Displacement Gradient Research Articles

An Integrated Approach for Mapping Three-Dimensional CoSeismic Displacement Fields from Sentinel-1 TOPS Data Based on DInSAR, POT, MAI and BOI Techniques: Application to the 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo Earthquake

Sentinel-1 Terrain Observation by Progressive Scans (TOPS) data have been widely applied in earthquake studies due to their open-source policy, short revisit cycle and wide coverage. However, significant near-fault displacement gradients and the moderate azimuth resolution of TOPS data make achieving high-precision along-track measurements challenging, which prevents the generation of high-quality three-dimensional (3D) displacement maps. Here, we propose an integrated method to retrieve high-quality 3D displacements based on the differential interferometric SAR (DInSAR), burst-overlap interferometry (BOI), multiple-aperture InSAR (MAI) and pixel offset tracking (POT) techniques, which are achieved to use only two track Sentinel-1 TOPS data with different viewing geometries. The key step of this method is using a weighted fusion algorithm with the interpolated BOI-derived and MAI-derived 3D displacements. In a case study of the 2021 Maduo earthquake, the calculated root mean square errors (RMSEs) from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data and the InSAR-derived 3D displacement fields were found to be 6.3, 5.8 and 1.7 cm in north–south, east–west and up–down components, respectively. Moreover, the slip model of the 2021 Maduo earthquake jointly estimated by DInSAR and BOI measurements indicates that this seismic event was dominated by sinistral strike-slip motion mixed with some dip-slip movements; the estimated seismic moment was 1.75 × 1020 Nm, corresponding to a Mw 7.44 event.

Detecting Long-Term Deformation of a Loess Landslide from the Phase and Amplitude of Satellite SAR Images: A Retrospective Analysis for the Closure of a Tunnel Event

Information about the long-term spatiotemporal evolution of landslides can improve the understanding of landslides. However, since landslide deformation characteristics differ it is difficult to monitor the entire movement of a landslide using a single method. The Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and pixel offset tracking (POT) method can complement each other when monitoring deformation at different landslide stages. Therefore, the InSAR and improved POT method were adapted to study the pre- and post-failure surface deformation characteristics of the Gaojiawan landslide to deepen understanding of the long-term spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of landslides. The results show that the deformation displacement gradient of the Gaojiawan landslide exhibited rapid movement that exceeded the measurable limit of InSAR during the first disaster. Moreover, the Gaojiawan landslide has experienced long-term creep, and while studying the post-second landslide’s failure stability, the acceleration trend was identified via time series analysis, which can be used as a precursor signal for landslide disaster warning. Our study aims to provide scientific reference for local governments to help prevent and mitigate geological disasters in this region.

An adaptive multiscale finite element method for strain localization analysis with the Cosserat continuum theory

Strain localization analysis based on finite element method (FEM) usually requires an intensive computation to capture an accurate shear band and the limit stress, especially in the heterogeneous problems, and thus costs much computational resource and time. This paper proposes an adaptive multiscale FEM (AMsFEM) to improve the computational efficiency of strain localization analysis in heterogeneous solids. In the multiscale analysis, h- and p-adaptive strategies are proposed to update the fine and coarse meshes, respectively. The problem of mesh dependence is handled by the Cosserat continuum theory. In the fine-scale adaptive procedure, triangular elements are taken to discretize the fine-scale domain, and the newest vertex bisection is utilized for refinement based on the gradient of displacement. In the coarse-scale adaptive procedure, a multi-node coarse element technique is considered. By introducing a probability density function for each side of a coarse element, the optimal positions of the newly added coarse nodes can be determined. With the proposed adaptive multiscale procedure, the computational DOFs are reduced smartly and massively. Three representative heterogeneous examples demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately capture shear bands, with an improved computational efficiency and robust convergence.

