Morphotectonic Control Research Articles

Morphotectonic Control of Land Movements at Wundulako Region, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

This research is located at Wundulako District, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province. The purpose of this study are to determine the level of tectonic activity and the effect of tectonic activity on the land movement of the study area. Based on the DEM (Digital Elevation Model) analysis, geomorphology of the study area is dominated by mountains unit that indicate the influence of tectonic activity. Geomorphological aspects were analyzed to determine the tectonic classes in the study area such as watershed and non-watershed analysis. The results showed that, tectonic class of the study area is classified as very high and moderate tectonic class. The effect of tectonic class level on land movement in the study area shows a least correlation. This interprets that the cause of land movement at study area is not only influenced by tectonic factors but is also influenced by other factors such as rainfall, lithological conditions, geomorphology, earthquakes, and human activities. This shows that morphotectonic control has little effect on the land movements at Wundulako District, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province, but is also influenced by other factors such as rainfall, lithological conditions, geomorphology, earthquakes, and human activities.

Granulometric dynamics of the coastal sediments of the Central West coast of India: Insight into morpho-tectonic influences on the beach processes

Beach morphologies, primarily include shape, surface changes/variation, and beach volume along with slope, are very dynamic and believed to be largely controlled by waves and currents (Komar, 1998). Contrary to this general notion, results presented in this paper suggest a strong control of the local morpho-tectonic frame-work on foreshore sedimentation. In the 20 km long study area between Bhatkal on the north and Uppunda in the south, foreshore morphology range from reflective and dissipative to intermediate types, but nearshore hydrodynamic regime is similar. The inland morpho-tectonic frame-work reveals graben and horst-like structures. The foreshores bordering these grabens and horsts are dissipative and reflective respectively, have distinctly different granulometric dynamics and sedimentation processes, whereas an intermediate type between the dissipative and the reflective show a large seasonal variability in terms of beach width and slope. The foreshore profile modification indicated that the reflective beaches remained reflective and the dissipative beaches remained dissipative throughout the year, despite the large variation in the wave energy condition from monsoon through post-monsoon to pre-monsoon. Spit growth is observed only in the dissipative beach. Granulometric dynamics in all the three types of beaches show distinct differences. The reflective beaches show significant fluvial characteristics of sediments in all the seasons, dissipative beaches show minor fluvial characteristics and the intermediate beaches show significant fluvial characteristics only during the monsoon seasons. Sediment transport process in the reflective beaches is dominantly by rolling process, in the dissipative beaches suspension is the dominant mechanism, and in the intermediate type beaches a large range from suspension to rolling is observed. Sediments in the beaches are negatively skewed through symmetrical to positively skewed in reflective beaches, while in dissipative beach negative skewness is dominant. Integration of the tectonic framework, beach morphology and granulometric dynamics suggest that temporal and spatial variations in textural characteristics are related to a strong morpho-tectonic control rather than seasonal variations in wave energy condition.

A Multi Criteria Approach for Morpho-tectonic Evaluation of Sai River Basin in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract The study integrates the morphometric analysis, lineament evaluation and fluvial geomorphology to investigate the morphotectonic setup of Sai basin. The Sai river basin forms an integral part of the central Ganga plain where the gentle slope is significantly controlled by intra-basinal tectonic activity. The fluvial setup of the Sai basin which comprises of vast old flood plains now is displayed as an entrenched river with straight channel symmetry with multiple sinuous bends. The structural control and geomorphic asymmetry can be well established by using multi criteria approach of morphometric parameters and lineament analysis. The morphometric analysis of the basin shows that the Sai river comprises of 5th order stream basin with high elongation ratio and high bifurcation ratio suggesting structural and tectonic controls. The form factor, drainage density, and length of overland flow shows low permeability with low infiltration rate indicating sheet erosion as a major denudational process. The lineament analysis from the stream pattern analysis indicates structural control for drainages while geomorphology corresponds to the landscape of the basin. The lineaments analysis shows a major NW-SE trend in concordance to present foreland basin. Thus, the study confirms that the Sai basin has conclusive evidences of morpho-tectonic control in the central Ganga plain indicating the role of the tectonics in basin evoluation.

