Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting
Along mid-ocean ridges the extending crust is segmented1 on length scales of 10–1,000 km. Where rift segments are offset from one another, motion between segments is accommodated by transform faults that are oriented orthogonally to the main rift axis. Where segments overlap, non-transform offsets w...
Published in: | Nature Geoscience |
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Online Access: | http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/ http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/1/Green_ngeo_Preprint.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/7/ngeo2012-f1.jpg http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/12/ngeo2012-s1.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/13/ngeo2012-s2.xlsx https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2012 |
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ftucambridgeesc:oai:eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk:2972 2023-05-15T16:48:12+02:00 Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting Green, Robert G. White, Robert S. Greenfield, Tim 2013 text image other http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/ http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/1/Green_ngeo_Preprint.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/7/ngeo2012-f1.jpg http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/12/ngeo2012-s1.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/13/ngeo2012-s2.xlsx https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2012 en eng Nature Publishing Group http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/1/Green_ngeo_Preprint.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/7/ngeo2012-f1.jpg http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/12/ngeo2012-s1.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/13/ngeo2012-s2.xlsx Green, Robert G. and White, Robert S. and Greenfield, Tim (2013) Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting. Nature Geoscience, 7 (1). pp. 29-33. ISSN 1752-0894 DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2012 <https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2012> 02 - Geodynamics Geophysics and Tectonics 06 - Part-III Projects Article PeerReviewed 2013 ftucambridgeesc https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2012 2020-08-27T18:09:30Z Along mid-ocean ridges the extending crust is segmented1 on length scales of 10–1,000 km. Where rift segments are offset from one another, motion between segments is accommodated by transform faults that are oriented orthogonally to the main rift axis. Where segments overlap, non-transform offsets with a variety of geometries2 accommodate shear motions. Here we use micro-seismic data to analyse the geometries of faults at two overlapping rift segments exposed on land in north Iceland. Between the rift segments, we identify a series of faults that are aligned sub-parallel to the orientation of the main rift. These faults slip through left-lateral strike-slip motion. Yet, movement between the overlapping rift segments is through right-lateral motion. Together, these motions induce a clockwise rotation of the faults and intervening crustal blocks in a motion that is consistent with a bookshelf-faulting mechanism, named after its resemblance to a tilting row of books on a shelf3. The faults probably reactivated existing crustal weaknesses, such as dyke intrusions, that were originally oriented parallel to the main rift and have since rotated about 15° clockwise. Reactivation of pre-existing, rift-parallel weaknesses contrasts with typical mid-ocean ridge transform faults and is an important illustration of a non-transform offset accommodating shear motion between overlapping rift segments. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland University of Cambridge, Department of Earth Sciences: ESC Publications Tilting ENVELOPE(-54.065,-54.065,49.700,49.700) Nature Geoscience 7 1 29 33 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of Cambridge, Department of Earth Sciences: ESC Publications |
op_collection_id |
ftucambridgeesc |
language |
English |
topic |
02 - Geodynamics Geophysics and Tectonics 06 - Part-III Projects |
spellingShingle |
02 - Geodynamics Geophysics and Tectonics 06 - Part-III Projects Green, Robert G. White, Robert S. Greenfield, Tim Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting |
topic_facet |
02 - Geodynamics Geophysics and Tectonics 06 - Part-III Projects |
description |
Along mid-ocean ridges the extending crust is segmented1 on length scales of 10–1,000 km. Where rift segments are offset from one another, motion between segments is accommodated by transform faults that are oriented orthogonally to the main rift axis. Where segments overlap, non-transform offsets with a variety of geometries2 accommodate shear motions. Here we use micro-seismic data to analyse the geometries of faults at two overlapping rift segments exposed on land in north Iceland. Between the rift segments, we identify a series of faults that are aligned sub-parallel to the orientation of the main rift. These faults slip through left-lateral strike-slip motion. Yet, movement between the overlapping rift segments is through right-lateral motion. Together, these motions induce a clockwise rotation of the faults and intervening crustal blocks in a motion that is consistent with a bookshelf-faulting mechanism, named after its resemblance to a tilting row of books on a shelf3. The faults probably reactivated existing crustal weaknesses, such as dyke intrusions, that were originally oriented parallel to the main rift and have since rotated about 15° clockwise. Reactivation of pre-existing, rift-parallel weaknesses contrasts with typical mid-ocean ridge transform faults and is an important illustration of a non-transform offset accommodating shear motion between overlapping rift segments. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Green, Robert G. White, Robert S. Greenfield, Tim |
author_facet |
Green, Robert G. White, Robert S. Greenfield, Tim |
author_sort |
Green, Robert G. |
title |
Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting |
title_short |
Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting |
title_full |
Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting |
title_fullStr |
Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting |
title_full_unstemmed |
Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting |
title_sort |
motion in the north iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/ http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/1/Green_ngeo_Preprint.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/7/ngeo2012-f1.jpg http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/12/ngeo2012-s1.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/13/ngeo2012-s2.xlsx https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2012 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-54.065,-54.065,49.700,49.700) |
geographic |
Tilting |
geographic_facet |
Tilting |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_relation |
http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/1/Green_ngeo_Preprint.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/7/ngeo2012-f1.jpg http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/12/ngeo2012-s1.pdf http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/2972/13/ngeo2012-s2.xlsx Green, Robert G. and White, Robert S. and Greenfield, Tim (2013) Motion in the north Iceland volcanic rift zone accommodated by bookshelf faulting. Nature Geoscience, 7 (1). pp. 29-33. ISSN 1752-0894 DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2012 <https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2012> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2012 |
container_title |
Nature Geoscience |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
29 |
op_container_end_page |
33 |
_version_ |
1766038308081631232 |