Using Multi-Physics Models to Capture the Influence of Microstructure on Pitting Corrosion Morphologies and Stress Concentrations

Pitting corrosion is of particular concern to the navy because while significant progress has been made in preventing uniform and general corrosion, the possibility of corrosion pits transitioning to crack initiation sites remains a persistent threat with potentially catastrophic consequences. Beyond considerations for the magnitude and mode of mechanical loading, the transition from pit to crack may be influenced by the prevailing electrochemical environment and the microstructural composition of the corroding material. Additionally, both the microstructure and evolving pit morphologies will directly affect local stress concentrations, potentially leading to crack initiation. Until recently, most studies of pitting corrosion, with or without the application of mechanical load, have dealt with the phenomenon from an electrochemical and compositional perspective at the macroscale and have not considered the microstructure nor changes in the evolving pit shape over time. This work presents an investigation of how underlying microstructures can influence the pitting corrosion process, and the resulting stress distributions around pits, through a multi-physics computational modeling framework that incorporates crystallographic orientation dependencies into both the corrosion potential and mechanical response. This is accomplished by importing a microstructure’s orientation data, i.e., the Euler angle information, directly into the computational modeling domain in order to provide crystallographic information.Based on this modeling paradigm, computational simulations are conducted using both experimental and synthetic microstructures for conventionally and additively manufactured stainless steel alloys. Experimental microstructures are provided from electron backscatter diffraction data, while the synthetic microstructures are generated using DREAM3D software. The computational modeling framework utilizes phase field methods to resolve the moving pit boundary while the underlying concentration and displacement gradients are solved over a finite element mesh. Over the course of the simulations, the orientation dependence of the corrosion potentials, and ensuing corrosion current densities, lead to non-uniform growth and propagation of the pit throughout the model domain as it evolves over time, producing irregular pit morphologies. Further, the microstructural influence on mechanical response is measured through differences in peak stresses and stress concentrations along the pit boundary, as well as stress intensity factors. This work highlights the significant local impact microstructure has on the pitting corrosion process and contrasts these impacts over different manufacturing processes (conventional vs. additive) for the same alloy system.

Willis coupling in micromorphic elasticity

Acoustic and elastic metamaterials (AEMM) are artificial materials whose performance is engineered to exceed naturally occurring materials and conventional composites, often leveraging complex microstructural geometry and strong dispersion. Generalized continuum (GC) theories, such as micromorphic elasticity, are extensions of classical elasticity that capture the effects of microstructure via inclusion of internal kinematic variables and/or higher-order gradients of displacement, and have received renewed interest as potential reduced-order models for AEMM. An alternative AEMM modeling framework is the elastodynamic homogenization theory of Willis, which yields an effective medium whose constitutive relations contain stress-acceleration and momentum-strain-rate couplings. Despite the recent popularity of the GC and Willis methods, a comprehensive description of their relationship remains lacking. In the present work, we derive an explicit connection between the Willis and GC models. Specifically, we augment the variational formulation of Mindlin [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal., 16, 51–78 (1964)] to account for microscale asymmetry of mass density and demonstrate that the resulting boundary value problem may be expressed in the form of a Willis material. This approach helps to elucidate the physical origins of Willis coupling and may offer insights about how other emergent material properties arise from microstructural constituents. [Work supported by ONR.]

Distributed displacement on the Papatea fault from the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake and implications for hazard planning

ABSTRACT The distribution of ground motion, displacement, and secondary hazards around active faults is defined by the interaction of tectonic and site characteristics including fault kinematics. As a result of this complexity, recommendations for fault setback distances or avoidance zones are necessarily simplified. We observed distributed vertical coseismic displacement from the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake up to c. 500 m on either side of the sinistral-reverse Papatea fault. On average, c. 32% (2.13 m) of vertical displacement was measured at distances >50 m from the Papatea fault. Additionally, in places, there is strong asymmetry where displacement was accommodated over a wider area in the hanging wall of the fault, a common observation around many dip-slip fault ruptures globally. We compare the distribution of displacement around the Papatea fault to the current fault avoidance zone and find that increasing the size of the fault avoidance zone by 10 m captures 11% more area with a high gradient of vertical displacement. Given these results and similar findings for other faults globally, we recommend that existing standards for fault avoidance zones be evaluated to ensure their ongoing efficacy.

Time-nonlocal six-phase-lag generalized theory of thermoelastic diffusion with two-temperature

A mathematical model for time-nonlocal six-phase-lag generalized thermoelastic diffusion with two-temperature is proposed for a linear, isotropic and homogeneous thermoelastic diffusive continuum by considering modified Fourier's law of heat conduction together with modified Fick's law of mass diffusion. The modified Fourier's law includes temperature gradient and thermal displacement gradient among the constitutive variables whereas the modified Fick's law includes chemical potential gradient and the chemical potential displacement gradient among the constitutive variables. The Fourier's law of heat conduction is replaced by a fractional-order approximation to a modification of the Fourier's law with three different phase lags for the heat flux vector, the temperature gradient and the thermal displacement gradient whereas the Fick's law of mass diffusion is replaced by a fractional-order approximation to a modification of the Fick's law with three different phase lags for the mass flux vector, the chemical potential gradient and the chemical potential displacement gradient. The proposed model includes some of the existing thermoelastic diffusion models as special cases. A variational principle is derived and a uniqueness theorem is proved. Finally, a dynamic reciprocity theorem is established for the proposed generalized thermoelastic diffusion model.

