Suchergebnisse

© 2015 Garcia-Castellanos, Jiménez-Munt. How do the feedbacks between tectonics, sediment transport and climate work to shape the topographic evolution of the Earth? This question has been widely addressed via numerical models constrained with thermochronological and geomorphological data at scales ranging from local to orogenic. Here we present a novel numerical model that aims at reproducing the interaction between these processes at the continental scale. For this purpose, we combine in a single computer program: 1) a thin-sheet viscous model of continental deformation; 2) a stream-power surface-transport approach; 3) flexural isostasy allowing for the formation of large sedimentary foreland basins; and 4) an orographic precipitation model that reproduces basic climatic effects such as continentality and rain shadow. We quantify the feedbacks between these processes in a synthetic scenario inspired by the India-Asia collision and the growth of the Tibetan Plateau. We identify a feedback between erosion and crustal thickening leading locally to a <50% increase in deformation rates in places where orographic precipitation is concentrated. This climatically-enhanced deformation takes place preferentially at the upwind flank of the growing plateau, specially at the corners of the indenter (syntaxes). We hypothesize that this may provide clues for better understanding the mechanisms underlying the intriguing tectonic aneurisms documented in the Himalayas. At the continental scale, however, the overall distribution of topographic basins and ranges seems insensitive to climatic factors, despite these do have important, sometimes counterintuitive effects on the amount of sediments trapped within the continent. The dry climatic conditions that naturally develop in the interior of the continent, for example, trigger large intra-continental sediment trapping at basins similar to the Tarim Basin because they determine its endorheic/exorheic drainage. These complex climatic-drainage-tectonic interactions make the development of steady-state topography at the continental scale unlikely. Copyright: ; Funding was granted by the Spanish Government through the projects TECLA (CGL2011-26670) and ATIZA (CGL2009-09662-BTE) ; Peer Reviewed

The geodynamic evolution of the Western Mediterranean related to the closure of the Ligurian-Tethys ocean is not yet fully resolved. We present a new 3D numerical model of double subduction with opposite polarities fostered by the inherited segmentation of the Ligurian-Tethys margins and rifting system between Iberia and NW Africa. The model is constrained by plate kinematic reconstructions and assumes that both Alboran-Tethys and Algerian-Tethys plate segments are separated by a NW-SE transform zone enabling that subduction polarity changes from SE-dipping in the Alboran-Tethys segment to NW-dipping in the Algerian-Tethys segment. The model starts about late Eocene times at 36.5 Ma and the temporal evolution of the simulation is tied to the geological evolution by comparing the rates of convergence and trench retreat, and the onset and end of opening in the Alboran Basin. Curvature of the Alboran-Tethys slab is imposed by the pinning of its western edge when reaching the end of the transform zone in the adjacent west-Africa continental block. The progressive curvature of the trench explains the observed regional stress reorientation changing from N-S to NW-SE and to E-W in the central and western regions of the Alboran Basin. The increase of the retreat rates from the Alboran-Tethys to the Algerian-Tethys slabs is compatible with the west-to-east transition from continental-to-magmatic-to-oceanic crustal nature and with the massive and partially synchronous calc-alkaline and alkaline magmatism. ; This work is funded by the SUBTETIS (PIE-CSIC-201830E039, CSIC), ALORBE (PIE-CSIC-202030E310), GeoCAM (PGC2018-095154-B-I00, Spanish Government), Equinor R&T Fornebu (Norway), and the Generalitat de Catalunya grant (AGAUR 2017 SGR 847). We also thank the computer resources at MareNostrum and the technical support provided by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) through several projects (AECT-2019-1-0013 and AECT-2019-2-0005). S. Z. has been funded by the MCIN/AEI doi:10.13039/501100011033 through project PID2020-113463RB-C32, and by EU H2020 MSCA grant agreement No 777778. This work has been done in the framework of the Unidad Asociada of LACAN-UPC with CSIC and using the facilities of the Laboratory of Geodynamic Modelling from Geo3BCN-CSIC. ; Peer reviewed

