Global and Planetary Change
Global and Planetary Change
5 years ago

Structural controls on sedimentation during asymmetric extension: The case of Sorbas Basin (SE Spain)

Understanding the link between sedimentation and fault kinematics is important for reconstructing the evolution of sedimentary basins. The relationship between the mechanics of creating accommodation space and the sediment supply in asymmetric extensional basins is critical for quantifying their syn- and post-rift evolution, but is not yet well understood. One exceptional place to analyze such mechanics of normal faulting and its relationship with the evolution of depositional environments is the Sorbas Basin in the Betic Cordillera of SE Spain. We have analyzed the interplay between extension and deposition by the means of a detailed sedimentological and field kinematic study. The results indicate a novel and coupled evolution, characterized by low-order tectonically induced sedimentary successions driven by the change of deformation style and high-order tectonically induced sedimentary successions driven by individual stages of fault activity. Fault mechanics and hanging-wall tilting control the formation of depositional slopes, while footwall exhumation induces enhanced sourcing of coarse sediments that may be stored in proximal areas or recycled in the basin during episodes of fault activity. Following initiation of extension, the subsequent syn-kinematic deposition was characterized by a wide spectrum of subaqueous gravity flows, whose types and transformation mechanisms were controlled by the style of normal faulting, sediment supply and basin physiography. Furthermore, the study quantifies the controls of rheological stratified sediments on normal faulting mechanics and their implications for the spatial and temporal evolution.

Publisher URL: www.sciencedirect.com/science

DOI: S0921818117303582

You might also like
Discover & Discuss Important Research

Keeping up-to-date with research can feel impossible, with papers being published faster than you'll ever be able to read them. That's where Researcher comes in: we're simplifying discovery and making important discussions happen. With over 19,000 sources, including peer-reviewed journals, preprints, blogs, universities, podcasts and Live events across 10 research areas, you'll never miss what's important to you. It's like social media, but better. Oh, and we should mention - it's free.

  • Download from Google Play
  • Download from App Store
  • Download from AppInChina

Researcher displays publicly available abstracts and doesn’t host any full article content. If the content is open access, we will direct clicks from the abstracts to the publisher website and display the PDF copy on our platform. Clicks to view the full text will be directed to the publisher website, where only users with subscriptions or access through their institution are able to view the full article.