Implicit nonlinear elastic bodies with density dependent material moduli and its linearization

We develop an implicit constitutive relation to describe the response of a compressible elastic solid, based on physical considerations, that captures all the characteristics exhibited by the popular Blatz–Ko model, but in addition presents some interesting novel features. The fact that the Cauchy stress appears linearly in the implicit constitutive relation between the stress and the left Cauchy–Green strain with the material moduli depending nonlinearly on the deformation gradient, allows us to capture several characteristic features of the response of rubber-like elastic solids. Interestingly, in the nonlinear implicit model that we develop, we find that it is possible to have the normal stress components of the stress influence the shearing motion at second order, when considering weakly nonlinear waves, that only occurs at third order within the case of the classical nonlinear Cauchy elasticity theory. Linearization of the constitutive relation under the assumption of small displacement gradient reduces the constitutive relation to one whose material moduli can depend on the trace of the linearized strain and hence the density in virtue of the balance of mass, such a feature is not possible within the context of the Blatz–Ko constitutive relation, or for that matter any Cauchy elastic body, as linearization leads to the classical linearized elastic constitutive relation that has constant material moduli.

3-Dimensional Bond-Based Peridynamic Representative Volume Element Homogenization

In this study, a 3-dimensional (3D) implementation of representative volume element homogenization using bond-based peridynamic formulation is presented. Periodic boundary condition is established by coupling the displacements of periodic point pairs. Homogenized (effective) material properties are obtained based on peridynamic displacement gradient tensor. The current approach is validated by considering a composite material without defects and comparing homogenized properties with results obtained from another homogenization approach. Next, the capability of the current approach is demonstrated by considering randomly generated cracks with arbitrary orientation and location. It can be concluded that the current approach can be an alternative approach to obtain 3-dimensional homogenized material properties for heterogeneous materials with defects.

Uniqueness theorem in coupled strain gradient elasticity with mixed boundary conditions

The equilibrium equations and the traction boundary conditions are evaluated on the basis of the condition of the stationarity of the Lagrangian for coupled strain gradient elasticity. The quadratic form of strain energy can be written as a function of the strain and the second gradient of displacement and contains a fourth-, a fifth- and a sixth-order stiffness tensor {mathbb {C}}_4, {mathbb {C}}_5 and {mathbb {C}}_6, respectively. Assuming invariance under rigid body motions the balance of linear and angular momentum is obtained. The uniqueness theorem (Kirchhoff) for the mixed boundary value problem is proved for the case of the coupled linear strain gradient elasticity (novel). To this end, the total potential energy is altered to be presented as an uncoupled quadratic form of the strain and the modified second gradient of displacement vector. Such a transformation leads to a decoupling of the equation of the potential energy density. The uniqueness of the solution is proved in the standard manner by considering the difference between two solutions.

Use of laser speckle shearing interferometric vibration measurement system for acoustic-to-seismic landmine detection

To study the application of laser shearing speckle interferometric vibration measurement technology in acoustic resonance landmine detection, we present an experimental and theoretical study of the method for laser shearing speckle interferometric landmine detection based on time-average. The relationship between the out-of-plane displacement gradient generated by the sound wave on the ground and the phase change of the shearing interference laser is analyzed. A high-power loudspeaker is used as the source of sound wave excitation, and the laser shearing speckle interferometric vibration measurement system is used in landmine detection experiments to investigate the changes of laser shearing speckle interference fringes under different experimental conditions such as sound wave intensity, detection target, buried depth, and soil environment. The study reveals that it is feasible and effective to use laser shearing speckle interferometry to detect landmines, and it provides a theoretical and methodological basis for realizing the rapid scanning of acoustic-optic landmine detection.

Climatic displacement exacerbates the negative impact of drought on plant performance and associated arthropod abundance.

