly, despite using small-scale models, stress field variations over a span of a couple of kilometers are quite large.</span>","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141524212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-06-28DOI: 10.5194/se-15-731-2024
Jian Wang, Renguang Zuo, Qinghai Liu
{"title":"Mapping geochemical anomalies by accounting for the uncertainty of mineralization-related elemental associations","authors":"Jian Wang, Renguang Zuo, Qinghai Liu","doi":"10.5194/se-15-731-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-731-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Geochemical mapping is a fundamental tool for elucidating the distribution and behaviour of economically significant elements and providing valuable insights into geological processes. Nevertheless, the quantification of uncertainty associated with geochemical mapping has only recently become a subject of widespread concern. This study presents a procedure that primarily consists of the determination of homogeneous clusters, the recognition of elemental associations for each cluster, and the identification of geochemical anomalies, with the aim of accounting for the uncertainty of elemental association in geochemical mapping. To illustrate and validate the procedure, a case study was conducted wherein geochemical stream-sediment samples from the northwestern region of the province of Sichuan, China, were processed to map anomalies associated with disseminated gold mineralization. The results indicate that (1) the representativeness of elemental association for the underlying geological process is an important source of uncertainty for geochemical mapping; (2) the procedure presented here is effective in addressing the uncertainty of elemental associations in geochemical mapping; and (3) the study area can be classified into two clusters, each characterized by unique elemental associations that align well with the distribution of Paleozoic and Triassic lithological units, respectively. Furthermore, the region still holds great potential for the discovery of gold deposits, particularly in areas proximal to known mineralization sites.","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-06-26DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-2024-1145
Renyu Zeng, Hui Su, Mark B. Allen, Haiyan Shi, Houfa Dua, Chenguang Zhange, Jie Yan
{"title":"Petrogenesis of Early Paleozoic I-type granitoids in the Longshoushan and implications for the tectonic affinity and evolution of the southwestern Alxa Block","authors":"Renyu Zeng, Hui Su, Mark B. Allen, Haiyan Shi, Houfa Dua, Chenguang Zhange, Jie Yan","doi":"10.5194/egusphere-2024-1145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1145","url":null,"abstract":"<strong>Abstract.</strong> <span><span>In the Paleozoic, the Alxa Block was situated between the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and the North Qilian Orogenic Belt, and experienced intense magmatic activity. Thus, the Alxa Block is an important area for understanding the tectonic framework and evolution of these two orogenic belts. However, there has long been debate regarding the tectonic affinity and tectonic evolution of the Longshoushan, located in southwestern margin of the Alxa Block, during the Paleozoic. In this study, we present zircon U-Pb ages, whole-rock major and trace elements, and Hf isotopic data for the granitoids from the east of the Longshoushan to investigate these issues. Bulk-rock analyses show that these granitoids are weakly peraluminous, with high SiO</span><sub>2</sub><span> and K</span><sub>2</sub><span>O, but low MgO, TFe</span><sub>2</sub><span>O</span><sub>3</sub><span> and P</span><sub>2</sub><span>O</span><sub>5</sub><span>. They are also characterized by enrichment in LREE and LILE, depletion in HREE and HFSE, and a large range of variation in εHf(t) values (monzogranite: -0.37 to -16.28; K-feldspar granite: 3.53 to -7.74). These geochemical features indicate that these granitoids are highly fractionated I-type granite, which were formed by crust and mantle-derived magma mixing. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating constrains that the monzogranite and K-feldspar granite were formed at 440.8 ± 2.1 Ma and 439.4 ± 2.0 Ma, respectively. Combining these results with previous chronological data, the geochronology framework of Paleozoic magmatic events in the Longshoushan is consistent with the North Qilian Orogenic Belt to the south, but significantly differs from other parts of the Alxa Block and the Central Asian Orogenic Belt to the north. This result indicates that the Longshoushan was primarily influenced by the North Qilian Orogenic Belt during the Early Paleozoic. Integrated with previous studies, a three-stage tectonic model is proposed of Early Paleozoic accretion and arc magmatism leading to collision in the Longshoushan. (1) 460–445 Ma: Arc magmatism on an active continental margin with the northward subduction of the North Qilian back-arc basins (NQ bab). (2) 445–435 Ma: Magmatic rocks, dominated by I-type granites, were formed in a continent-continent collision setting. Significant crustal thickening is interpreted to result from compressional stress and/or magmatic additions. (3) 435–410 Ma: The development of abundant A-type granites and mafic dikes in response to intraplate extension, supported by a change in trace element chemistry indicating crustal thinning at this stage. This sequence of events and their timings is similar to other parts of the Central China Orogenic Belt, and requires either a coincidence of several oceanic plates closing at the same time, or an along-strike repetition of the same system.</span></span>","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-06-24DOI: 10.5194/se-15-711-2024
Ananya Parthapradip Mukherjee, Animesh Mandal
