Continental Extensional Tectonics Geological Society Special Publications Series Editor K. C OE FRONTISPIECE Albert Quennell GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATION NO 28 Continental Extensional Tectonics EDITED BY M. P. Coward J. F. Dewey Department of Geology Department of Royal School of Mines Geological Sciences Imperial College The University of Durham London Durham P. L. Hancock Department of Geology Wills Memorial Building University of Bristol Bristol 1987 Published for The Geological Society by Blackwell Scientific Publications OXFORD LONDON EDINBURGH BOSTON PALO ALTO MELBOURNE Published for DISTRIBUTORS The Geological Society by USA and Canada Blackwell Scientific Publications Blackwell Scientific Publications Inc. Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0EL PO Box 50009, Palo Alto 8 John Street, London WC1N 2ES California 94303 23 Ainslie Place, Edinburgh EH3 6AJ 52 Beacon Street, Boston, Australia Massachusetts 02108, USA Blackwell Scientific Publications 667 Lytton Avenue, Palo Alto, (Australia) Pty Ltd. California 94301, USA 107 Barry Street, Carlton, 107 Barry Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Victoria 3053 Australia British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data First published 1987 Continental extensional tectonics.-- 9 1987The Geological Society. Authorization to (Geological Society special publication, photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the ISSN 0305-8719; v.28) internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted 1. Plate tectonics by The Geological Society for libraries and other I. Coward, M.P. II. Dewey, J.F. users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center III. Hancock, P.L. IV. Geological Society (CCC) Transactional Reporting Service, providing of London V. Series that a base fee of $02.00 per copy is paid directly to 551.1 '36 QE511.4 CCC, 27 Congress Street, Salem, MA 01970, USA. ISBN 0-632-01605-1 0305-8719/87 $02.00. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Set by Downdell Ltd., Oxford Printed and bound in Great Britain by Continental extensional tectonics. Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome and London (Geological Society special publication; no. 28) Papers from a conference held at the University of Durham, April 18-20, 1985 under the auspices of the Geological Society of London. 1. Geology, Structural--Congresses. I. Coward, M.P. II. Dewey, J.F. (John F.) III. Hancock, Paul L. IV. Geological Society of London. V. Series. QE601.C66 1987 551.8 87-309 ISBN 0-632-01605-1 Contents Page Preface: COWARD,M.P , DEWEY, J.F. & HANCOCK, P.L ................................................. 1X Appreciation: A.M. Quennell--a prescient tectonician" HANCOCK, P.L ............................. X Fault Geometry and Associated Processes JACKSON, J.A. Active normal faulting and crustal extension ........................................... 3 GIBBS, A. Development of extension and mixed-mode sedimentary basins ......................... 19 KUSZNIR, N.J. & PARK, R.G. The extensional strength of the continental lithosphere: its dependence on geothermal gradient, and crustal composition and thickness ...................... 35 LYNCH, H.D. & MORGAN, P. The tensile strength of the lithosphere and the localization of extension .......................................................................................................... 53 KEEN, C.E. Some important consequences of lithospheric extension ................................ 67 BARR, D. Lithospheric stretching, detached normal faulting and footwali uplift .................. 75 VENDEVILLE, B., COBBOLD, P.R., DAVY, P., BRUN, J.P.& CHOUKROUNE, P. Physical models of extensional tectonics at various scales ....................................................................... 95 MCCLAY, K.R. & ELLIS, P.G. Analogue models of extensional fault geometries ................... 109 HANCOCK, P.L. & BEVAN, T.G. Brittle modes of foreland extension .................................. 127 LEEDER, M.R. & GAWTHORPE, R.L. Sedimentary models for extensional tilt-block/half-graben basins ....... ....................................................................................................... 139 Extension in the Basin and Range Province and East Pacific Margin HAMILTON, W. Crustal extension in the Basin and Range Province, southwestern United States .............................................................................................................. 155 CONEY, P.J. The regional tectonic setting and possible causes of Cenozoic extension in the North American Cordillera ................................................................................... 177 SONDER, L.J., ENGLAND, P.C., WERNICKE, B. P. & CHRISTIANSEN, R.L. A physical model for Cenozoic extension of western North America ........................................................... 