Morpho-tectonic control on the distribution of C3-C4 plants in the central Himalayan Siwaliks during Late Plio-Pleistocene

The Siwalik deposits of the Himalayan foreland basin (HFB) preserve the Late Miocene-Pleistocene record of the Himalayan tectonics, monsoonal variation and the expansion of C4 plants. Previous vegetation reconstructions emphasized the Late Miocene expansion of C4 plants with an implicit assumption that the vegetation thrived in the floodplain of lowland rivers. The coarsening-upward sequence of the Siwalik Group suggests deposition in an alluvial fan setting in which the Lower and Middle Siwaliks are deposits of distal region whereas the Upper Siwaliks represents a proximal region of the fan. The modern alluvial fans forming in the Himalayan foothills show a significant difference in elevation (ca. 300 m) and vegetational composition between their proximal and distal regions. In the HFB, the elevation difference is expected to be more pronounced due to the surface uplift of Siwalik deposits along the Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT). The increased elevation would have affected the vegetation distribution in the Upper Siwaliks which implies that the vegetation in the proximal part of the fan might not represent lowland floodplain. However, the vegetation composition is less understood from the Upper Siwaliks region due to the scarcity of conventional proxies in these younger foreland deposits.In this context, δ13C values of bulk soil organic matter (SOM), n-alkane and n-alkanoic acid in the paleosols were measured from Late Mio-Pleistocene Siwaliks at Surai Khola (Nepal) to comprehend the impact of elevation on vegetation distribution in the HFB. The results suggest most commonly observed expansion of the C4 plants at ca. 7 Ma, and a unique second phase of expansion of C3 plants post-3 Ma. The higher δD values of n-alkane and n-alkanoic acid suggest that the climate was drier in the last 4 Myr; most likely driven by the onset of the Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG). The growth of C3 plants was favored due to cool climatic conditions induced by a higher elevation in the proximal part of the fan. Water-bearing conglomerates in the Upper Siwaliks may have helped the C3 plants to thrive in a relatively drier climate. This multi-proxy paleovegetation reconstruction demonstrates a morpho-tectonic control on the abundance of C3-C4 plants in the Siwaliks with the possible influence of NHG.

Morphotectonic control on Quaternary sedimentation and landscape evolution, Pachham Island, Kachchh, Western India

Pachham Island is the westernmost island in a chain of four rocky islands within the Great Rann of Kachchh that are bounded in the north by the Island Belt Fault (IBF). The island is characterized by two parallel and structurally controlled Kaladungar hill range and Goradungar hill range separated by a synclinal central valley. The central valley has acted as a sink for the Quaternary sediments. The island is transversely traversed by a N-S trending basement high termed as Median high that shows pronounced geomorphic and drainage anomaly. The Quaternary sediments comprise coarse-grained colluvio-fluvial deposits, miliolite, and sandy alluvium. The coarse-grained Quaternary deposits were primarily derived from the colluvium generated due to the uplift of the Kaladungar hill range and Goradungar hill range along the IBF and Goradunagar Fault, respectively. The colluvial debris were subsequently reworked, transported down slope and deposited in the central valley. The presence of the deeply incised valleys in Quaternary sediments, two levels of terrace surfaces over the Median high, and the raised Rann floor surrounding the island suggest a dominant role of neotectonics in the landscape evolution and Quaternary sedimentation.

Morphotectonic control of the Białka drainage basin (Central Carpathians): Insights from DEM and morphometric analysis.

Abstract The Białka river valley is directly related to a deep NNW-SSE oriented fault zone. According to the results of previous morphometric analyses, the Białka drainage basin is one of the most tectonically active zones in the Central Carpathians. It is also located within an area of high seismic activity. In this study Digital Elevation Model (DEM) based, morphometric analyses were used to investigate the morphotectonic conditions of the watershed. The results reveal the relationships between the main tectonic feature and the landforms within the research area. The lineaments, as obtained from the classified aspect map, seem to coincide with the orientation of the main structures as well as the trends revealed by the theoretical Riedel-Skempton shear model. Base-level and isolong maps support the conclusion that the Białka and Biały Dunajec fault zones exert a strong influence on the morphology of the adjacent area.

Denudation pattern across the Longriba fault system and implications for the geomorphological evolution of the eastern Tibetan margin

Following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (Sichuan, China), the dextral strike-slip Longriba fault system (LFS) has been recognized as a main intracontinental structural boundary within the eastern Tibetan Plateau. While numerous studies have focused on the Longmen Shan frontal range to constrain the dynamics of the eastern Tibetan margin, little is known on the LFS, particularly on its eventual influence on the geomorphological evolution of the latter. Here, we provide a new data set of denudation rates derived from beryllium-10 concentrations in river sediments from 33 medium-sized catchments. Our sampling area covers the frontier between the dissected margin and the low relief interior plateau. Our results reveal a sharp increase of denudation across the LFS, from <0.1mm/y in the Ruoergai basin to 0.3mm/y toward the Longmen Shan range. Such denudation pattern indicates a major morphotectonic control of the fault system on the eastern Tibetan margin evolution. Additional topographic analysis confirms the role of the LFS as an important geomorphological boundary, restraining the westward propagation of river incision into the low-relief areas, thus partly preventing the dismantling of the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Morphological analysis of deep-seated gravitational slope deformation (DSGSD) in the western part of the Argentera massif. A morpho-tectonic control?

