Transform continental margins – Part 1: Concepts and models

International audienceThis paper reviews the geodynamic concepts and models related to transform continental margins, and their implications on the structure of these margins. Simple kinematic models of transform faulting associated with continental rifting and oceanic accretion allow to define three successive stages of evolution, including intra-continental transform faulting, active transform margin, and passive transform margin. Each part of the transform margin experiences these three stages, but the evolution is diachronous along the margin. Both the duration of each stage and the cumulated strike-slip deformation increase from one extremity of the margin (inner corner) to the other (outer corner). Initiation of transform faulting is related to the obliquity between the trend of the lithospheric deformed zone and the relative displacement of the lithospheric plates involved in divergence. In this oblique setting, alternating transform and divergent plate boundaries correspond to spatial partitioning of the deformation. Both obliquity and the timing of partitioning influence the shape of transform margins. Oblique margin can be defined when oblique rifting is followed by oblique oceanic accretion. In this case, no transform margin should exist in the prolongation of the oceanic fracture zones. Vertical displacements along transform margins were mainly studied to explain the formation of marginal ridges. Numerous models were proposed, one of the most used is being based on thermal exchanges between the oceanic and the continental lithospheres across the transform fault. But this model is compatible neither with numerical computation including flexural behavior of the lithosphere nor with timing of vertical displacements and the lack of heating related to the passing of the oceanic accretion axis as recorded by the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana marginal ridge. Enhanced models are still needed. They should better take into account the erosion on the continental slope, and the level of coupling of the transform continental margin with the adjacent oceanic lithosphere

A new interpretation of Stephanian deformation in the Decazeville basin (Massif Central, France); consequences on late Variscan tectonism.

Five stages of faulting were observed in and around the Stephanian Decazeville basin, in the SW French Massif Central, at the southern edge of the Sillon houiller fault. The older stage ends during middle Stephanian time, and corresponds to a strike-slip regime with N-S shortening and E-W extension. Before the end of the middle Stephanian, three other stages were recorded: two strike-slip regimes with NW-SE, then E-W compression and NE-SW, then N-S extension; and finally a NNE-SSW extensional regime during the main subsidence of the basin from the end of the middle Stephanian to late Stephanian. Based on mining documents, a new interpretation of the N-S striking folds of the Decazeville basin is proposed. Folding may not be associated with E-W compression but with diapirism of coal seams along syn-sedimentary normal faults during the extensional phase. A last strike-slip regime with N-S compression and E-W extension may be related to Cainozoic Pyrenean orogeny. At a regional scale, it is suggested that from the end of the middle Stephanian to the late Stephanian, the main faults in the Decazeville basin may represent a horsetail splay structure at the southern termination of the Sillon houiller fault

Phreatomagmatic eruption during the buildup of a Triassic carbonate platform (Oman Exotics): eruptive style, associated deformations, and implications on CO2 release by volcanism

Oman exotics represent remnants of a Triassic carbonate platform (Misfah Formation). Within these carbonates, and coeval with the sedimentation, several basaltic magmatic events occurred mainly as intrusions, also as lava flows and projections. We describe one of these events, that produced a phreatomagmatic eruption along a volcanic fissure. The initial ascent of magma probably occurred along on a normal fault related to gravity-driven sliding of the carbonates towards the platform edge. Magma first emplaced in a saucer-shaped sill few tens of meters below the surface. This intrusion provided a decollement layer, that may have speed up the gravity-driven sliding, opening fractures that brought sea-water in contact with the magma, hence triggering the phreatomagmatic eruption. Eruption was followed by the collapse of the limestones in a megabreccia infilling the eruptive line and prohibiting further contact between sea water and magma. The main magma volume emplaced at depth in two superposed magma chambers that replaced the host sediments and uplifted the overlying eruptive line. These magma chambers fossilized the substratum of the carbonate platform, that consists in uplifted sediments from the distal Hawasina basin. Replacing limestones by magma chambers may have release huge volumes of Carbon dioxide, estimated to be two to three hundred times higher than CO2 release by volcanic gases. CO2 release by decarbonating sediments may be an important mechanism to explain climatic changes associated to some large igneous provinces such as Siberia, Central Atlantic Magmatic Province, or Karoo, where very large magmatic volumes where intruded in sedimentary basins

Bedding attitudes as a sequence stratigraphy proxy : A case study from borehole images, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Leg 313, Hole M28

International audienceIn this study we investigate the relationship between the dips of seismic reflectors, which are used to define sequence boundaries, and the orientation (dip and dip direction) of bedding surfaces at core scales. Sequence boundaries from seismic data and lithostratigraphic boundaries from cores and logs are compared with the bedding orientations measured on borehole images of Miocene siliciclastic sediments at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 313 Site M28. It is not surprising that bedding orientations show huge variations at scales that are too small to be detected on seismic profiles. However, changes of orientation defined as rotation between two successive intervals match the depths of approximately half of the seismic sequence boundaries. While they do not match boundaries between lithostratigraphic units, changes of orientation frequently correlate with maxima and minima in the gamma ray signal, suggesting that they are related to changes in depositional processes rather than to changes in lithology. This study suggests for the first time that bedding attitudes can be used as a stratigraphic tool at various scales from bed to bed across depth intervals of tens of meters

Potassic late orogenic Stephanian volcanism in the South West french Massif Central (Decazeville, Figeac, Lacapelle-Marival basins): an example for mantle metasomatism along strike-slip faults?