Climate change is acting on species and modifying communities and ecosystems through changes not only with respect to mean abiotic conditions, but also through increases in the frequency and severity of extreme events. Changes in mean aridity associated with climate change can generate ecotype by environment mismatch (i.e., climatic displacement). At the same time, variability around these shifting means is predicted to increase, resulting in more extreme droughts. We characterized the effects of two axes of climate change, climatic displacement and drought, on the shrub Artemisia californica and its arthropods. We established common gardens of plants sourced along an aridity gradient (3.5-fold variation in mean annual precipitation) in an arid region of the species distribution, thus generating a gradient of climatic displacement (sustained increase in aridity) as predicted with climate change. We surveyed plants and arthropods over eight years where precipitation varied sixfold, including both extreme drought and relatively mesic conditions. These two axes of climate change interacted to influence plant performance, such that climatically displaced populations grew slowly regardless of drought and suffered substantial mortality during drought years. Conversely, local populations grew quickly, increased growth during wet years, and had low mortality regardless of drought. Effects on plant annual arthropod yield were negative and additive, with drought effects exceeding that of climatic displacement by 24%. However, for plant lifetime arthropod yield, incorporating effects on both plant growth and survival, climatic displacement exacerbated the negative effects of drought. Collectively these results demonstrate how climatic displacement (through increasing aridity stress) strengthens the negative effects of drought on plants and, indirectly, on arthropods, suggesting the possibility of climate-mediated trophic collapse.

Fracture density variations within a reservoir-scale normal fault zone: A case study from shallow-water carbonates of southern Italy

Fault zones can often display a complex internal structure associated with antithetic faults, branch and tip points, bed rotations, bed-parallel slip surfaces, and subordinate synthetic faults. We explore how these structural complexities may affect the development of fault-related fractures as displacement accumulates. We analysed in detail an incipient fault zone within well-bedded, shallow-water carbonates of the southern Apennines thrust belt (Italy). The fault zone crops out with quasi-complete exposure at a reservoir scale on an inaccessible sub-vertical cliff face, and fault and fracture mapping were carried out on a 3D virtual outcrop model of the exposure built for this study using photogrammetry. Comparing the structure of the fault zone and the density of 9444 mapped fractures allowed us to unravel their spatial relationships. Our results show that the areas of denser fractures coincide with: (i) rock volumes bounded by antithetic faults developed within the fault zone, (ii) branch points between these antithetic faults and fault zone-bounding fault segments, (iii) fault zone-bounding fault segments associated with significant displacement gradients, and (iv) relay zones between subordinate synthetic faults. These findings may aid locating sub-seismic resolution volumes of dense fracturing and associated enhanced permeability within faulted reservoirs.

Online monitoring for floating raft structure displacement based on optimal placement of measuring points

The structure displacement of the raft of vibration isolation for ships is an important factor that affects shafting alignment accuracy and the safety of the equipment on the raft. In order to realize real-time monitoring of the raft structure displacement, which is the uncertain loadings and complex in shape, a measuring point placement strategy and an online monitoring method based on the displacement parameters to identify the displacement of the raft are proposed. FEM-based simulations for a prototyped raft have been conducted to obtain the displacement contour map. According to the displacement contour map based on displacement gradient and index evaluation, the measuring points have been combined and optimized. Displacement reconstruction principle based on a surface spline interpolation function method has been elaborated and derived. Structure displacement at any point can be obtained by a few measuring points. Finally, a case study of a certain type of floating raft is analyzed by the simulation analysis, and experimental research. The simulation and experimental results verify the validity of the measuring point placement strategy and the average of relative error with a value of less than 4% under different uncertain loadings. This method can effectively solve the problem of online monitoring of floating raft structure displacement under different changing loadings.

Comprehensive evaluation on hydrocarbon-bearing availability of fault traps in a rift basin: A case study of the Qikou sag in the Bohai Bay Basin, China