187 WERNICKE, B.P., CHRISTIANSEN, R.L., ENGLAND, P.C. & SONDER, L.J. Tectonomagmatic evol- ution of Cenozoic extension in the North American Cordillera ....................................... 203 ALLMENDINGER, R.W., HAUGE, T.A., HAUSER, E.C., POTTER, C.J. & OLIVER, J. Tectonic heredity and the layered lower crust in the Basin and Range Province, western United States .. 223 DAVIS, G.H. A shear-zone model for the structural evolution of metamorphic core complexes in southeastern Arizona .......................................................................... 247 LEE, J., MILLER, E.L. & SUTTER, J.F. Ductile strain and metamorphism in an extensional tec- tonic setting: a case study from the northern Snake Range, Nevada, USA ......................... 267 vi Contents HOWARD, K.A. & JOHN, B.E. Crustal extension along a rooted system of imbricate low-angle faults: Colorado River extensional corridor, California and Arizona ............................... 299 JOHN, B.E. Geometry and evolution of a mid-crustal extensional fault system: Chemehuevi Mountains, southeastern California ........................................................................ 313 BRUHN, R.L., GIBLER, P.R. & PARRY, W.T. Rupture characteristics of normal faults: an example from the Wasatch fault zone, Utah .............................................................. 337 EATON, G.P. Topography and origin of the southern Rocky Mountains and Alvarado Ridge .. 355 EDDINGTON, P.K., SMITH, R.B. & RENGGLI, C. Kinematics of Basin and Range intraplate extension .......................................................................................................... 371 HODGES, K.V., WALKER, J.D. & WERNICKE, B.P. Footwall structural evolution of the Tucki Mountain detachment system, Death Valley region, southeastern California ...................... 393 THOMPSON, B., MERCIER, E. & ROOTS, C. Extension and its influence on Canadian Cordilleran passive-margin evolution ...................................................................................... 409 GARRETT, S.W. • STOREY, B.C. Lithospheric extension on the Antarctic Peninsula during Cenozoic subduction ........................................................................................... 419 DALZIEL, I.W.D., STOREY, B.C., GARRETT, S.W., GRUNOW, A.M., HERROD, L.D.B. & PANKHURST, R.J. Extensional tectonics and the fragmentation of Gondwanaland ................ 433 Extension in the NW European Continental Shelf CHEADLE, M.J., MCGEARY, S., WARNER, M.R. & MATTHEWS, D.H. Extensional structures on the western UK continental shelf: a review of evidence from deep seismic profiling .............. 445 BEACH, A., BIRD, T. & GraBs, A. Extensional tectonics and crustal structure: deep seismic reflection data from the northern North Sea Viking graben ........................................... 467 ZERVOS, F. A compilation and regional interpretation of the northern North Sea gravity map . 477 LAUBACH, S.E. & MARSHAK, S. Fault patterns generated during extensional deformation of crystalline basement, NW Scotland ................................................................ , ..... 495 KIRTON, S.R. & HITCHEN,K. Timing and style of crustal extension N of the Scottish mainland . 501 FIELDING, C.R. & JOHNSON, G.A.L. Sedimentary structures associated with extensional fault movement from the Westphalian of NE England ........................................................ 511 KARNER, G.D., LAKE, S.D. & DEWEY, J.F. The thermal and mechanical development of the Wessex Basin, southern England ............................................................................ 517 SERANNE, M. & SEGURET, M. The Devonian basins of western Norway: tectonics and kinematics of an extending crust ............................................................................. 537 Extension in the Middle East CHENET, P.Y., COLLETTA, B., LETOUZEY, J., DESFORGES, G., OUSSET, E. & ZAGHLOUL, E.A. Structures associated with extensional tectonics in the Suez rift ....................................... 551 COURTILLOT, V., ARMUO, R. & TAPPONNIER, P. Kinematics of the Sinai triple junction and a two-phase model of Arabia-Africa rifting ................................................................. 559 Contents vii ~ENGOR, A.M.C. Cross-faults and differential stretching of hanging walls in regions of low- angle normal faulting: examples from western Turkey .................................................. 575 Extension in Thrust Belts LEGGETT, J.K., LUNDBERG,N., BRAY, C.J., CADET, J.P., KARIG, D,E., KNIPE, R.J. & voNHUENE, R. Extensional tectonics in the Honshu fore-arc, Japan: integrated results of DSDP Legs 57, 87 and reprocessed multichannel seismic reflection profiles ............................................ 593 ROYDEN, L.H. & BURCHFIEL, B.C.