Cliff retreat and sea bed morphology under monochromatic wave forcing: Experimental study

Wave flume experiments have been performed to investigate a sandy cliff recession under monochromatic wave forcing. We varied the wave climate through the wave energy flux F and the surf similarity parameter j. The various processes of the cliff erosion cycle are depicted. The sea bed evolution mostly depends on the surf similarity parameter j. Steep planar (j > 0.7), gentle planar (0.5 < j < 0.7) and bared (j < 0.5) profiles are observed. We observed different bar dynamics, including steady and unsteady self-sustained oscillating states. Then we analyze the role of the eroded material on the cliff recession rate. We show that the cliff recession rate increases with the wave energy flux. Moreover, for a given wave energy flux, it is larger for a gentle planar profile than for a bared profile. However it is similar for both a bared profile and a steep planar profile. The cliff recession rate is not a monotonic function of the cliff height as the type of bottom profile influences the wave energy at the cliff

Analogue Experiments of Subduction vs. Collision Processes: Insights for the Iranian Tectonics

We investigate, using laboratory experiments, the behavior of subduction-collision transition. These experiments help understanding of the tectonics at the transition between the Zagros collision ranges and the Makran emerged accretionary prism in south-eastern Iran. Lithospheric plates are modeled by sand-silicone plates floating on glucose syrup, and the density contrast between oceanic and continental lithospheric plates and asthenosphere is reproduced. Analogue experiments model the convergence between two lithospheric plates, a small continent indenting a large continental plate. These experiments provide evidence for surface deformation in front of the indenter and above the oceanic subduction zone that depend on the behavior of the slab below the collision zone. Slab break-off following the subduction of the small continent favors the indentation process, because it results in an increasing compression in front of the indenter, and extension above the neighbouring oceanic subduction, both of them being responsible for the appearance of the indenter-like geometry of the plate boundary. When the slab does not deform significantly at depth, in contrast, the closure of the oceanic domain in front of the indenter is followed by a longer period of continental subduction, during which the tectonic regime within the large continent remains quite homogeneous. In south-east Iran, the transition between Zagros and Makran is accommodated over a large area, from the Hormoz strait to the East-Iranian ranges; it suggests that the slab is continuous at depth. On the contrary, the Chaman fault zone between Makran and Himalayas is a narrow zone and is clearly related to a tear away of the underlying slab

Analogue model of rift linkage and inversion with application to the Western Alps

Along-strike segmentation of orogens raises questions because its causes may predate orogeny in relation to structural inheritance. Here we focus on rift/margin linkage domains and their inversion by using analogue models with image analysis to extract the 3D strain field. Extensional models document, depending on the strike-perpendicular offset and the brittle-crust thickness, three types of rift linkage modes: (1) oblique linkage with early T-fault, (2) strongly-oblique linkage with R-fault network and, (3) transfer-linkage with late Y-strike-slip fault. Analogue model of inverted rift basins is used to analyse the misunderstood tectonic evolution of transition zones in the segmented Western Alpine belt

Uplift of Quaternary shorelines in Eastern Patagonia : Darwin revisited

International audienceDuring his journey on the Beagle, Darwin observed the uniformity in the elevation of coastal Eastern Patagonia along more than 2000 km. More than one century later, the sequences of Quaternary shorelines of eastern Patagonia have been described and their deposits dated but not yet interpreted in terms of geodynamics. Consequently, we i) mapped the repartition of the Quaternary coastal sequences in Argentinean Patagonia, ii) secured accurate altitudes of shoreline angles associated with erosional morphologies (i.e. marine terraces and notches), iii) took into account previous chrono-stratigraphical interpretations in order to calculate mean uplift rates since ~440 ka (MIS 11) and proposed age ranges for the higher and older features (up to ~180 m), and iv) focused on the Last Interglacial Maximum terrace (MIS 5e) as the best constrained marine terrace (in terms of age and altitude) in order to use it as a tectonic benchmark to quantify uplift rates along the entire passive margin of Eastern South America. Our results show that the eastern Patagonia uplift is constant through time and twice the uplift of the rest of the South American margin. We suggest that the enhanced uplift along the eastern Patagonian coast that interested Darwin during his journey around South America on the Beagle could originate from the subduction of the Chile ridge and the associated dynamic uplift

Pleistocene uplift, climate and morphological segmentation of the northern Chile coasts (24°S-32°S): Insights from cosmogenic 10Be dating of paleoshorelines