An evaluation system of hydrocarbon-bearing availability of fault traps was established based on the comprehensive analysis of fault segment growth history, fine reservoir anatomy and geochemistry tracing, with the Qikou sag in the Bohai Bay Basin as target area. The displacement/separation transform and displacement gradient method were used to prove the interpretation reliability of fault traps. The method of maximum throw subtraction was used to recover the history of fault growth and determine the availability of the forming period of fault traps. Based on the quantitative relationship between shale gouge ratio and cross-fault pressure difference of known reservoirs in southern Qikou sag, the critical shale gouge ratio of fault lateral sealing was calculated at 20%, and the quantitative evaluation chart based on the relationship of “fault throw–sand-formation ratio and hydrocarbon column height” was constructed. Based on the results of reservoir fine anatomy and quantitative fluorescence tracing test shale smear factor method is suitable for evaluating the vertical sealing of faults in the caprock of the middle submember of first member of Paleogene Shahejie Formation, and the shale smear factor critical value is 3.5. The juxtaposition thickness method is suitable for evaluating vertical sealing of faults in the caprock of the second member of Paleogene Dongying Formation, and the critical juxtaposition thickness of fault is 70–80 m. By combining four factors, the availability of fault trap interpretation, the availability of the forming period of fault trap, the availability of fault lateral sealing and the availability of fault vertical sealing, the comprehensive evaluation chart on hydrocarbon-bearing availability of fault traps in Qikou sag has been established, which provides a reasonable basis for risk assessment of fault traps.

Spatiotemporal evolution of transfer structures and linked fault systems in an extensional setting: Southwest Gebel Akheider, Cairo-Suez District, Egypt

Detailed geological field mapping of the area located to the southwest of Gebel Akheider, south-central part of the Cairo-Suez District (Egypt), was carried out to identify the geometry, structural style, and evolution of the normal fault systems in the study area. The present structural geometry of the study area is of Miocene age and is the result of the propagation, kinematic interaction, and eventual linkage of extensional fault segments. Eight mapped relay ramps formed between synthetic non-overlapping and overlapping normal faults. Fault displacement profiles showing variation in displacement along strike revealed steep displacement gradients and local displacement minima at the locations of these relay ramps. Conjugate normal faults in the area also showed signs of kinematic interaction. Fault displacement profiles revealed complimentary displacement distribution between interacting overlapping conjugate faults. In competent rock units (Middle Eocene limestone), this interaction resulted in the formation of horsts and grabens relay zones, while in incompetent rock units (Middle Miocene soft marl and sandy limestone), this interaction resulted in a series of en echelon plunging anticlines and synclines (accommodation folds). Several transfer faults marked by points of local displacement minima were also identified, forming a distinctive zigzag pattern in map view that is characteristic of the Cairo-Suez District. Curved fault traces represent another form of fault linkage in the study area. Fault displacement profiles indicated two different growth mechanisms, either as the result of bilateral growth of two along-strike faults, or the intersection of previously isolated and differently oriented fault segments.

A 3D extension of pantographic geometries to obtain metamaterial with semi-auxetic properties

In this work we present a three-dimensional extension of pantographic structures and describe its properties after homogenization of the unit cell. Here we rely on a description involving only the first gradient of displacement, as the semi-auxetic property is effectively described by first-order stiffness terms. For a homogenization technique, discrete asymptotic expansion is used. The material shows two positive () and one negative Poisson’s ratios (). If, on the other hand, we assume inextensible Bernoulli beams and perfect pivots, we find a vanishing stiffness matrix, suggesting a purely higher gradient material.

CineCT imaging platform for in-vivo and ex-vivo measurement of myocardial biomechanics post myocardial infarction and following intramyocardial delivery of theranostic hydrogel

