Abstract
Postglacial faulting has important implications for predicting the behavior of fault zones during future glaciations. Therefore, PG fault research is expected to contribute significantly in planning the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, CO2 and toxic waste into bedrock that currently is prepared in the Nordic countries. Other fields of applied geoscience which may benefit from PG fault research are mineral explo ration and estimation of mine stability, as some of the faults are located in areas which host gold, copper, and nickel mineralizations in northern Fennoscandia. Major hydropower and tailing dam complexes may also be influenced by PG faults and their current earthquake activity. An improved understanding of the prevailing in situ stress, erosion, uplift, and sedimentation also has implications for the understanding of offshore petroleum reservoirs on the Lofoten-Barents margin.
Highlights
The majority of Earth’s earthquakes are generated along plate margins, and the theory of plate tectonics provides the explanation for the occurrence of these earthquakes
Revealing the mechanisms and processes related to PG faulting is highly relevant for understanding seismicity in these intraplate areas
Several disciplines and approaches can be used to improve our understanding of PG faults, for example, through earthquake seismology, stress field measurement and modeling, as well as geodetic surface monitoring of fault activity
Summary
The majority of Earth’s earthquakes are generated along plate margins, and the theory of plate tectonics provides the explanation for the occurrence of these earthquakes. 1, 2; Olesen et al, 1992; Lagerbäck and Sundh, 2008; Kukkonen et al, 2010) Assuming that these distinct faults were formed in single events, they would represent earthquakes with magnitudes of up to 7–8 (Bungum and Lindholm, 1997; Kuivamäki et al, 1998). This estimate is supported by numerous observations of massive landslides associated with these structures and dated to have occurred at the last stages of the glaciation. Seismological data reveal that the PG faults are currently seismically active, and that small earthquakes are associated with these structures over a significant depth range (down to 37 km depth; Bungum and Lindholm, 1997; Arvidsson, 1996). The major scientific tasks of PG fault research were identified as follows: 1. What is the tectonic style, deep structure and depth extent of the PG faults?
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