The impact of vertical-axis rotations on shortening estimates

The total amount of deformation between two converging bodies is described by the three components of the displacement fi eld: translation, rotation, and strain. Translations along faults and folding strain are the most common elements of the displacement field incorporated into estimates of tectoni...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Sussman, Aviva J., Pueyo Morer, Emilio Luis, Chase, Clement G., Mitra, Gautam, Weil, Arlo B.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2012
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/276706
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/276706
https://doi.org/10.1130/L177.1
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:rotación
deformación
desplazamiento falla
Wyoming
Descripción
Sumario:The total amount of deformation between two converging bodies is described by the three components of the displacement fi eld: translation, rotation, and strain. Translations along faults and folding strain are the most common elements of the displacement field incorporated into estimates of tectonic shortening across orogenic systems. Determinations of vertical-axis rotations through paleomagnetic and structural analyses are keys for deciphering the rotational component of shortening within an orogenic system, and they can have a substantial effect on the amount of tectonic shortening in such systems. Accommodation structures observed in orogenic systems are typically noncoaxial and/or noncylindrical geometries (e.g., oblique and lateral ramps, superposed folding). These structures suggest that vertical-axis rotations have taken place, can aid in determining the relative timing of rotation with respect to translation, and may help constrain the location of the rotation axis. In this paper, we defi ne the components of the total displacement fi eld, describe the diagnostic and suggestive features associated with vertical-axis rotations, and apply trigonometric map-view calculations to estimate the amount of shortening contributed by such rotations. An error function relating shortening with vertical-axis rotation has been calculated and predicts values up to 50% for a 60° rotation if the rotation is not taken into account. Finally, we apply our approach to the Wyoming salient and show that previous estimates of shortening there may contain up to 14% error