Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Sedimentation rates test models of oceanic detachment faulting. / Parnell-Turner, Ross; Cann, Johnson R.; Smith, Deborah K.; Schouten, Hans; Yoerger, Dana; Palmiotto, Camilla; Zheleznov, Alexei; Bai, Hailong.
In: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 41, No. 20, 28.10.2014, p. 7080-7088.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Sedimentation rates test models of oceanic detachment faulting
AU - Parnell-Turner, Ross
AU - Cann, Johnson R.
AU - Smith, Deborah K.
AU - Schouten, Hans
AU - Yoerger, Dana
AU - Palmiotto, Camilla
AU - Zheleznov, Alexei
AU - Bai, Hailong
N1 - Publisher Copyright: ©2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Copyright: Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2014/10/28
Y1 - 2014/10/28
N2 - Long-lived detachment faults play an important role in the construction of new oceanic crust at slow-spreading mid-oceanic ridges. Although the corrugated surfaces of exposed low-angle faults demonstrate past slip, it is difficult to determine whether a given fault is currently active. If inactive, it is unclear when slip ceased. This judgment is crucial for tectonic reconstructions where detachment faults are present, and for models of plate spreading. We quantify variation in sediment thickness over two corrugated surfaces near 16.5°N at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge using near-bottom Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse (CHIRP) data. We show that the distribution of sediment and tectonic features at one detachment fault is consistent with slip occurring today. In contrast, another corrugated surface 20-km to the south shows a sediment distribution suggesting that slip ceased ∼150,000-years ago. Data presented here provide new evidence for active detachment faulting, and suggest along-axis variations in fault activity occur over tens of kilometers. Key Points Near-bottom AUV surveys of detachment faulting at Mid-Atlantic RidgeSediment distribution distinguishes active from non-active faultsVariation in timing of slip quantified between two surveys
AB - Long-lived detachment faults play an important role in the construction of new oceanic crust at slow-spreading mid-oceanic ridges. Although the corrugated surfaces of exposed low-angle faults demonstrate past slip, it is difficult to determine whether a given fault is currently active. If inactive, it is unclear when slip ceased. This judgment is crucial for tectonic reconstructions where detachment faults are present, and for models of plate spreading. We quantify variation in sediment thickness over two corrugated surfaces near 16.5°N at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge using near-bottom Compressed High Intensity Radar Pulse (CHIRP) data. We show that the distribution of sediment and tectonic features at one detachment fault is consistent with slip occurring today. In contrast, another corrugated surface 20-km to the south shows a sediment distribution suggesting that slip ceased ∼150,000-years ago. Data presented here provide new evidence for active detachment faulting, and suggest along-axis variations in fault activity occur over tens of kilometers. Key Points Near-bottom AUV surveys of detachment faulting at Mid-Atlantic RidgeSediment distribution distinguishes active from non-active faultsVariation in timing of slip quantified between two surveys
KW - detachment faulting
KW - mid-ocean ridge
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84911432569&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/2014GL061555
DO - 10.1002/2014GL061555
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84911432569
VL - 41
SP - 7080
EP - 7088
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
SN - 0094-8276
IS - 20
ER -
ID: 8844098