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Institute of Health (NIH) Purpose Myocardial infarction (MI) induces acute regional changes in myocardial strain and stiffness in the infarct and the remote areas of the left ventricle (LV), which lead to adverse changes in LV geometry and function. We hypothesize that cineCT imaging could evaluate these biomechanical changes along with the effects of intramyocardial delivery of theranostic hydrogels. Introduction We present an experimental platform to assess changes in the deformation of the LV myocardium using contrast cineCT (CCT) imaging of the beating porcine heart (active deformation) before and after acute MI and intramyocardial delivery of an imageable theranostic hydrogel. We then assess the acute effects of hydrogel delivery early post-MI on biomechanics (passive deformation) using an ex vivo perfused heart preparation. Methods Contrast cineCT imaging was performed using 64-slice CT on 5 Yorkshire pigs without MI (n = 3) or with MI (n = 2). MI pigs had serial imaging performed before and 1 hour after acute surgical coronary occlusion to induce anterolateral MI. One MI pig was also imaged 1 hour after intramyocardial injection of a novel imageable theranostic iodinated hydrogel within the MI region. Post euthanasia, excised hearts were flushed with chilled UW cardioplegic solution and mounted on a custom inflation apparatus for cineCT imaging during LV inflation by external pump. LV pressure was cycled between 10 and 60 mmHg at 35 bpm. Dilute iohexol was injected into aortic root and UW perfusate (15 ml, 1 ml/sec). CineCT image series were reconstructed, contrast enhanced, resampled to the LV long axis (Z), and exported as a series of 10 CT volumes covering 0-90% of the cardiac/inflation cycle. Volumes were registered incrementally using nonlinear image registration (BioImageSuite) and the calculated displacement at each time point was exported at a resolution of 1 mm. A custom Matlab program was used to fit the displacement field to local trilinear polynomials and then calculate the displacement gradients and 3D Lagrangian strains. To estimate the accuracy of this approach, cardiac volumes were also numerically deformed using a 10 pixel translation and 5% triaxial stretch. Results We successfully acquired serial in-vivo and ex-vivo 3D CineCT images for assessment of the active and passive LV myocardial deformation and tracked deformation through the full cardiac/inflation cycle (Figure 2). Numerical deformation tests showed average tracking errors of < 0.2 mm (1/4 pixel) in the X,Y,Z directions of the volume. These resulted in Lagrangian strain errors of < 0.47% for the in-plane strains EXX and EYY (radial and circumferential plane) and < 0.5% for EZZ (long axis). Conclusions We have developed a novel CineCT imaging platform that allows for high resolution in-vivo and ex-vivo measurement of myocardial biomechanics post-MI and following intramyocardial delivery of imageable theranostic hydrogels, which may improve early active and passive biomechanics.

An implicit constitutive relation for describing the small strain response of porous elastic solids whose material moduli are dependent on the density

In this short note, we develop a constitutive relation that is linear in both the Cauchy stress and the linearized strain, by linearizing implicit constitutive relations between the stress and the deformation gradient that have been put into place to describe the response of elastic bodies (Rajagopal, KR. On implicit constitutive theories. Applications of Mathematics 2003; 28: 279–319), by assuming that the displacement gradient is small. These implicit equations include the classical linearized elastic constitutive approximation as well as some classes of constitutive relations that imply limiting strain in tension, as special subclasses. Moreover, the constitutive relations that are developed allow the material moduli to depend on the density; thus, they can be used to describe the response of porous materials, such as porous metals, bone, rocks, and concrete undergoing small deformations.

Impact of growth faults on mixed siliciclastic‐carbonate‐evaporite deposits during rift climax and reorganisation—Billefjorden Trough, Svalbard, Norway

AbstractFault‐controlled mixed siliciclastic‐carbonate‐evaporite depositional systems exhibit distinct sensitivity to tectonic and eustatic controls that are expressed in the sedimentary architecture. In the Upper Carboniferous Billefjorden Trough (Svalbard, Norway), up to 2,000 m of a warm and arid climate syn‐rift basin fill comprises such depositional systems, documented in this study with traditional field techniques supported by helicopter‐ and ground‐based LIDAR models. The basin evolved from siliciclastics‐dominated red beds and paralic units that filled a symmetrical basin, to a rift climax half‐graben with alluvial fans entering the basin along relay ramps of the master fault zone (Billefjorden fault zone). Faults located in the hanging wall dip‐slope prevented the progradation of coarser material to the eastern part of the basin. Later, structural reorganisation in the dipslope led to the cessation of easternmost faults with deformation focusing along one major lineament (Løvehovden fault zone) antithetic to the master fault zone. The basin subsidence became more symmetrical, with main central depocentre and shallower platforms near the basin flanks. Footwall anticlines from faults displacement gradients were sensitive to periodical exposure and recorded dissolution breccias and footwall synclines preserved evaporites coupled with shallow marine siliciclastic deposits. Concurrently, thick gypsum/anhydrite deposits in the basin centre reflect glacio‐eustatic lowstands, whereas evenly thick carbonate deposition characterises highstands. While most analysis of syn‐rift basin fill is based on siliciclastics deposits, we here demonstrate the complexity of tectonism versus eustatic sea level changes in a mixed carbonate‐evaporite syn‐rift deposits. Tectonic influence is ascribed to the deposition of alluvial fans that prograded from the master fault towards the basin centre. On the dipslope glacio‐eustatic signals outperformed tectonic influence on deposition. Sea level lowstands promoted deposition of red sabkha mudstones and gypsum/anhydrite, salinas evaporites or dissolution breccias, interbedded with highstand carbonate beds.