International audienceIn the Southwestern part of the French Massif central (Decazeville basin, at the Sillon Houiller fault termination; Figeac and Lacapelle-Marival basins along the Argentat fault), Stephanian volcanism exhibits shoshonitic affinities. Their chondrite-normalized Rare Earth Element (REE) patterns are enriched in light REE, but almost flat for heavy REE, with marked negative Eu anomalies. Primitive mantle-normalized element spectra show negative Nb, Ta, P, Sm, Ti, and positive Th, U, Pb anomalies, respectively. εNd values are negative and homogeneous (-6 to -4). This volcanism shares the same geochemical patterns as the late-orogenic Stephanian-Permian magmatism from the southern part of the Variscan belt (Pyrénées, Alps, Sardinia). We explain these geochemical characteristics as resulting from the partial melting of a metasomatised mantle. We propose a new mechanism to explain this melting process: horizontal displacement along the main late-orogenic strike-slip faults might bring into contact a hydrated lower crust with the lithospheric mantle. Mantle metasomatism within the strike-slip fault zone may then induce partial meltin

Notes on the blood-feeding behavior of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Cameroon

Background: The invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus is often considered a poor vector of human pathogens, owing to its catholic feeding behavior. However, it was recently incriminated as a major vector in several Chikungunya epidemics, outside of its native range. Here we assessed two key elements of feeding behavior by Ae. albopictus females in Yaounde, Cameroon, Central Africa. Host preference was explored and the human-biting activity of females was monitored over 24 h to determine periods of maximum bite exposure. Findings: Analysis of ingested blood in outdoor-resting females showed that Ae. albopictus preferentially fed on humans rather than on available domestic animals (95% of the blood meals contained human blood). Our results further showed that Ae. albopictus is a day-biting species in Yaounde, with a main peak of activity in the late afternoon. Conclusion: This is the first report on the feeding behavior of Ae. albopictus in Central Africa. The species is highly aggressive to humans and might therefore be involved in human-human virus transmission in this setting

Denudation of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana transform margin from apatite fission tracks.

Apatite fission track analysis of samples from the shoulder (marginal ridge) of the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana transform continental margin reveal a cooling of the margin between 85 and 65 Ma for the central and eastern parts of the ridge. All samples were heated in situ during sedimentary burial with a temperature >120 °C, except for two samples located in the eastern part which were heated between 105 and 120 °C. For the first time, age/depth diagram along a transform margin shows a shape involving erosion starting at the bottom of the continental slope, then stepping backwards towards the edge of the slope. This retrogressive erosion can result from the deepening of the lithospheric plate sliding along the transform margin, from thick continental crust to thin continental crust, and finally to oceanic crust. This process could be at the origin of the shoulder uplift by flexural response to the important crustal discharge (>2 km)

Phanerozoic geological evolution of the Equatorial Atlantic domain

The Phanerozoic geological evolution of the Equatorial Atlantic domain has been controlled since the end of Early Cretaceous by the Romanche and Saint Paul transform faults. These faults did not follow the PanAfrican shear zones, but were surimposed on Palaeozoic basins. From Neocomian to Barremian, the Central Atlantic rift propagated southward in Cassiporé and Marajó basins, and the South Atlantic rift propagated northward in Potiguar and Benue basins. During Aptian times, the Equatorial Atlantic transform domain appeared as a transfer zone between the northward propagating tip of South Atlantic and the Central Atlantic. Between the transform faults, oceanic accretion started during Late Aptian in small divergent segments, from south to north: Benin-Mundaú, deep Ivorian basin-Barreirinhas, Liberia-Cassiporé. From Late Aptian to Late Albian, the Togo-Ghana-Ceará basins appeared along the Romanche transform fault, and Côte dÍvoire-Parà-Maranhão basins along Saint Paul transform fault. They were rapidly subsiding in intra-continental settings. During Late Cretaceous, these basins became active transform continental margins, and passive margins since Santonian times. In the same time, the continental edge uplifted leading either to important erosion on the shelf or to marginal ridges parallel to the transform faults in deeper settings

Triassic alkaline magmatism of the Hawasina Nappes: Post-breakup melting of the Oman lithospheric mantle modified by the Permian Neotethyan Plume

International audienceMiddle to Late Triassic lavas were sampled within three tectonostratigraphic groups of the Hawasina Nappes in the Oman Mountains. They are predominantly alkali basalts and trachybasalts, associated with minor sub-alkaline basalts, trachyandesites, trachytes and rhyolites. Their major, trace elements and Nd-Pb isotopic compositions are very similar to those of the Permian plume-related high-Ti basalts which also occur in the Hawasina Nappes. The Triassic lavas derive from low-degree melting of an enriched OIB-type mantle source, characterized by εNdi = 0.3-5.3 and (206Pb/204Pb)i = 16.96-19.31 (for t = 230 My). With time, melting depths decreased from the garnet + spinel to the spinel lherzolite facies and the degree of melting increased. The oldest are distinguished from the others by unradiogenic Nd and Pb signatures, with εNdi = − 4.5 to − 1.2 and (206Pb/204Pb)i = 16.35-17.08, which we attribute to their contamination by Arabo-Nubian lower crust. The lavas likely derived from the Oman lithospheric mantle, the original DMM-HIMU signature of which was overprinted during its pervasive metasomatism by the Permian plume-related melts. We suggest that these lavas were emplaced during post-breakup decompression-triggered melting in the Middle Triassic during global kinematic reorganization of the Tethyan realm