International audienceWe present new cosmogenic (10Be) exposure ages obtained on Pleistocene marine abrasion shore terraces of Northern Chile between 24°S and 32°S in order to evaluate the temporal and spatial variability of uplift rates along the coastal forearc. Both the dispersion of cosmogenic concentrations in samples from the same terrace and data obtained in vertical profiles show that onshore erosion rates, following emergence of paleoshorelines, approached 1 m/Myr. Therefore, minimum ages calculated without considering onshore erosion may be largely underestimated for Middle Pleistocene terraces. The elevation of the last interglacial (MIS-5) paleoshoreline is generally between 25 and 45 m amsl, suggesting that the entire coast of the study area has been uplifting during the Upper Pleistocene at rates approaching 0.3 mm/yr. Available ages for Middle Pleistocene terraces suggest similar uplift rates, except in the Altos de Talinay area where uplift may have been accelerated by the activity of the Puerto Aldea Fault. The maximum elevation of Pleistocene paleoshorelines is generally close to 250 m and there is no higher older Neogene marine sediment, which implies that uplift accelerated during the Pleistocene following a period of coastal stability or subsidence. We observe that the coastal morphology largely depends on the latitudinal climatic variability. North of 26.75°S, the coast is characterized by the presence of a high scarp associated with small and poorly preserved paleoshorelines at its foot. The existence of the coastal scarp in the northern part of the study area is permitted by the hyper-arid climate of the Atacama Desert. This particular morphology may explain why paleoshorelines evidencing coastal uplift are poorly preserved between 26.75°S and 24°S despite Upper Pleistocene uplift rates being comparable with those prevailing in the southern part of the study area

Uplift of the Bolivian orocline coastal areas based on geomorphologic evolution of marine terraces and abrasion surfaces: preliminary results

The southern Pacific coast morphology and especially the presence of marine surfaces gives information on the dynamics of Andean forearc evolution from the Neogene. Along most of the Southern Peru and Northern Chilean coasts, discontinuous uplifts are recorded by marine terraces and marine abrasion surfaces; they have thus, preserved a record of eustatic sea level changes and the uplift history of the coastal area in the Andean forearc. One approach to study the tectonic history of the Andean forearc is to identify its effects in marine sedimentation or erosion patterns along the coastal area. To investigate these processes, the Neogene marine formations are studied in various coastal sections either in southern Peru, at Chala (15°50'S) and Ilo (17°32'S-17°48'S), situated above a steep subduction segment and at San Juan de Marcona (15°20'S), situated above the southern part of the Nazca ridge; or in Chile, from Tongoy (30°15'S) to Los Vilos (31°55'S), situated above a flat subduction segment (Fig.1). We chose various sites from each branch of the Arica bend in order to sample possibly different time spans during the Neogene and different response of the continental plate to the subduction process. Various studies were already undertaken on such problems either in Peru or Chile but mainly leaded to the datation of the 5th isotopic stage. So, differential GPS and cosmogenic datations are pursued in order to propose robust ages on these sites and subtract the effects of eustatic sea-level changes from local curves, identifying tectonic uplifts

Compressive active fault systems along the Central Andean piedmont

It’s now established that Andean forearc is not concentrating as much tectonic shortening as the foreland since Middle Miocene. GPS measurements are neither available to inform on the long-term deformation across the Andes in Peru and anyway rather describe the elastic response of the Andean forearc to the Nasca-South American Plate convergence. Few neotectonic studies focuses on the Western side of the Andes and little is known about the active deformation in the Central Andes Pacific lowlands (Sébrier et al., 1988). Recent publications mainly improved the description of geomorphic surfaces (Thouret et al. 2007) and cosmogenic dating of the latter show much younger ones than expected (Hall et al., 2008). The topographic gradient on the western side of the Peruvian Andes is quite high as the trench (-7000m) lies only 200km away from the highest point (6000m). Moreover, authors still question the fact that the Andes build through a giant focused monocline or normal fault and demonstrate doing so the need of further mapping of the fault systems on the western side of the Central Andes (Schildgen et al., 2007)

Deformación cenozoica en el antearco del Oroclino Boliviano: nuevas ideas a partir de modelos analógicos

En el presente trabajo mostramos dos experiencias de modelamiento analógico de los nueve efectuados. Los modelos analógicos se efectuaron cambiando parámetros físicos en forma secuencial. Estas modelizaciones se realizaron generando una superficie plana sobre un prisma de acreción (pre-Cenozoico) previamente construido y estabilizado (Dahlen, 1984). Esta superficie representa la sedimentación del Mioceno medio a superior, época en la que reportan tasas de sedimentación altas debido a la variación climática (Chong et al., 1999 & Hartley, 2005) y al emplazamiento de ignimbritas (23 -18 Ma, Huaylillas) que cubren gran parte de la topografía de los Andes Centrales. La topografía generada por estos dos procesos aún se encuentra conservada, lo que permitió realizar un buen control estructural en las fallas del área de estudio. Cabe destacar que ninguna de las ecuaciones que rigen el comportamiento mecánico de un prisma de acreción contiene factores de escala