The western part of the Argentera–Mercantour massif (French Alps) hosts very large currently active landslides responsible of many disorders and risks to the highly touristic valleys of the Mercantour National Park and skiing resorts. A regional scale mapping of gravitational deformations has been compared to the main geo-structures of the massif. A relative chronology of the events has been established and locally compared to absolute 10Be dating obtained from previous studies. Two types of large slope destabilisations were identified as follows: deep-seated landslides (DSL) that correspond to rock volumes bounded by a failure surface, and deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSD) defined as large sagging zones including gravitation landforms such as trenches and scarps or counterscarps. Gravitational landforms are mainly collinear to major N140°E and N020°E tectonic faults, and the most developed DSGSD are located in areas where the slope direction is comparable to the orientation of faults. DSL are mostly included within DSGSD zones and located at the slopes foot. Most of DSL followed a similar failure evolution process according to postglacial over steepened topographies and resulting from a progressive failure growing from the foot to the top of the DSGSD that lasts over a 10 ky time period. This massif-scale approach shows that large-scale DSGSD had a peak of activity from the end of the last deglaciation, to approximately 7000 years bp. Both morphologic and tectonic controls can be invoked to explain the gravitational behaviour of the massif slopes.

The role of extensional tectonics in shaping Cenozoic New-Caledonia

Abstract New-Caledonia island consists of an ultramafic nappe thrusted over a continental and arc-derived basement as the result of the closure of a back-arc basin during the upper Eocene. The morphology of New-Caledonia is mostly characterized by its elongated shape and rectilinear coastline. Indeed, the western and eastern edges of the island are delineated by N140 trending normal faults that are well imaged on seismic lines. Major tectonic lineaments onland, including the scarps corresponding to the main boundary of the ultramafic nappe, also trend N140 suggesting a morphotectonic control by faults having similar kinematics (longitudinal flexure-fault of previous authors). We provide detailed observations from some of these scarps demonstrating indeed that these are not erosional features in origin. We explore the possibility that such surfaces do represent major tectonic limits that accommodated extension and significant tectonic thinning of both the peridotite nappe and its basement. Remnants of a complex extensional fault zone, 200 m wide, are still preserved along the western scarp of the Mont Dore mountain, close to Nouméa city. The deformed zone is composed of an early shallow dipping detachment fault, some decimeters thick, offset by a group of late high angle normal faults and is bounded by cataclastic breccias that progressively pass into the fractured host peridotite. The late high angle fault zones have been the site of important syn-tectonic fluid circulation and are underlined by cm-thick silica infills bearing vertical striae. Typical morphology of the main scarps with break of slope is related to the combination of high angle normal faults and low angle detachment. Similar shallow dipping detachment surfaces have been observed along the east coast of southern New-Caledonia as well as within the ultramafic nappe itself and its basement. This study confirms that N140 oriented, large fault zones, with pure-normal to transtensional component of displacement, controlled the morphotectonic evolution of New-Caledonia at the regional scale, after the obduction of ophiolite nappe at the end of the Eocene. Such a fact has to be taken into account when attempting to reconstruct the post-obduction evolution of the island and more particularly when considering the development and distribution of the Ni-rich lateritic surfaces.

Morphotectonic control on drainage network evolution in the Perachora Peninsula, Greece

