Quantifying Stresses and Strains from the Jura Arc, and Their Usefulness in Choosing a Deformation Model for the Region
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D. Hindle, PhD thesis i Quantifying stresses and strains from the Jura Arc, and their usefulness in choosing a deformation model for the region David Andrew HINDLE These de Doctorat es Sciences presentees a la Faculte des Sciences (Institut de Geologie) de l'Universite de Neuchatel Membres du Jury de these: Prof. M. BURKHARD (Universite de Neuchatel), Directeur Dr.. A. BECKER (University of Zurich) Prof. O.BESSON (Universite de Neuchatel) Prof. J.-P. GRATIER (Universite de Grenoble) Dr. J. NEWMAN (University of Utrecht) Neuchatel, Novembre 1997 ii Quantifying stresses and strains from the Jura arc Quantifying stresses and strains from the Jura Arc, and their usefulness in choosing a deformation model for the region David Hindle1 1Institut de g´eologie, Universit´edeNeuchˆatel, Neuchˆatel, Suisse ii Quantifying stresses and strains from the Jura arc Pre-amble This document is a newly created (July 2006), version of my PhD thesis, submitted in December 1997. The decision to resurrect such an old document was brought about by two things. Firstly, the realisation that my confidence in the permanence of digitally stored data such as word processing documents and graphics files was misplaced. With time, and changing technology, files become redundant and no longer accessible. Consequently, if I had not acted soon, it seemed there would only be a few paper records of this thesis remaining. Secondly, I had noticed a few citations of this work in the published literature, prompting me to wonder how on earth anyone knew of its existence, let alone its content. An integrated, pdf version of the entire original document will now, hopefully, be available electronically at the library of the Facult´e des Sciences, Universit´edeNeuchˆatel, in permanence. The work is substantively unmodified, as I feel it should remain as the document of record of what counted as my thesis at the time. There are therefore only formatting corrections, for the most part to make the figures suitable for integration with the text and to make them fit into the LaTeX processing system. One change to the original document is significant. Section 4 has now been replaced by the subsequent article in the Journal of Structural Geology that grew out of it. There seemed little point preserving the old matter in this case. Two figures from chapter 3 also “disappeared” over the intervening years and are no longer represented. Apart from that, everything is as it was. Should anyone find and use this document, I hope it is useful to you. I spent an incredibly enjoyable four years in Neuchˆatel preparing it. The correct citation of the work is Hindle D., 1997 Quantifying stresses and strains from the Jura Arc, and their usefulness in choosing a deforma- tion model for the region, unpublished PhD thesis, Universit´edeNeuchˆatel David Hindle Langwedel, Germany July 2006. Contents 1 Geology of the Swiss Molasse Basin and Jura Mountains, and the history of studies of arcuate mountain belts 1 1.1 Introduction................................................ 1 1.1.1 Aim and scope of the study ..................................... 1 1.1.2 The geology of the Jura and Molasse Basin, a short review ..................... 3 1.1.3 Tectonic Evolution and Dynamics of the external, northwestern Alps ............... 5 1.2 Arcuatemountainbelts-areview.................................... 7 1.2.1 The Jura arc geometry ....................................... 8 1.2.2 Arcs or oroclines of Earth ...................................... 8 1.2.3 Classifications of bends or oroclines or arcs ............................. 8 1.2.4 Methods of discriminating between bend types and their mechanisms of formation ........ 12 1.2.5 Models applied to the Jura mountains ............................... 14 1.2.6 This Study .............................................. 14 2 Calcite Twin Analysis from the Swiss Molasse Basin 17 2.1 Introduction................................................ 17 2.2 CalciteTwinning.............................................. 18 2.2.1 Mechanics .............................................. 18 2.2.2 Strain and Stress Gauge Techniques ................................. 18 2.3 MolasseBasinTwinData......................................... 19 2.3.1 Data Base .............................................. 19 2.3.2 Techniques .............................................. 19 2.3.3 Data Quality ............................................. 20 2.4 MolasseBasincontourmapsandfolding................................. 20 2.5 Strike-slipdeformationintheMolasseBasin............................... 25 2.6 Summaryanddatacompilations..................................... 