The geodynamic evolution of the Western Mediterranean for the past 35 My is a matter of debate. Present-day structure and composition of the lithosphere and sublithospheric mantle may help in constraining the geodynamic evolution of the region. We use an integrated geophysical-petrological modeling to derive and compare the present-day thermal, density and compositional structure of the lithosphere and sublithospheric mantle along two NNW-SSE oriented transects crossing the back-arc Alboran and Algerian basins, from onshore Iberia to the northern Africa margin. The crust is constrained using available seismic data and geological cross-sections, whereas seismic tomography and mantle xenoliths constrain the upper mantle structure and composition. Results show a thick crust (37 and 30 km) and a relative deep LAB (130 and 150 km) underneath the HP/LT metamorphic units of the Internal Betics and Greater Kabylies, respectively, which contrast with the 16 km thick magmatic crust of the Alboran Basin and the 10 km thick oceanic crust of the Algerian Basin. The sharp change in lithosphere thickness, from the orogenic wedge to the back-arc basins, contrasts with the gentler lithosphere thickening toward the respective opposed margins. Our results confirm the presence of detached slabs ∼400 °C colder than upper mantle and a fertile composition than the continental lithospheric mantle beneath the External Betics and Saharan Atlas. Presence of detached quasi-vertical sublithospheric slabs dipping toward the SSE in the Betics and toward the NNW in the Kabylies and the opposed symmetric lithospheric structure support an opposite dipping subduction and retreat of two adjacent segments of the Jurassic Ligurian-Tethys realm. ; This work is funded by the EU Marie Curie Initial Training Network "SUBITOP" (674899-SUBITOP-H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015) and partly by SUBTETIS (PIE-CSIC-201830E039, CSIC), ALORBE (PIE-CSIC-202030E310), GeoCAM (PGC2018-095154-B-I00, Spanish Government), Equinor R&T Fornebu (Norway), and the Generalitat de Catalunya grant (AGAUR 2017 SGR 847). This work has been done using the facilities of the Laboratory of Geodynamic Modeling from Geo3BCN-CSIC. ; Peer reviewed

Central Eurasia hosts wide orogenic belts of collision between India and Arabia with Eurasia, with diffuse or localized deformation occurring up to hundreds of kilometers from the primary plate boundaries. Although numerous studies have investigated the neotectonic deformation in central Eurasia, most of them have focused on limited segments of the orogenic systems. Here we explore the neotectonic deformation of all of central Eurasia, including both collision zones and the links between them. We use a thin-spherical sheet approach in which lithosphere strength is calculated from lithosphere structure and its thermal regime. We investigate the contributions of variations in lithospheric structure, rheology, boundary conditions, and fault friction coefficients on the predicted velocity and stress fields. Results (deformation pattern, surface velocities, tectonic stresses, and slip rates on faults) are constrained by independent observations of tectonic regime, GPS, and stress data. Our model predictions reproduce the counterclockwise rotation of Arabia and Iran, the westward escape of Anatolia, and the eastward extrusion of the northern Tibetan Plateau. To simulate the observed extensional faults in the Tibetan Plateau, a weaker lithosphere is required, provided by a change in the rheological parameters. The southward movement of the SE Tibetan Plateau can be explained by the combined effects of the Sumatra trench retreat, a thinner lithospheric mantle, and strik-slip faults in the region. This study offers a comprehensive model for regions with little or no data coverage, like the Arabia-India intercollision zone, where the surface velocity is northward showing no deflection related to Arabia and India indentations. ©2017. American Geophysical Union. ; Funding was granted by the Spanish Government through the project MITE (CGL2014-59516-P) and ALPIMED (PIECSIC-201530E082). ; Peer reviewed

Plate subduction and delamination, two key processes driving plate tectonics, are thought to be controlled by the buoyancy of the lithospheric mantle relative to the underlying asthenosphere. Most mantle delamination models consider a lithospheric density higher than the asthenosphere to ensure negative buoyancy (slab pull). However, mineral physics show that the continental lithospheric mantle density is lighter than the asthenosphere, and that only its pressure-temperature-composition dependence makes it become denser and unstable when sinking adiabatically. Here, we explore the controls on buoyancy using a 2D thermal-diffusive model of plate convergence, considering five chemical compositions and tectonothermal ages, namely Archon (>2.5 Ga), Proton (2.5–1.0 Ga), Tecton (<1.0 Ga), and two oceanic lithospheric plates of 30 Ma and 120 Ma. While the advection of colder rock in oceanic-like plates always results in negative buoyancy, Protons and Tectons exhibit an ability to slowly flip from negative to positive buoyancy at low convergence rates: they first favour the sinking due to advection and then become more buoyant because they are thinner and heat up faster during subduction. In contrast, the lighter density of cratons overprints this effect and hinders delamination or subduction, regardless of the convergence rate. This may explain why Archons are more stable during the Wilson cycle. ; This work has been supported by EU Marie Curie Initial Training Network 'SUBITOP' (674899-SUBITOP-H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015) and MITE (Spanish Government national research program; CGL2014-59516). ; Peer reviewed

