Deformation asymmetry in foreland thrust belts and the kinematic direction of the related thrust faults

CHEN Shuping; WAN Huachuan; YUAN Haowei; WANG Xinpeng; HUANG Xueyao

doi:10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2021080

Volume 28 Issue 2

Apr. 2022

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CHEN Shuping, WAN Huachuan, YUAN Haowei, et al., 2022. Deformation asymmetry in foreland thrust belts and the kinematic direction of the related thrust faults. Journal of Geomechanics, 28 (2): 182-190. DOI: 10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2021080

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Deformation asymmetry in foreland thrust belts and the kinematic direction of the related thrust faults

doi: 10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2021080

CHEN Shuping^{1, 2
,},
WAN Huachuan^{1, 2},
YUAN Haowei^{1, 2},
WANG Xinpeng^{1, 2},
HUANG Xueyao^{1, 2}

1.
State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing 102249, China
2.
College of Geosciences, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China

Funds:

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 41172124

the National Natural Science Foundation of China 42172138

the National Key Research and Development Plan of China 2017YFC0603105

the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences XDA14010306

More Information

Received: 2021-07-14
Revised: 2022-02-11

Abstract

Abstract

The thrust directions in foreland thrust belts have not been explained on theory. Based on Coulomb fracture criterion and deformation asymmetry in foreland thrust belt, the origins of fore-thrust and back-thrust faults are analyzed in this paper. Two potential conjugate fractures would occur in initial deformation stage, and the fracture requiring less applied forces might develop into thrust fault under the quasi-static equilibrium caused by deformation asymmetry in foreland thrust belts. The applied forces needed to create fault movements include the frictions along both the detachment surface and the fault surface. The fore-thrust faults will occur in most deformations in foreland thrust belts. However, where either the principal stress axes tilt toward foreland or the intersections point of the two conjugate fractures are on the detachment surface, the back-thrust faults will be preferable to occur. The applied force, the frictions along the detachment surface and the geometries of the slipping terranes will determine the principal stress axes. The findings will help to explain the selectivity of the fault dips in both contractional and extensional deformation areas.
- foreland thrust belt,
- deformation asymmetry,
- quasi-static equilibrium,
- Coulomb fracture,
- kinematics,
- thrust direction

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