25 3 3 dimensional unfolding and restoration of the top-Argovien, Neuchˆatel Jura 27 3.1 Introduction................................................ 27 3.2 SurfaceRestorationTechniques...................................... 27 3.3 UnfoldTechnique.............................................. 30 3.3.1 Integrated or Bulk Strain ...................................... 30 3.3.2 Unfolding in three-dimensions .................................... 30 3.3.3 Fault displacements ......................................... 31 3.3.4 Missing strains ........................................... 31 3.4 The NeuchˆatelJura............................................ 31 3.4.1 Structural Considerations ...................................... 31 3.4.2 Results of retrodeformation ..................................... 34 3.5 Discussion.................................................. 34 3.6 Conclusions................................................. 38 3.7 Thetriangularelementmethod...................................... 38 iii iv Quantifying stresses and strains from the Jura arc 4 A model of displacement and strain for arc shaped mountain belts applied to the Jura arc 41 4.1 Abstract................................................... 42 4.2 Introduction................................................ 42 4.3 A simple,geometric,displacement-strainmodel............................. 43 4.3.1 Model characteristics ........................................ 43 4.3.2 Mathematical principle ....................................... 45 4.4 ModelResults............................................... 45 4.4.1 Model 1 ............................................... 46 4.4.2 Model 2 ............................................... 46 4.4.3 Model 3 ............................................... 46 4.4.4 Model 4 ............................................... 46 4.4.5 Discussion .............................................. 47 4.4.6 The Jura Arc example ........................................ 48 4.4.7 Conclusions ............................................. 51 5 Strain, Displacement and Rotation associated with the formation of curvature in fold belts; the example of the Jura arc 55 5.1 Abstract................................................... 56 5.2 Introduction................................................ 56 5.3 ArcformationModels........................................... 58 5.4 Modeling strains in a ‘Primary arc’ with uniform transport direction . 59 5.5 TheJuraArc................................................ 62 5.5.1 Tectonic overview .......................................... 62 5.5.2 Strain measurements and their relevance to Arc formation ..................... 62 5.6 Conclusions................................................. 66 6 Paleostress estimation from the Molasse indenter 69 6.1 Introduction................................................ 69 6.2 StressMeasurementtechniques...................................... 70 6.2.1 Present day, in situ techniques ................................... 70 6.2.2 Palaeopiezometric techniques .................................... 70 6.2.3 Rowe and Rutter’s technique .................................... 71 6.2.4 Jamison and Spang’s technique ................................... 71 6.3 Problemsassociatedwithpalaeopiezometers............................... 72 6.3.1 Assumptions and Experimental Conditions ............................. 72 6.3.2 Grain Size Dependency ....................................... 73 6.3.3 CRSS ................................................ 73 6.3.4 Strain ................................................ 76 6.4 Differentialstressesfromthealpineforeland............................... 76 6.4.1 Study area and sample material ................................... 76 6.4.2 Study Results ............................................ 77 6.5 Presentdaystressmeasuresfromthelithosphere............................ 79 6.5.1 Vertical principal stresses ...................................... 79 6.5.2 Horizontal, compressive stresses ................................... 79 6.5.3 Stress reference states ........................................ 80 6.5.4 Shear stresses determined for the crust ............................... 80 6.5.5 Orientation of principal stresses ................................... 80 6.6 Evaluationofpalaeostressdata...................................... 80 6.6.1 Available palaeostress data ..................................... 80 6.6.2 Strength under frictional sliding ................................... 82 6.6.3 Use of brittle fracture criteria .................................... 83 6.6.4 Present day stresses ......................................... 84 6.6.5 Discussion .............................................. 84 D. Hindle, PhD thesis v 6.7 Tectonicsettingofthealpineforeland.................................. 85 6.8 Stress anisotropy and the magnitude of horizontal stresses . 86 6.9 GeneralConclusions...........................................