E-Book Overview
Traditionally, investigations of the rheology and deformation of the lithosphere (the rigid or mechanically strong outer layer of the Earth, which contains the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle) have taken place at one scale in the laboratory and at an entirely different scale in the field. Laboratory experiments are generally restricted to centimeter-sized samples and day- or year-length times, while geological processes occur over tens to hundreds of kilometers and millions of years. The application of laboratory results to geological systems necessitates extensive extrapolation in both temporal and spatial scales, as well as a detailed understanding of the dominant physical mechanisms. The development of an understanding of large-scale processes requires an integrated approach. This book explores the current cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in lithospheric rheology and provides a broad summary of the rheology and deformation of the continental lithosphere in both extensional and compressional settings. Individual chapters explore contemporary research resulting from laboratory, observational, and theoretical experiments. (2005)
E-Book Content
Rheology and Deformation of the Lithosphere at Continental Margins
MARGINS Theoretical and Experimental Earth Science Series
Series Editors: Garry D. Karner, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University Julie D. Morris, Washington University Neal W. Driscoll, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Eli A. Silver, University of California, Santa Cruz Continental margins are the Earth’s principle loci for producing hydrocarbon and metal resources, for earthquake, landslide, volcanic, and climatic hazards, and for the greatest population density. Despite the societal and economic importance of margins, many of the mechanical, fluid, chemical, and biological processes that shape them are poorly understood. Progress is hindered by the sheer scope of the problems and by the spatial-temporal scale and complexities of the processes. The MARGINS Program (a research initiative supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation) seeks to understand the complex interplay of processes that govern continental margin evolution. The objective is to develop a self-consistent understanding of the processes that are fundamental to margin formation and evolution. The books in the MARGINS series investigate aspects of these active systems as a whole, viewing a margin not so much as a geological entity of divergent, translational, or convergent types but more in terms of a complex physical, chemical, and biological system subject to a variety of influences.
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Rheology and Deformation of the Lithosphere at Continental Margins
Edited by GARRY D. KARNER BRIAN TAYLOR N E A L W. D R I S C O L L DAVID L. KOHLSTEDT
Columbia University Press
/ New York
Columbia University Press Publishers Since 1893 New York Chichester, West Sussex Copyright 䉷 Columbia University Press 2004 All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rheology and deformation of the lithosphere at continental margins / edited by Garry D. Karner . . . [et al.]. p. cm. — (MARGINS theoretical and experimental earth science series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-231-12738-3 1. Rock deformation. 2. Continental margins. 3. Earth—Crust. 4. Earth—Mantle. I. Karner, Garry D., 1953– II. Title. III. Series. QE604.R45 2004 551.8—dc22 2003017649
⬁ Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper. Printed in the United States of America c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
List of Contributors
vii
Preface
ix
1. Consequences of Asthenospheric Variability on Continental Rifting, W. Roger Buck
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2. Velocity Fields, Fa