Centrifuge models investigating the influence of transverse pre-existing weaknesses on continental rifting

Corti, Giacomo; Sordi, Riccardo; Cucci, Federica;

2018-10 || GFZ Data Services

We present the results of centrifuge experiments investigating the role of preexisting crustal discontinuity on continental rifting. Specifically, we reproduce inherited weaknesses, orthogonal to the rift trend and parallel to the extension direction, and analyze their influence on the evolution and architecture of extensional deformation in the inner part and at the margins of continental rift valleys. Four different models, with variable width of the pre-existing weakness are illustrated.



The models show a significant influence exerted by the pre-existing anisotropy on rifting: specifically, the inherited weakness inhibits the development of large boundary faults at rift margins, which are instead replaced by gentle monoclines dipping toward the rift axis. Axial faults are “captured” by the inherited anisotropy and rotate towards the pre-existing weakness, which therefore produces an unusual structural pattern also in the axial zone. This influence is dependent on the initial width of the pre-rift anisotropy and becomes negligible when its scaled width is 20 km or less.



Originally assigned keywords

Corresponding MSL vocabulary keywords

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Originally assigned sub domains
  • analogue modelling of geologic processes
MSL enriched sub domains
  • analogue modelling of geologic processes
Source http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.5880/fidgeo.2018.001
Source publisher GFZ Data Services
DOI 10.5880/fidgeo.2018.001
License CC BY 4.0
Authors
  • Corti, Giacomo
  • Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Florence, Italy
  • Sordi, Riccardo
  • Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Florence, Italy
  • Cucci, Federica
  • Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Florence, Italy
References
  • Corti, G. (2013). Geosphere, 9(1), 138. https://doi.org/10.1130/ges00863.1
  • 10.1130/GES00863.1
  • References
  • Corti, G. (2012). Evolution and characteristics of continental rifting: Analog modeling-inspired view and comparison with examples from the East African Rift System. Tectonophysics, 522–523, 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2011.06.010
  • 10.1016/j.tecto.2011.06.010
  • References
  • Montanari, D., Agostini, A., Bonini, M., Corti, G., & Ventisette, C. (2017). The Use of Empirical Methods for Testing Granular Materials in Analogue Modelling. Materials, 10(6), 635. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10060635
  • 10.3390/ma10060635
  • References
  • Corti, G., Sani, F., Agostini, S., Philippon, M., Sokoutis, D., & Willingshofer, E. (2018). Off-axis volcano-tectonic activity during continental rifting: Insights from the transversal Goba-Bonga lineament, Main Ethiopian Rift (East Africa). Tectonophysics, 728–729, 75–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2018.02.011
  • 10.1016/j.tecto.2018.02.011
  • IsDocumentedBy
Contact
  • Corti
  • Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Florence, Italy
  • giacomo.corti@unifi.it
Citation Corti, G., Sordi, R., & Cucci, F. (2018). Centrifuge models investigating the influence of transverse pre-existing weaknesses on continental rifting [Data set]. GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/FIDGEO.2018.001