|
Article |
1 Department of Geological Sciences, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
2 Badley Earth Sciences Ltd, North Beck House, Hundleby, Spilsby, Lincolnshire PE23 NB, UK
Reactivation involves the accommodation of geologically separable displacement events (intervals >1 Ma) along pre-existing structures. The definition of a significant period of quiescence is central to this phenomenological definition and the duration of the interval chosen represents the resolution limit of reactivation criteria found in most ancient settings. In neotectonic environments, reactivation can be further defined as the accommodation of displacements along structures that formed prior to the onset of the current tectonic regime. This mechanistic definition cannot always be applied to ancient settings due to the uncertainties in constraining relative plate motion vectors. Four sets of criteria may be used to recognize reactivation in the geological record: stratigraphic, structural, geochronological and neotectonic. Some structural criteria may not be reliable if used in isolation to identify reactivated structures. Much of the previously published evidence cited to invoke structural inheritance is equivocal as it uses similarities in trend, dip or three-dimensional shape of structures. Numerous fault and shear zone processes can cause significant weakening both synchronously with deformation and in the long-term and may be invoked to explain reactivation. The collage of fault-bounded blocks forming most continents therefore carries a long-term architecture of inheritance which can explain much of the observed complexity of continental deformation zones.
Keywords: reactivation, faults, shear zones, deformation, rheology.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  J. HANSEN, D. A. JERRAM, K. McCAFFREY, and S. R. PASSEY The onset of the North Atlantic Igneous Province in a rifting perspective Geological Magazine, 2009; 146: 309 - 325. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. CHATTOPADHYAY, L. KHASDEO, R. E. HOLDSWORTH, and S. A. F. SMITH Fault reactivation and pseudotachylite generation in the semi-brittle and brittle regimes: examples from the Gavilgarh-Tan Shear Zone, central India Geological Magazine, 2008; 145: 766 - 777. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. L. Wells and T. D. Hoisch The role of mantle delamination in widespread Late Cretaceous extension and magmatism in the Cordilleran orogen, western United States Geological Society of America Bulletin, 2008; 120: 515 - 530. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L.M. Watts, R.E. Holdsworth, J.A. Sleight, R.A. Strachan, and S.A.F. Smith The movement history and fault rock evolution of a reactivated crustal-scale strike-slip fault: the Walls Boundary Fault Zone, Shetland Journal of the Geological Society, 2007; 164: 1037 - 1058. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Elias-Herrera, F. Ortega-Gutierrez, J. L. Sanchez-Zavala, C. Macias-Romo, A. Ortega-Rivera, and A. Iriondo The Caltepec fault zone: Exposed roots of a long-lived tectonic boundary between two continental terranes of southern Mexico Geological Society of America Special Papers, 2007; 422: 317 - 342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W. D. Cunningham and P. Mann Tectonics of strike-slip restraining and releasing bends Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2007; 290: 1 - 12. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. A. Stewart Salt tectonics in the North Sea Basin: a structural style template for seismic interpreters Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2007; 272: 361 - 396. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. J. Jolley, G. W. Stuart, S. R. Freeman, R. J. Knipe, D. Kershaw, E. McAllister, A. C. Barnicoat, and R. F. Tucker Progressive evolution of a late orogenic thrust system, from duplex development to extensional reactivation and disruption: Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2007; 272: 543 - 569. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.P. Howard, W.D. Cunningham, and S.J. Davies Competing processes of clastic deposition and compartmentalized inversion in an actively evolving transpressional basin, western Mongolia Journal of the Geological Society, 2006; 163: 657 - 670. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. A. Dutch, M. Hand, and C. Clark Cambrian reworking of the southern Australian Proterozoic Curnamona Province: constraints from regional shear-zone systems Journal of the Geological Society, 2005; 162: 763 - 775. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. de Paola, R.E. Holdsworth, and K.J.W. McCaffrey The influence of lithology and pre-existing structures on reservoir-scale faulting patterns in transtensional rift zones Journal of the Geological Society, 2005; 162: 471 - 480. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. Edwards and L. Ratschbacher Seismic and aseismic weakening effects in transtension: field and microstructural observations on the mechanics and architecture of a large fault zone in SE Tibet Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2005; 245: 109 - 141. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. I. Alsop and R. E. Holdsworth Shear zones -- an introduction and overview Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2004; 224: 1 - 9. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Storti, R. E. Holdsworth, and F. Salvini Intraplate strike-slip deformation belts Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2003; 210: 1 - 14. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G.M. Ross and D.W. Eaton Basement reactivation in the Alberta Basin: Observational constraints and mechanical rationale Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, 2001; 49: 429 - 433. [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. E. Holdsworth, M. Handa, J. A. Miller, and I. S. Buick Continental reactivation and reworking: an introduction Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 184: 1 - 12. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. H. Rutter, R. E. Holdsworth, and R. J. Knipe The nature and tectonic significance of fault-zone weakening: an introduction Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 186: 1 - 11. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. E. Holdsworth, M. Stewart, J. Imber, and R. A. Strachan The structure and rheological evolution of reactivated continental fault zones: a review and case study Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 184: 115 - 137. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. J. Walsh, C. Childs, V. Meyer, T. Manzocchi, J. Imber, A. Nicol, G. Tuckwell, W. R. Bailey, C. G. Bonson, J. Watterson, et al. Geometric controls on the evolution of normal fault systems Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 186: 157 - 170. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. E. Beacom, R. E. Holdsworth, K. J. W. McCaffrey, and T. B. Anderson A quantitative study of the influence of pre-existing compositional and fabric heterogeneities upon fracture-zone development during basement reactivation Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 186: 195 - 211. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Tikoff, P. Kelso, C. Manduca, M. J. Markley, and J. Gillaspy Lithospheric and crustal reactivation of an ancient plate boundary: the assembly and disassembly of the Salmon River suture zone, Idaho, USA Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 186: 213 - 231. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. D. Hatcher Jr Rheological partitioning during multiple reactivation of the Palaeozoic Brevard Fault Zone, Southern Appalachians, USA Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 186: 257 - 271. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Tavarnelli, F. A. Decandia, P. Renda, M. Tramutoli, E. Gueguen, and M. Alberti Repeated reactivation in the Apennine-Maghrebide system, Italy: a possible example of fault-zone weakening? Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 186: 273 - 286. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. J. Muir, R. J. MUIR, J. D. BRADSHAW, S. D. WEAVER, and M. G. LAIRD The influence of basement structure on the evolution of the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand Journal of the Geological Society, 2000; 157: 1179 - 1185. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Marshak, K. Karlstrom, and J. M. Timmons Inversion of Proterozoic extensional faults: An explanation for the pattern of Laramide and Ancestral Rockies intracratonic deformation, United States Geology, 2000; 28: 735 - 738. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. M. ROBERTS and R. E. HOLDSWORTH Linking onshore and offshore structures: Mesozoic extension in the Scottish Highlands Journal of the Geological Society, 1999; 156: 1061 - 1064. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. D. Ryan and C. Mac Niocaill Continental Tectonics: an introduction Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1999; 164: 1 - 6. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. F. Dewey, R. E. Holdsworth, and R. A. Strachan Transpression and transtension zones Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1998; 135: 1 - 14. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Tavarnelli Tectonic evolution of the Northern Salinian Block, California, USA: Paleogene to Recent shortening in a transform fault-bounded continental fragment Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1998; 135: 107 - 118. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. K. Dokka, T. M. Ross, and G. Lu The Trans Mojave-Sierran shear zone and its role in Early Miocene collapse of southwestern North America Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1998; 135: 183 - 202. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. K. Watkeys and D. Sokoutis Transtension in southeastern Africa associated with Gondwana break-up Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 1998; 135: 203 - 214. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
