Structural styles of Longmen Mountain thrust belt, SW China

Abstract

Through field geological investigation and seismic interpretation of the Longmen (龙门) Mountain thrust belt, we summarized the following structural styles: thrust belt, fault-related fold (fault bend fold, fault propagation fold, and fault decollement fold), pop-up, triangle zone, duplex, superimposed fold, ductile deformation structures, reverse thrust fault, klippe, decollement structure, etc.. These structural styles have evident distribution characteristics; they had zonation and segmentation in plane. The zonation presents as the thrust nappe tectonic zone to the west of Tongjichang (通济场) fault, fault-related folds between Tongjichang fault and Guankou (关口) fault, and low and mild folds to the east of Guankou fault. The segmentation is evidenced as the scale of reverse thrust faults was minor between Tongjichang No. 1 fault and Tongjichang No. 2 fault. The distance between these two faults became long in the Dayuanbao (大园包) structure, and there developed typical fault propagation fold and pop-up between these two faults. Furthermore, the structures had stratification in profile. The salt layer of T2l provided good conditions for the formation and development of large listric thrust faults; the thrust fault slipped in the salt layer and formed decollement structures and fault-related fold. At the same time, there formed duplex and reverse thrust faults between the two decollement layers.