In tectonically active areas drainage systems are often influenced by the type, geometry, and recent activity of regional and local faults. In the Perachora peninsula, eastern Gulf of Corinth (Greece), most drainage networks are influenced by neotectonic processes and eustasy. Two major east–west trending fluvial systems (Perachora and Pissia) in the southwestern part of the peninsula are affected by faults of similar orientation. Detailed geomorphological mapping was performed focusing on knickpoints, gorges, planation and depositional surfaces, alluvial fans and talus cones. Longitudinal river profiles and hypsometric curves of their basins were constructed utilizing GIS technology. The two drainage systems exhibit opposite network asymmetries. The Pissia network is well developed south of the main channel while the Perachora extends to the north. The analysis of the longitudinal profiles of the main stream channels denotes that they exhibit different evolutionary trends. The Pissia stream has a “transverse” drainage crossing the active Loutraki fault, while the Perachora stream has a “parallel” evolution as it has the same orientation as the Loutraki fault. The drainage system of Pissia is much older than the Perachora as a large part of the latter was underwater in Late Pleistocene times. The combination of eustacy and vertical tectonic movements has led to the development of four marine terraces corresponding to previous high sea-level stands during Oxygen Isotope Stages (OIS) 5e, 7e, 9c and 11c. Following the analysis of the longitudinal profiles and the hypsometric curves two depositional surfaces were verified at Perachora village. The first surface at 280–360 m and the second one between 120 and 160 m are probably related to marine terraces 11c and 7e respectively. The development of the present drainage systems of Perachora and Pissia in the Late Quaternary depends mostly on the fault tectonism of the two main offshore fault systems of Xylokastro and Loutraki resulting in the uplift of marine terraces to heights of more than 300 m, but also due to the inland faults (Pissia and Alepochori) which created depositional surfaces and knickpoints. Sea-level changes have played a secondary role in the development of the drainage systems.

Glacigenic features and Tertiary stratigraphy of the Magellan Strait (Southern Chile)

The seismostratigraphic and structural analysis of the whole length of the Magellan Strait, from the Atlantic to the Pacific entrance is for first time illustrated on the basis of multichannel seismic (MCS) profiles. The Strait crosses a geologically complex region that includes different morphotectonic provinces, and has been subdivided into three distinct segments, eastern (Atlantic), central, and western (Pacific), being each segment characterized by peculiar sedimentary and tectonic architectures. The MCS profiles shed light on the subsurface of the region in particular on the Quaternary and Tertiary features. In the foreland basin province, the MCS profiles imaged an almost undeformed structural and stratigraphic frame with very thick Cretaceous to Tertiary package. Seismic evidence of deformation of the foreland units occurs in the fold-and-thrust belt province. Along the Cordillera province, the Magallanes-Fagnano transform fault exerts an important morpho-tectonic control that strongly conditions its bathymetric profile. The seismic profiles also highlighted a number of depositional features linked to the up to 150 m thick sedimentary record of the glacial cycles. Whereas the eastern segment (outer foreland province) is devoid of significant glacial-related deposits, the central segment (inner foreland and fold-and thrust belt provinces) shows evidence of repeated advances and retreats of the Magellan glacier. An important moraine ridge complex, probably corresponding to the glacial advance “D”of Clapperton et al., has been seismically imaged in the central segment, as well as an older, large bank of ice distal sediments that have been interpreted as proglacial lake deposits, which show evident signs of repeated glacial erosions. Ice-contact features in the form of frontal moraine complexes made up of dipping foreset strata are present in the fjord-like, western segment of the Strait (Cordillera province), along with their related ice-proximal and ice-distal facies. Eventually, the occurrence of preglacial sediments tectonized by the Magallanes-Fagnano transform fault has been reported in the same segment. This fact, which is supported by small outcrops reported in the updated geologic map, if substantiated by further investigations (i.e. advanced seismic reprocessing, sea bottom samplings), would prove the relatively young age (Late Miocene?) of the Magallanes-Fagnano transform fault.

A coarse‐grained turbidite system with morphotectonic control (Middle Albian, Ondarroa, northern Iberia)

SedimentologyVolume 42, Issue 3 p. 523-523 A coarse-grained turbidite system with morphotectonic control (Middle Albian, Ondarroa, northern Iberia) THOMAS PLETSCH, THOMAS PLETSCH Institut und Museum für Geologie/Paläontologie der Universität Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany Geologisches Institut, Abt. Mikro-paläontologie, Univ. Kiel, Olshausensk. 40–60, D-24118 Kiel, Germany.Search for more papers by this authorMARTIN MESCHEDE, MARTIN MESCHEDE Institut und Museum für Geologie/Paläontologie der Universität Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, D-72076 Tübingen, GermanySearch for more papers by this author THOMAS PLETSCH, THOMAS PLETSCH Institut und Museum für Geologie/Paläontologie der Universität Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany Geologisches Institut, Abt. Mikro-paläontologie, Univ. Kiel, Olshausensk. 40–60, D-24118 Kiel, Germany.Search for more papers by this authorMARTIN MESCHEDE, MARTIN MESCHEDE Institut und Museum für Geologie/Paläontologie der Universität Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, D-72076 Tübingen, GermanySearch for more papers by this author First published: June 1995 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.1995.tb00388.x AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume42, Issue3June 1995Pages 523-523 RelatedInformation

