Positive inversion of extensional footwalls in the southern Serra do Espinhaço, Brazil--insights from sandbox laboratory experiments

Analogue experiments were carried out to get insights into the processes governing positive inversion during the foreland propagating thrust tectonics in the southern Serra do Espinhaço, a Brasiliano/Panafrican foldthrust belt in southeast Brazil. In particular, model listric half-grabens were inver...

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Published inAnais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências Vol. 78; no. 2; pp. 331 - 344
Main Authors Gomes, Caroline J S, Martins-Neto, Marcelo A, Ribeiro, Valéria E
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Portuguese
Published Brazil Academia Brasileira de Ciências 01.06.2006
Subjects
Bacia Espinhaço
bloco do muro
descolamentos em cotas diferentes
different detachment levels
Espinhaço Basin
experimental modeling
footwall block
inversion tectonics
inversão tectônica
modelagem experimental
MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
bloco do muro
Bacia Espinhaço
different detachment levels
descolamentos em cotas diferentes
inversion tectonics
experimental modeling
Espinhaço Basin
modelagem experimental
footwall block
inversão tectônica
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Summary:Analogue experiments were carried out to get insights into the processes governing positive inversion during the foreland propagating thrust tectonics in the southern Serra do Espinhaço, a Brasiliano/Panafrican foldthrust belt in southeast Brazil. In particular, model listric half-grabens were inverted by applying contractional displacement to the footwall blocks. We investigated two different inversion conditions in listric half-grabens: (i) extensional and contractional detachments at the same level and (ii) at different positions. The models revealed that the development of a forward-breaking thrust system occurs in the basin synrift deposits, by contractional translation of the extensional footwall block when the extensional and contractional master faults do not coincide. Our experiments show the tectonic imbrication between basement and synrift sequences which characterizes the southern Serra do Espinhaço, and support the location in the eastern mountain range domain of the Espinhaço rift master fault system, which is not exposed at the surface.
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ISSN:0001-3765
1678-2690
0001-3765
1678-2690
DOI:10.1590/S0001-37652006000200012