Inversion structures across the crest of the Larnaka Ridge associated with strike-slip faulting during the uppermost Messinian–Quaternary, eastern Mediterranean

A. E. Aksu; J. Hall; C. Yaltırak

doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2021.228953

Inversion structures across the crest of the Larnaka Ridge associated with strike-slip faulting during the uppermost Messinian–Quaternary, eastern Mediterranean

A. E. Aksu^*, J. Hall, C. Yaltırak

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Geological Engineering

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The structural evolution of the Larnaka Ridge is studied using high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection profiles and multibeam mosaics of the seafloor. Multibeam maps revealed the presence of two families of en-échelon tension cracks (young and old) on the seafloor north of the ridge. Rose diagram on the young tension cracks revealed that most lineations are oriented NW–SE, where the instantaneous tensile σ3 is oriented NE–SW. The old tension cracks are oriented N-S, here the instantaneous tensile σ3 is oriented E–W. In addition, the seafloor in the Latakia Basin and over the crest of the Latakia Ridge includes by several prominent ridges and their intervening valleys, forming four groups of seafloor lineations, each having a distinctive orientation, including ENE–WSW, ESE–WNW, NE–SW and NNW–SSE. The multichannel seismic reflection profiles revealed that (a) the ridges and valleys are developed exclusively within the uppermost Messinian–Quaternary Unit 1, bounded at their tops by the seafloor and bases by the top erosional surface (TES), (b) there is a reciprocal relationship between the seafloor and the TES, such that when the seafloor goes up, the TES goes down, (c) there is a prominent mid–Unit 1 unconformity (γ-reflector), which separates the convex-up reflectors of the upper subunit 1a from the convex-down reflectors of the lower subunit 1b. These sedimentary structures are developed as a series of positive and negative flower structures along the Amanos–Larnaka fault zone, a prominent sinistral strike-slip system in the eastern Mediterranean. The data show evidence of a switch during the Quaternary of the direction of the principal maximum compressive stress from N-S to NW–SE, probably associated with the docking of the Eratosthenes Seamount which must have fixed the northwestern margin of the Sinai Block, allowing the northeastern sector to freely rotate counterclockwise.

Original language	English
Article number	228953
Journal	Tectonophysics
Volume	814
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2021.228953
Publication status	Published - 5 Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.

Funding

We thank the officers and crew of the RV Koca Piri Reis, particularly the former Captains M. Özsaygılı and K. Dursun and the former Chief Engineers B. Nuriler and Ö. Çubuk for their invaluable assistance during the many years of geophysical operations. We further thank Dr. D. Yaşar of the Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology, Dokuz Eylül University for his role in facilitating these cruises. Special thanks are extended to the Turkish Petroleum Corporation for kindly providing their multichannel seismic profiles and well data. We acknowledge research and shiptime funds from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to Aksu and Hall , and contributions from the Office of the Vice-President Research and the Ocean Sciences Centre at Memorial University of Newfoundland . Numerous discussions with Dr. T. Calon greatly improved the manuscript. Finally, we extend special thanks to P. Bruce (CREAIT, Memorial University of Newfoundland) and M. Şahin (Istanbul Technical University) for their assistance in data management. We thank the officers and crew of the RV Koca Piri Reis, particularly the former Captains M. ?zsayg?l? and K. Dursun and the former Chief Engineers B. Nuriler and ?. ?ubuk for their invaluable assistance during the many years of geophysical operations. We further thank Dr. D. Ya?ar of the Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology, Dokuz Eyl?l University for his role in facilitating these cruises. Special thanks are extended to the Turkish Petroleum Corporation for kindly providing their multichannel seismic profiles and well data. We acknowledge research and shiptime funds from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to Aksu and Hall, and contributions from the Office of the Vice-President Research and the Ocean Sciences Centre at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Numerous discussions with Dr. T. Calon greatly improved the manuscript. Finally, we extend special thanks to P. Bruce (CREAIT, Memorial University of Newfoundland) and M. ?ahin (Istanbul Technical University) for their assistance in data management.

Funders	Funder number
Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology
Turkish Petroleum Corporation
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Istanbul Teknik Üniversitesi

Keywords

Eastern Mediterranean
Latakia Basin
Latakia Ridge
Regional tectonics
Seismic stratigraphy
Strike-slip faults
Tension cracks

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10.1016/j.tecto.2021.228953

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title = "Inversion structures across the crest of the Larnaka Ridge associated with strike-slip faulting during the uppermost Messinian–Quaternary, eastern Mediterranean",