A coarse grained turbidite system with morphotectonic control (Middle Albian, Ondarroa, northern Iberia)

ABSTRACTThe Middle Albian Ondarroa turbidite system is a coarse grained, deep water unit which outcrops in the north‐eastern part of the Basque‐Cantabrian region, west of the Pyrenees. It is about 18 km long and 7 km wide, and shows an unusual ‘L’shape resulting from both a direct morphotectonic confinement and the presence of nearby shallow water carbonate buildups.Eight main facies have been distinguished within this turbidite system: (1) clast‐supported conglomerates; (2) mud‐supported conglomerates; (3) slump deposits; (4) normally graded pebbly sandstones; (5) cross stratified sandstones; (6) interbedded graded sandstones and mudstones; (7) interbedded non‐graded sandstones and mudstones: and (8) mudstones. Inner system, middle system, outer system and basin plain divisions have been distinguished. The inner turbidite system is characterized by stacked channel fill conglomerates and lesser sandy turbidites and mudstones. The middle system consists of sandy and conglomeratic fining upwards sequences, normally several metres thick. The outer system has alternating non‐channellized sandstones and mudstones, without any predictable vertical arrangement. The basin plain is characterized by mudstone‐siltstone laminations and lesser, randomly occurring thin bedded sandy turbidites.Three main channel fills make up the inner turbidite system. Although all of them can be compared with the valley channel fills of the modern Mississippi Fan, and thus their bases can be interpreted as sequence boundaries, only the lowermost and the uppermost channel bases are documented as allocyclic boundaries. The Ondarroa turbidite system was deposited in an immature passive margin subjected to transtensional movements. It filled a composite pull apart depression with coarse clastics derived from a narrow platform to the north of the present outcrops which was invaded by fan deltas. A major pattern of sinistral strike‐slip faulting linked to the opening of the Bay of Biscay is invoked to explain the Ondarroa turbidite system appearance and its tectonic confinement.

Contour current accumulation off the Vema Channel mouth, southern Brazil Basin: pattern of a “contourite fan”

In the southern part of the Brazil Basin, 3.5 kHz echosounding reveals the existence of a cone-shaped sedimentary accumulation (4480 m depth). This sediment body is interpreted as deposited by the Antarctic Bottom Water currents (AABW) at the downstream exit of deep valleys cutting through the Rio Grande Rise. It is located between two major channels that prolonged northeastward the valleys into the Brazil Basin: the Vema Channel in the southeast and the São Paulo Abyssal Gap in the northwest. As a consequence, most of the AABW flow is channelized in two branches. Deposition of the current-transported particles occurs below the shear zone which takes place between the two branches. The Quaternary sediments consist of silty—clayey muddy contourites associated with manganiferous deposits. The accumulation is built by lateral migration of secondary channels and by lateral construction of lobes between the two major channels, which are both well stabilized on account of a morphotectonic control on their location. The entire sediment body progrades upward and downstream toward the northeast. On the basis of morphological, seismic and lithological arguments, we would like to propose the name of “contourite fan” for such a contour current controlled accumulation.

The roussillon continental margin (Gulf of Lions): Plio-Quaternary paleogeographic interpretation

The paleographic evolution of the Roussillon continental margin during the Plio-Quaternary has been reconstructed on the basis of indirect methods of investigation (continuous seismic reflexion) and of analysis of core samples. Interpretation of the first group is based on the character of the reflectors, their position, morphology, and their correlation with outcrop equivalents. Evolution in this area can be integrated in the more general history of the Gulf of Lions and the western Mediterranean. A remarkable factor is the morphotectonic control played by the Paleozoic substratum until recently. The Quaternary origin of the canyon seems to be characteristic of submarine valleys in this part of the Mediterranean. The different studies confirm the importance of submarine phenomena in the shaping and maintaining their morphology. The following are defined in the Quaternary complex: alluvial deposits and the fossil channel of the early and mid-Quaternary; the major Tyrrhenian phase of filling; the recent eustatic oscillations. The latter have been defined in the light of analytical data. The oldest sequence reached by drilling for core samples is the transgressive neo-Tyrrhenian. The recent Würm is figured by two regressive phases (Würm III and Würm IV) and one positive interstadial. The Holocene facies enable us to measure the rise of Flandrian sea level at a rate of 10 m per 1,000 years.