Abstract
We use analog experiments to investigate the influence of rapid filling of a foreland basin system during the development of a fold-and-thrust belt, in particular, the change of erosion–sedimentation along the strike in the Longmenshan foreland basin. A negative relationship between wedge geometries and the magnitude of erosion can be found; increased erosion results in out-of-sequence thrusting and fault reactivation in the wedge hinterland, to limit the forelandward propagation of the wedge. In contrast, increased sedimentation facilitates the forelandward propagation of the wedge. We focus on a natural example of the Longmenshan foreland basin, where a change in erosion–sedimentation along the strike during the Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic is well documented. The comparison between our model and seismic sections indicates that such along-strike variation results in a rejuvenated foreland basin restricted to the southwestern part of the western Sichuan Basin in the Cenozoic.
Highlights
Tectonic–erosion–sedimentation interaction controls the evolution of fold-and-thrust belt and foreland basin system at different time and space scales
In the S3 group experiment, we found the dragging fold deformation preserved in the syntectonic sedimentation at the forelimb of the wedge
We argued that syntectonic erosion and sedimentation play an important influence on wedge geometry and kinematics
Summary
Tectonic–erosion–sedimentation interaction controls the evolution of fold-and-thrust belt and foreland basin system at different time and space scales. This process plays an important role in controlling the material energy transfer and transportation process in the basinmountain system, leading to the dynamic equilibrium of tectonic deformation, uplift, erosion, and sedimentation (Hack, 1975; Kooi and Beaumont, 1996). Critical taper is attained when the angle between the base and surface of the wedge reaches a critical value with stable geometry and is maintained as the offsetting effects of deformation in the rear of the wedge and forward propagation in front of the wedge. The deformation at the rear of the wedge increases the wedge taper larger than the critical taper, causing a supercritical state and propagates forelandward over large distances to rebuild a critical taper (Decelles and Mitra, 1995)
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