{"title":"Magmatic underplating associated with Proterozoic basin formation: insights from gravity study over the southern margin of the Bundelkhand Craton, India","authors":"Ananya Parthapradip Mukherjee, Animesh Mandal","doi":"10.5194/se-15-711-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-711-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Extension tectonics responsible for intracratonic rift basin formation are often the consequences of active or passive tectonic regimes. The present work puts forth a plume-related rifting mechanism for the creation and evolution of two Proterozoic sedimentary basins outlining the Bundelkhand Craton, namely the Bijawar and Vindhyan basins. Using global gravity data, a regional-scale study is performed over the region encompassing the southern boundary of the Bundelkhand Craton consisting of the Bijawar Basin, Vindhyan Basin, and Deccan basalt outcrops. The gravity highs in the central part of the complete Bouguer anomaly and the upward-continued regional anomaly, derived from global gravity grid data, suggest that the Vindhyan sedimentary basin overlies a deeper high-density crustal source. The deepest interface as obtained from the radially averaged power spectrum analysis is observed to occur at a depth of ∼30.3 km, indicating that the sources responsible for the observed gravity signatures occur at larger depths. The 3D inversion of complete Bouguer anomaly data based on Parker–Oldenburg's algorithm revealed the Moho depth of ∼32 km below the Vindhyan Basin, i.e., south of the craton. The 2D crustal models along two selected profiles showcase a thick underplated layer with a maximum thickness of ∼12 km beneath the southern part of the Bundelkhand Craton. The inferred large E–W-trending underplating and deciphered shallower Moho beneath the regions south of the exposed Bundelkhand Craton point to crustal thinning compensated for magmatic emplacement due to a Paleoproterozoic plume activity below the craton margin.","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-06-21DOI: 10.5194/se-15-683-2024
J. Kim Welford
{"title":"Magma-poor continent–ocean transition zones of the southern North Atlantic: a wide-angle seismic synthesis of a new frontier","authors":"J. Kim Welford","doi":"10.5194/se-15-683-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-683-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Magma-poor rifted margins, and their corresponding potential zones of exhumed serpentinized mantle, represent a unique class of tectonic boundaries with enormous promise for advancing the energy transition, such as with hydrogen production and carbon sequestration and in the search for critical minerals. In this study, a synthesis of the results from seismic refraction and wide-angle reflection (RWAR) profiling and resulting velocity models across the continent–ocean transitions of the southern North Atlantic Ocean is presented. The models are assessed and compared to understand characteristic basement types and upper mantle behaviour across the region and between conjugate margin pairs and to calibrate how their continent–ocean transition zones (COTZs) are defined. Ultimately, this work highlights the variable nature of continent–ocean transition zones, even within the magma-poor rifted margin end-member case, and points to avenues for future research to fill the knowledge gaps that will accelerate the energy transition.","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141508881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Solid EarthPub Date : 2024-06-18DOI: 10.5194/se-15-671-2024
Mathews George Gilbert, Parakkal Unnikrishnan, Munukutla Radhakrishna
{"title":"Cretaceous–Paleocene extension at the southwestern continental margin of India and opening of the Laccadive basin: constraints from geophysical data","authors":"Mathews George Gilbert, Parakkal Unnikrishnan, Munukutla Radhakrishna","doi":"10.5194/se-15-671-2024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-671-2024","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Previous geophysical investigations of the western continental margin of India (WCMI) confirm the two-phase breakup history of the margin with the first breakup taking place between India and Madagascar that created the Mascarene Basin in the Late Cretaceous and the second breakup event in Early Paleocene with Seychelles separating from India. Despite numerous geoscientific studies along the WCMI, the opening of the Laccadive basin, situated along the southern part of the margin, remains poorly constrained. In this study, we evaluate the multi-channel seismic reflection and gravity anomalies at the margin to identify the early rift signatures in conjunction with the magnetic anomaly identifications in the Mascarene Basin. The analysis led to the identification of two trends of extensional structures, a NNW–SSE-oriented structure over the Laccadive Ridge north of Tellicherry Arch, interpreted to result from ENE–WSW extension, and a SSW–NNE-oriented structure in the Laccadive basin region towards the south, interpreted to result from NW–SE extension. Previous plate reconstruction models of the Mascarene Basin using marine magnetic lineations suggest that the ENE–WSW extension observed over the Laccadive Ridge could be related to the India–Madagascar separation. We associate the pattern of sediment deposition and the presence of a Paleocene trap volcanics, linked with the NW–SE grabens observed in the Laccadive basin region, to the extension between the Laccadive Ridge and the western coast of India after the separation of Madagascar from India. We further propose that the anticlockwise rotation of India and the passage of the Réunion plume have facilitated the opening of the Laccadive basin.","PeriodicalId":21912,"journal":{"name":"Solid Earth","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141529837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}