Influence of Décollement Friction on Anisotropy of Magnetic
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Journal of Structural Geology 144 (2021) 104274 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Structural Geology journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jsg Influenceof d´ecollement friction on anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility in a fold-and-thrust belt model Thorben Schofisch¨ *, Hemin Koyi, Bjarne Almqvist Hans Ramberg Tectonic Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavagen¨ 16, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility can provide insights into strain distribution in models simulating fold-and- Analogue modelling thrust belts. Models with layers of sand and magnetite mixture shortened above adjacent d´ecollements with high Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and low friction, are used to study the effect of d´ecollement friction on the magnetic fabric. Above high-friction Fold-and-thrust belt d´ecollement, an imbricate stack produced a ‘tectonic’ fabric with magnetic foliation parallel to thrusts. In Basal friction contrast, above the low-friction d´ecollement deformation propagated farther into the foreland, and deformation D´ecollement intensity is gradual from the foreland to the hinterland by defining a transition zone in between. In this zone, magnetic lineation rotated parallel to the deformation front, whereas in the hinterland the principal axes do not show a preferred orientation due to different deformation mechanisms between “thrust-affected” and “pene trative-strain affected” area. Above both decollement´ types, the principal axes of susceptibility developed tighter clustering with depth. Along the boundary between the two d´ecollements, a deflection zone formed where rotation of surface markers and magnetic fabric reflect the transition between structures formed above the different decollements.´ Through quantifying magnetic fabric, this study reemphasises the clear link between d´ecollement friction, strain distribution and magnitude in fold-and-thrust belts. 1. Introduction results to the salt range in Pakistan, Cotton and Koyi (2000) concluded that the structures that develop in such deflection zones may trend Many models have addressed the influence of basal friction on the parallel to the shortening direction. Strain in such FTB models can be geometric, kinematic and dynamic evolution of fold-and-thrust belts estimated using passive markers at the surface (e.g. Nilforoushan and (FTB) (e.g. Davis et al., 1983; Dahlen et al., 1984; Colletta et al., 1991; Koyi, 2007), topographic change and laser scanning (e.g. Nilforoushan Huiqi et al., 1992; Mulugeta and Koyi, 1992; Willet, 1992; Gutscher et al., 2008) or other optical methods as summarized in Schellart and et al., 1996; Cotton and Koyi, 2000; Koyi et al., 2000; Agarwal and Strak (2016). In addition, taking sections during subsequent stages of Agrawal, 2002; Costa and Vendeville, 2002; Bahroudi and Koyi, 2003; deformation provides further information on internal deformation Koyi and Vendeville, 2003; Koyi and Cotton, 2004; Nilforoushan and across the model and displays the 4D evolution of the model (Colletta Koyi, 2007; Nilforoushan et al., 2008; Vidal-Royo et al., 2009). These et al., 1991; Mulugeta and Koyi, 1992). studies have shown that the structural style of a FTB depends on the The three main components of deformation in a FTB are faulting, d´ecollement friction. For example, above a low-friction d´ecollement (i) folding and layer-parallel shortening. The latter, which includes shortened layers form a wedge that possesses a gentler taper, (ii) the compaction by grain rearrangement and rotation, is not easy to estimate deformation front propagates farther, and (iii) both fore- and back in nature, but is of major significance for understanding the dynamic thrusts develop (Davis and Engelder, 1985; Cotton and Koyi, 2000). In evolution of a FTB, porosity reduction, and creation of balanced cross contrast, above a high-friction d´ecollement a stack of imbricates form, sections (Koyi et al., 2003; Sans et al., 2003). However, anisotropy of that consists of mainly forethrusts with a steeper taper wedge (Mulu magnetic susceptibility (AMS), which is a potentially useful tool to geta, 1988). Cotton and Koyi (2000) showed additionally that a describe details of grain reorientation and deformation in different deflectionzone forms in cover layers at the boundary between adjacent tectonic regimes (e.g. Graham, 1966; Borradaile and Henry, 1997; Pares,´ d´ecollements of contrasting low- and high-friction. Applying their 2015) can also be used to decipher this component of deformation. * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (T. Schofisch),¨ [email protected] (H. Koyi), [email protected] (B. Almqvist). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2020.104274 Received 1 September 2020; Received in revised form 21 December 2020; Accepted 23 December 2020 Available online 31 December 2020 0191-8141/© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). T. Schofisch¨ et al. Journal of Structural Geology 144 (2021) 104274 Recently, Almqvist and Koyi (2018) applied AMS analysis to definethe AMS ellipsoid, which is described by the shape factor T with a analogue models to describe the general strain evolution in a FTB. They spectrum ranges from T = +1 for oblate, T = 0 for neutral to T = 1 for outlined strain partitioning in different shortened models and repro prolate ellipsoids and the corrected degree of anisotropy Pj, which de duced their AMS patterns, which were comparable to AMS fabric evo scribes the degree of anisotropy of the ellipsoid. The mathematical ex lution in natural FTBs (e.g. Kligfieldet al., 1981; Borradaile and Henry, pressions for T and Pj use the natural logarithms (n) of the three 1997; Weil and Yonkee, 2009). In this study, we use the same method principal susceptibility axes (Jelinek, 1981), as shown in the following ology as Almqvist and Koyi (2018), to outline the AMS pattern in a equations: model simulating a FTB shortened above two different frictional sub 2 nint nmax nmin strates in order to evaluate the influence of d´ecollement friction on T = (1) nmax nmin magnetic fabric, strain distribution and intensity at surface and depth. q̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅]}̅ Pj = exp f 2 [( n n )2 + (n n )2 + (n n )2 (2) 2. Experimental setup and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility max mean int mean min mean = ( ) = ( ) = ( ) = ( + Loose quartz sand (0.124–0.356 mm), which was used to build the with nmax ln kmax , nint ln kint , nmin ln kmin , and nmean nmax + )= layers of the model, was mixed homogenously with blocky, subangular nint nmin 3. magnetite grains of same size range (<0.1 vol%) to facilitate AMS an Plotting both parameters (T and Pj) provides a distribution of ellip alyses of samples taken from the deformed model. This granular mixture soid shapes, which describes a strain path of the AMS dataset (Jelinek, (cohesion μ = 0.49) is scraped from the backstop (north) to the ‘model 1981; Hrouda, 1982; Borradaile, 1988, 1991; Borradaile and Henry, south’ to a 2.5 cm thick layer within a 67 × 60 cm large sandbox and 1997). shortened above two adjacent substrates simulating different frictional d´ecollements (sandpaper with μ = 0.71, and fibre glass with μ = 0.29) 3. Results (Fig. 1). To decrease the influence of the backstop, a 7-cm long sand ◦ wedge with a 28 taper was built on top of the model next to the 3.1. Structural evolution backstop (Fig. 1). A passive marker of circles with a different colour sand was printed on the surface of the model to monitor surface deformation. Shortening of the model above two different frictional decollements´ After a total of 17 cm (26% of length) bulk shortening, the model was resulted in a differential propagation of the deformation front and pat carefully wetted and sampled systematically for AMS analysis. Wetting terns of different strain (Figs. 2 and 3). Above the high-friction of the model was made through adsorption of water through the porous decollement,´ an imbricate stack formed, which increased the model sand, in order to preserve the fabric and not cause physical disturbance height next to the backstop by a factor of three compared to its initial of the sand. Sequential sectioning was performed, and oriented cubic undeformed state (Fig. 3). Here, forethrusts dip with angles between 15 ◦ samples (volume of 2.2 cm3) were taken at the surface and at depth and 40 towards the backstop. In contrast, above the low-friction along the sections in the wetted model. AMS was measured with a decollement,´ three boxfolds with major backthrusts and several fore ◦ MFK1-FA Kappabridge (Agico Inc.) using an AC fieldstrength of 200 A/ thrusts developed, with dips between 35 and 50 and a gentle wedge m with a frequency of 976 Hz. The measurements provide the average slope. In addition, on this side of the model, deformation propagated orientation and degree of alignment of all grains within a sample, based farther (ca. 10 cm) into the foreland compared to that on the high- ´ on principal axes of susceptibility, kmax ≥ kint ≥ kmin, which are calcu friction decollement (Fig. 3). Ahead of the frontal thrust within the lated from the magnetic susceptibility second rank symmetric tensor. foreland of the low-friction domain, circular strain markers at the sur The orientations of the principal susceptibility