abstract = "The structural evolution of the Larnaka Ridge is studied using high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection profiles and multibeam mosaics of the seafloor. Multibeam maps revealed the presence of two families of en-{\'e}chelon tension cracks (young and old) on the seafloor north of the ridge. Rose diagram on the young tension cracks revealed that most lineations are oriented NW–SE, where the instantaneous tensile σ3 is oriented NE–SW. The old tension cracks are oriented N-S, here the instantaneous tensile σ3 is oriented E–W. In addition, the seafloor in the Latakia Basin and over the crest of the Latakia Ridge includes by several prominent ridges and their intervening valleys, forming four groups of seafloor lineations, each having a distinctive orientation, including ENE–WSW, ESE–WNW, NE–SW and NNW–SSE. The multichannel seismic reflection profiles revealed that (a) the ridges and valleys are developed exclusively within the uppermost Messinian–Quaternary Unit 1, bounded at their tops by the seafloor and bases by the top erosional surface (TES), (b) there is a reciprocal relationship between the seafloor and the TES, such that when the seafloor goes up, the TES goes down, (c) there is a prominent mid–Unit 1 unconformity (γ-reflector), which separates the convex-up reflectors of the upper subunit 1a from the convex-down reflectors of the lower subunit 1b. These sedimentary structures are developed as a series of positive and negative flower structures along the Amanos–Larnaka fault zone, a prominent sinistral strike-slip system in the eastern Mediterranean. The data show evidence of a switch during the Quaternary of the direction of the principal maximum compressive stress from N-S to NW–SE, probably associated with the docking of the Eratosthenes Seamount which must have fixed the northwestern margin of the Sinai Block, allowing the northeastern sector to freely rotate counterclockwise.",

keywords = "Eastern Mediterranean, Latakia Basin, Latakia Ridge, Regional tectonics, Seismic stratigraphy, Strike-slip faults, Tension cracks",

author = "Aksu, {A. E.} and J. Hall and C. Yaltırak",

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T1 - Inversion structures across the crest of the Larnaka Ridge associated with strike-slip faulting during the uppermost Messinian–Quaternary, eastern Mediterranean

AU - Aksu, A. E.

AU - Hall, J.

AU - Yaltırak, C.

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N2 - The structural evolution of the Larnaka Ridge is studied using high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection profiles and multibeam mosaics of the seafloor. Multibeam maps revealed the presence of two families of en-échelon tension cracks (young and old) on the seafloor north of the ridge. Rose diagram on the young tension cracks revealed that most lineations are oriented NW–SE, where the instantaneous tensile σ3 is oriented NE–SW. The old tension cracks are oriented N-S, here the instantaneous tensile σ3 is oriented E–W. In addition, the seafloor in the Latakia Basin and over the crest of the Latakia Ridge includes by several prominent ridges and their intervening valleys, forming four groups of seafloor lineations, each having a distinctive orientation, including ENE–WSW, ESE–WNW, NE–SW and NNW–SSE. The multichannel seismic reflection profiles revealed that (a) the ridges and valleys are developed exclusively within the uppermost Messinian–Quaternary Unit 1, bounded at their tops by the seafloor and bases by the top erosional surface (TES), (b) there is a reciprocal relationship between the seafloor and the TES, such that when the seafloor goes up, the TES goes down, (c) there is a prominent mid–Unit 1 unconformity (γ-reflector), which separates the convex-up reflectors of the upper subunit 1a from the convex-down reflectors of the lower subunit 1b. These sedimentary structures are developed as a series of positive and negative flower structures along the Amanos–Larnaka fault zone, a prominent sinistral strike-slip system in the eastern Mediterranean. The data show evidence of a switch during the Quaternary of the direction of the principal maximum compressive stress from N-S to NW–SE, probably associated with the docking of the Eratosthenes Seamount which must have fixed the northwestern margin of the Sinai Block, allowing the northeastern sector to freely rotate counterclockwise.

AB - The structural evolution of the Larnaka Ridge is studied using high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection profiles and multibeam mosaics of the seafloor. Multibeam maps revealed the presence of two families of en-échelon tension cracks (young and old) on the seafloor north of the ridge. Rose diagram on the young tension cracks revealed that most lineations are oriented NW–SE, where the instantaneous tensile σ3 is oriented NE–SW. The old tension cracks are oriented N-S, here the instantaneous tensile σ3 is oriented E–W. In addition, the seafloor in the Latakia Basin and over the crest of the Latakia Ridge includes by several prominent ridges and their intervening valleys, forming four groups of seafloor lineations, each having a distinctive orientation, including ENE–WSW, ESE–WNW, NE–SW and NNW–SSE. The multichannel seismic reflection profiles revealed that (a) the ridges and valleys are developed exclusively within the uppermost Messinian–Quaternary Unit 1, bounded at their tops by the seafloor and bases by the top erosional surface (TES), (b) there is a reciprocal relationship between the seafloor and the TES, such that when the seafloor goes up, the TES goes down, (c) there is a prominent mid–Unit 1 unconformity (γ-reflector), which separates the convex-up reflectors of the upper subunit 1a from the convex-down reflectors of the lower subunit 1b. These sedimentary structures are developed as a series of positive and negative flower structures along the Amanos–Larnaka fault zone, a prominent sinistral strike-slip system in the eastern Mediterranean. The data show evidence of a switch during the Quaternary of the direction of the principal maximum compressive stress from N-S to NW–SE, probably associated with the docking of the Eratosthenes Seamount which must have fixed the northwestern margin of the Sinai Block, allowing the northeastern sector to freely rotate counterclockwise.

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KW - Latakia Basin

KW - Latakia Ridge

KW - Regional tectonics

KW - Seismic stratigraphy

KW - Strike-slip faults

KW - Tension cracks

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DO - 10.1016/j.tecto.2021.228953

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85107627315

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VL - 814

JO - Tectonophysics

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M1 - 228953

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Inversion structures across the crest of the Larnaka Ridge associated with strike-slip faulting during the uppermost Messinian–Quaternary, eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

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