During the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC, 5.97–5.33 Ma), thick evaporites were deposited in the Mediterranean Sea associated with major margin erosion. This has been interpreted by most authors as resulting from water level drop by evaporation but its timing, amplitude and variations between subbasins are poorly constrained due to uncertainty in post-Messinian vertical motions and lack of a clear time-correlation between the marginal basin and offshore records. The Balearic Promontory and surrounding basins exemplify a range of responses to this event, from margin erosion to up to a kilometre thick Messinian units in the abyssal areas containing the majority of the MSC halite. The Balearic Promontory contains unique patches of halite with thickness up to 325 m at intermediate depths that provide valuable information on water level during the stage of halite deposition. We compile seismic markers potentially indicating ancient shorelines during the drawdown phase: the first is marked by the transition from the MES to UU based on seismic data. The second is the limit between the bottom erosion surface (BES) and abyssal halite deposits. We restore these shorelines to their original depth accounting for flexural isostasy and sediment compaction. The best-fitting scenario involves a water level drop of ca. 1,100 ± 100 m for the Upper unit level and 1,500 ± 100 m for the BES level. According to our results, halite deposition began in the Central Mallorca Depression at 1,300–1,500 m depth, perched hundreds of metres above the deep basins, which were at 1,500–1,800 m (Valencia Basin) and >2,900 m (Algerian Basin). The hypothesis that erosion surfaces were formed subaerially during the drawdown phase is consistent with a model of halite deposition before/during the water level drop of at least 1,000 m, followed by the deposition of the Upper unit until the MSC is terminated by the reinstatement of normal marine conditions. ; Funding was provided by the European Commission through ITN SaltGiant (Horizon2020-765256) and partly by GeoCAM (PGC2018-095154-B-100), Spanish Government. This work was done using the facilities of the Laboratory of Geodynamic Modelling at Geo3BCN-CSIC. ; Peer reviewed

The modes in which the lithosphere deforms during continental collision and the mechanisms involved are not well understood. While continental subduction and mantle delamination are often invoked in tectonophysical studies, these processes are difficult to be confirmed in more complex tectonic regions such as the Gibraltar Arc. We study the present-day density and compositional structure of the lithosphere along a transect running from South Iberia to North Africa crossing the western Gibraltar Arc. This region is located in the westernmost continental segment of the African-Eurasian plates, characterized by a diffuse transpressive plate boundary. An integrated and self-consistent geophysical-petrological methodology is used to model the lithosphere structure variations and the thermophysical properties of the upper mantle. The crustal structure is mainly constrained by seismic experiments and geological data, whereas the composition of the lithospheric mantle is constrained by xenolith data. The results show large lateral variations in the topography of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. We distinguish different chemical lithospheric mantle domains that reproduce the main trends of the geophysical observables and the modeled P and S wave seismic velocities. A sublithospheric body colder than the surrounding mantle is needed beneath the Betics-Rif to adjust the measured potential fields. We link this body to the Iberian slab localized just to the east of the profile and having some effect on the geoid and Bouguer anomalies. Local isostasy allows explaining most of the topography, but an elastic thickness higher than 10 km is needed to explain local misfits between the Atlas and the Rif Mountains. ; Funding was granted by the Spanish Government through the project MITE (CGL2014‐59516‐P) and projects Alpimed (PIE‐CSIC‐201530E082) and Subtetis (PIE‐CSIC‐201830E039). A. C. benefitted from a JAE‐Pre‐CP grant from CSIC. A. K. benefitted from EU Marie Curie Initial Training Network "SUBITOP" (674899‐SUBITOP‐H2020‐MSCA‐ITN‐2015). ; Peer reviewed

Creep due to ice flow is generally thought to be the main cause for the formation of crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs) in polycrystalline anisotropic ice. However, linking the development of CPOs to the ice flow history requires a proper understanding of the ice aggregate's microstructural response to flow transitions. In this contribution the influence of ice deformation history on the CPO development is investigated by means of full-field numerical simulations at the microscale. We simulate the CPO evolution of polycrystalline ice under combinations of two consecutive deformation events up to high strain, using the code VPFFT (visco-plastic fast Fourier transform algorithm) within ELLE. A volume of ice is first deformed under coaxial boundary conditions, which results in a CPO. The sample is then subjected to different boundary conditions (coaxial or non-coaxial) in order to observe how the deformation regime switch impacts the CPO. The model results indicate that the second flow event tends to destroy the first, inherited fabric with a range of transitional fabrics. However, the transition is slow when crystallographic axes are critically oriented with respect to the second imposed regime. Therefore, interpretations of past deformation events from observed CPOs must be carried out with caution, particularly in areas with complex deformation histories. ; Maria-Gema Llorens was supported by a Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación fellowship (IJC2018-036826-I), funded by the MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. Enrique Gomez-Rivas was supported by the Ramón y Cajal fellowship (RYC2018-026335-I), funded by the MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the FSE. Ilka Weikusat received support from the HFG grant no. VH-NG-802. This work is part of the CSIC-PTI POLARCSIC activities, and it has been developed using the facilities of the Laboratory of Geodynamic Modelling of GEO3BCN and a computer cluster of the University of Tübingen. Funding was provided partly by GeoCAM (PGC2018-095154-B-100) of the Spanish Government. ...

