Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary transtension and strain partitioning in the Chugach accretionary complex, SE Alaska

Abstract

Shear zones in the Late Cretaceous Sitka Graywacke of the Chugach accretionary complex in southeast Alaska record constrictional finite strains, with maximum principal stretches plunging shallowly subparallel to strike of the shear zones. Macrostructural analysis indicates the finite strain formed during one deformation event. Microstructural analysis of the shear zones shows that this deformation is ductile, promoted mostly through deformation of low-strength lithic clasts and pressure solution. Kinematic indicators from some of the shear zones indicate dominantly dextral motion. Although multiple scenarios can explain constrictional finite strains in a shear zone, these dextral strike-slip shear zones must have experienced a component of extension across them in order to generate constrictional finite strains. Therefore, the shear zones are dextral transtensional shear zones, an uncommon tectonic regime in an accretionary complex. The transtensional shear zones reflect strike-slip motion related to partitioning of Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary right-oblique convergence between North America and the Farallon plate. The extensional component that was superposed on the strike-slip shear zones to generate transtension resulted from contemporaneous collapse of the forearc following thickening related to underplating.