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    Sylvester1988 PDF

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    of 38
    Strike-slip faults ARTHUR G, SYLVESTER Department of Geological Sciences. University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106. ABSTRACT ‘The importance of strike-sip faulting was recognized near the turn of the century, ‘chiefly from investigations of surficial offsets associated with major earthquakes in New Zealand, Japan, and California. Extrapola- tion from observed horizontal displacements during single earthquakes to more abstract concepts of long-term, slow accumulation of hhundreds of kilometers of horizontal transia- tion over geologic time, however, came al- ‘mos simultaneously from several pats ofthe ‘world, but only after much regional geologic ‘mapping and synthesis. Strike-lip faults are clasiiod either as transform faults which cut the lithosphere 2s plate boundaries, or as transcurrent faults ‘Which ae confined to the crust. Each class of faults may be subdivided further according to thei plate or intraplate tectonic function. A ‘mechanical understanding of strike-slip faults has grown out of laboratory model studies ‘which give a theoretical basis to relate fault- ing o concepts of pure shear or simple shear. Conjugate sets of strike-slip faults form in pure shear, typically across the strike of a convergent orogenic belt. Fault lengths are ‘generally less than 100 km, and displacements along them are measurable in a few to tens ‘of kilometers. Major strike-slip faults form in regional belts of simple shear, typically paral- lel to orogenic belts; indeed, recognition of the role strikestip faults play ia ancient oro- senic belts is becoming increasingly com- ‘monplace as regional mapping becomes more detailed and complete. The lengths and dis- placements ofthe great strike.slip faults range in the hundreds of kilometers. The position and orientation of associated {olds local domains of extension and shorten ing, and related fractures and faults depend ‘on the bending or stepping geometry of the strike-slip fault or fall zone, and thus the degree of convergent or divergent strike sip. Elongate basins, ranging from sag ponds to ‘Geological Society of Americ Blt, 100, p. 1656: shombochasms, form as esl of extension in domains of divergent strike slip such as re- leasing beads; pl-apart basins evolve be- tween overstepping strike-slip faults. The arrangement of strike tip faults which bound basins is tlipshaped in profiles normal to strike, Hlongate uplits, ranging from pres- sure ridges to long, low ils or small moun- tain ranges, form as a result of crustal shortening in zones of convergent strike sip; they are bounded by an arrangement of strike-slip faults having the profile ofa palm tre Paleoseismic investigations imply that earthquakes occur more frequently on strike- slip faults than on intraplate normal and re- verse faults. Active stike-slip faults also difer from other types of faults in that they evince fault ereep, which is largely a surficial phenomenon driven by elastic loading ofthe crust at seismogenic depths. Creep may be steady state or episodic, pre-seismic, co- selsmic, or postseismic, depending on the constitutive properties of the fault zone and the nature of the stati strain field, among a ‘number of other factors which are incom- pletely understood. Recent studies have iden- tied relations between strike-sip faults and crustal delamination at of near the seismo- genie zone, giving a mechanism for regional rotation and translation of crustal slabs and fakes, but how general and widespread are these phenomena, and how the mechanisms ‘operate that drive these detachment tectonics are questions that require additional observa tions, data, and modeling Several fundamental. problems remain poorly understood, including the nature of formation of en echelon folds and their rela- ton to strike-sip faulting; the effect of me- chanical stratigraphy on_ strike-slip-fault structural styles; the thermal and stress states along transform plate boundaries; and the discrepancy between recent geological and historical fault-ip rates relative to more rapid rates of slip determined from analyses 170831 fis, 1 able, November 1988 16665 ‘of seafloor magnetic anomalies. Many of the concepts and problems concerning strike-slip faults are derived from nearly a century of study of the San Andreas fault and have added much information, but solutions to several remaining and new fundamental prob- lems will come when more attention is fo- ‘cused on other, less well studied strike-slip faults, INTRODUCTION ‘The catliest scientitic record of strike slip was ‘of New Zealand earthquake in 1888, the same year the Geological Society of America was Tounded. Many other strike-slip faults have been iscovere since that time, also as a result of ‘observed surface ruptures. The great San Fran- ‘sco earthquake of 1906 on the San Andreas fault i particularly noteworthy in this regard Swrike-lip faults, however, are regional suc tures and require regional stuies to document their existence and history. Several decades lapsed ater that New Zealand earthquake be- fore the geological community had suficent data to extrapolate from empirical, instamancous strike-slip in earthquakes to more abstract imerpetations that permitted tens or even thou- sands of kilometers of crustal translation by strike slip over geologic time. Then plate tecton- ies, with ts starting concepts of crustal mobility, allowed geologists to overcome the limitations of fixist tectonics which prevailed before the 19608 and to understand the mechanical com= plexitis and tectonics of strike-slip. Extensive field investigations, innovative experimental studies, images ofthe third dimen- sion by seismic reflection and driing, refined dating techniques, painstaking interpretations of paleosismicty, and analyses of modern earth- ‘quakes show that crustal slabs and plats have indeed slipped horizontally great distances dut- ing geologic time, s Wegener's hypokhesespre- supposed. Now we have new ideas of how clongate upifis and basins rise and fall along active strike-slip faults; we see increasingly com polling evidenoe that crustal *minplates” have fotated about vertical axes in broad zones of simple shear; we have good theoretical and experimental models supported with wel-doc ‘umented geological examples 10 explain the ‘once thoray question of how major strike-slip faults terminate. Our understanding of how they behave mechanically has improved, but we stil ‘know litle about these faults in the tied dimen- sion or about their thermo-mechanical behavior. Seismology and paleoseismology have been e5- pecially important in providing mechanical un- derstanding, because in continental areas such as southera California, New Zealand, and Asia, 2c: tive strike-slip fauls can be sue to give ideas bout how they have behaved during geologic Perhaps because itis so well exposed along much ofits eng, because itis an active faut so close to highly populated part of the United States having several major academic and gov= exnmental scientific groups living alms directly ‘upon it, and because of the presence of pe eum in structural taps along it, the San An- reas fault is the most extensively studied strike-slip fault in the world (see summary pa- pets by Crowel, 1979; Hill, 1981; Allen, 1981). For that reason, the San Andreas fault has been the source of many ideas pertaining to strike-slip tectonics (Hil, 1981} I therefore give the San ‘Andreas fault whst may seem to some readers an undue provincial emphasis inthis review. ‘The purposes of this paper are to collect and review @ number of principles, concepts, and notions about strike-slip faults; to summarize ‘what i known about thir geometric, kinematic, and tectonic implications to discuss some ofthe outstanding problems; and to call attention to some challenging problems that must reoeive at: ‘eation over the aext decade or soto gain better ‘understanding ofthese structures. plethora of literature citations i given to show the sources ‘of thse principles, conceps, and notios, and to auide the reader toward more specific informa- tion. Many references to the older literature demonstrate that many of out beliefs about sirke-sip faults were perceived, even if only

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