The dimensions, the geographical position and the complex geological history of the Iberian Peninsula makes it a unique and singular target to study its crustal and upper mantle structure and geodynamical evolution using geophysical methods. The lithospheric structure beneath Iberia has been investigated since the 1970's using deep multichannel seismic reflection and refraction/wide-angle reflection profiling. Gravimetric and magnetic data were acquired following the deployment of permanent and temporary stations, mostly during the 1990's. Beginning in the late 1990's, the progressive use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) instruments contributed to monitor the present-day motions. During the last decades, numerous geological and geophysical surveys have investigated the Iberian lithosphere and upper mantle in the onshore and offshore regions, the most recent ones related to the TopoIberia project. The approach developed in this contribution is twofold. Firstly, we summarize the available geophysical information over Iberia, from focusing on the upper crust to the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary and the transition zone marking the bottom of the upper mantle. Results of GNSS data, potential fields, controlled source seismic profiles, magnetotelluric data, body and surface wave tomography, receiver functions and 2D and 3D lithospheric modeling are reviewed and compared. Secondly, we focus on the areas of greater geodynamic interest and the regions where inconsistencies within the geophysical results, or contradictions in their tectonic interpretation exist, identifying the major questions that are still under debate. Besides shedding light to the state of knowledge and pointing out present-day research challenges, this review provides a tool for the integration of the diverse geophysical datasets with the surface geology and geodynamical processes that are interpreted to have built the complex geology of the Iberian Peninsula. ; The authors acknowledge funding from the Generalitat de Catalunya, grant/awards number AGAUR 2017SGR1022, and AGAUR 2017SGR847, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities grant numbers RTI2018-095594-B-I00, PGC2018-095154-B-100 and PGC2018-094227-B-I00 and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness grant numbers CGL2017-84901-C2 and PIE-CSIC-201830E039. IP is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities and University of Salamanca grant BEAGAL18/00090. AV acknowledges funding from the Spanish government through the 'Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence' accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S). ; Peer reviewed

Systematic Review Registration: https://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/193580 ; The immense advances in computer power achieved in the last decades have had a significant impact in Earth science, providing valuable research outputs that allow the simulation of complex natural processes and systems, and generating improved forecasts. The development and implementation of innovative geoscientific software is currently evolving towards a sustainable and efficient development by integrating models of different aspects of the Earth system. This will set the foundation for a future digital twin of the Earth. The codification and update of this software require great effort from research groups and therefore, it needs to be preserved for its reuse by future generations of geoscientists. Here, we report on Geo-Soft-CoRe, a Geoscientific Software & Code Repository, hosted at the archive DIGITAL.CSIC. This is an open source, multidisciplinary and multiscale collection of software and code developed to analyze different aspects of the Earth system, encompassing tools to: 1) analyze climate variability; 2) assess hazards, and 3) characterize the structure and dynamics of the solid Earth. Due to the broad range of applications of these software packages, this collection is useful not only for basic research in Earth science, but also for applied research and educational purposes, reducing the gap between the geosciences and the society. By providing each software and code with a permanent identifier (DOI), we ensure its self-sustainability and accomplish the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) principles. Therefore, we aim for a more transparent science, transferring knowledge in an easier way to the geoscience community, and encouraging an integrated use of computational infrastructure. Systematic Review Registration: https://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/193580 ; This research has been funded by the Projects EPOS IP 676564, EPOS SP 871121, SERA 730900, GeoCAM (PGC2018-095154-B-I00, Spanish Government) and the Center of Excellence for Exascale in Solid Earth (ChEESE) under the Grant Agreement 823844. IDF was funded by a FEDER-Junta de Castilla y León Postdoctoral contract (SA0084P20). JA and M-GL are funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Juan de la Cierva fellowship (IJC 2018-036074-I and IJC 2018-036826-I, respectively), funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033. AH is grateful for his Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC 2020-029253-I). Additional funding was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RTI 2018-095594-B-I00, PGC 2018-095154-B-100) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (AGAUR, 2017SGR1022). AP's work was supported by: a Science Foundation Ireland Career Development Award (17/CDA/4695); an investigator award (16/IA/4520); a Marine Research Programme funded by the Irish Government, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (Grant-Aid Agreement No. PBA/CC/18/01); European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme InnoVar under grant agreement No 818144; SFI Centre for Research Training in Foundations of Data Science 18/CRT/6049, and SFI Research Centre awards I-Form 16/RC/3872 and Insight 12/RC/2289_P2. AH and SG thank the Spanish research project PaleoModes (CGL2016-75281-C2-1-R) which provided some of their financial support. JF is supported by an Atracción de Talento senior fellowship (2018-T1/AMB/11493) funded by Comunidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain), and a project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2020-114854GB-C22). ; Peer reviewed