Geol341-342

Tectonic Settings for Extension

• Divergent plate motions
Normal Faults • Gravitational collapse
Extensional Tectonics – Over-thickened crust
– Continental margins
• Salt Domes

Many diagrams are from Earth Structure, van der Pluijm and Marshak, 2004 2004

Divergent Boundary
Extensional Tectonics
Normal Faults, rifts

Continental
Extension
Rifts
Bounded by
normal faults

1
Gravitational Collapse of Mt.
Back Arc extension
Belts

Extension of the lithosphere 1

Extension of the lithosphere 2

2
North Sea Extensional Basin Basin and
Range
Province

New Mountains-Active Fault –Basin and

Range Province

Two modes of extension Listric (curved) Faults- roll over

anticlines

3
 Small roll-overs

Block Rotation
Sandbox- Block rotation

Curved faults – Block rotation

0
Growth Strata

3
km

4
Domino block rotation in the Basin and Range
Gulf of
Mexico

Passive Margin

Pure shear vs. simple shear

systems

5
Transfer zone in a rift