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Evolution of the offshore western Gulf of Corinth

Evolution of the offshore western Gulf of Corinth
Evolution of the offshore western Gulf of Corinth
The young Gulf of Corinth rift in central Greece is an ideal place to study processes occurring during the initiation and early stages of continental extension. At the east end of the 100-km–long E-W rift, Holocene extension on N-dipping faults equates to geodetic extension rates. At the western end, however, estimated extension rates on N-dipping onshore faults account for only 20%–40% of the geodetically measured rates (10–15 mm/yr). We use high-quality, multichannel, seismic reflection and swath bathymetry data to investigate the tectonics of the western Gulf and quantify the contribution of offshore fault activity toward total-rift extension. Five major offshore faults generate the variable basement topography, and a ca. 0.4-Ma unconformity separates stratigraphy into two main packages. Basin-fill geometry indicates that during the early stages of subsidence of the offshore western Gulf, S-dipping faults were the dominant border-fault structure. This is still the case at the western end of the western Gulf; however, elsewhere, N-dipping faults on the south margin are now relatively more dominant and cause stratigraphy to tilt south. The temporally and spatially varying rift structure contrasts with the simple, consistently N-dipping, border-fault, half-graben geometry of the east Gulf of Corinth. Combined west Gulf offshore and onshore Holocene fault extension rates total 5–14.5 mm/yr, within the range calculated geodetically, and render enhanced slip on a low-angle detachment surface beneath the western Gulf unnecessary.
gulf of corinth, normal fault, seismic reflection, seismic stratigraphy, rift evolution
0016-7606
156-178
Bell, Rebecca E.
9f4bdcb7-6e06-4b40-a0b2-5a6fdbbc54be
McNeill, Lisa C.
1fe6a1e0-ca1a-4b6f-8469-309d0f9de0cf
Bull, Jonathan M.
974037fd-544b-458f-98cc-ce8eca89e3c8
Henstock, Timothy J.
27c450a4-3e6b-41f8-97f9-4e0e181400bb
Bell, Rebecca E.
9f4bdcb7-6e06-4b40-a0b2-5a6fdbbc54be
McNeill, Lisa C.
1fe6a1e0-ca1a-4b6f-8469-309d0f9de0cf
Bull, Jonathan M.
974037fd-544b-458f-98cc-ce8eca89e3c8
Henstock, Timothy J.
27c450a4-3e6b-41f8-97f9-4e0e181400bb

Bell, Rebecca E., McNeill, Lisa C., Bull, Jonathan M. and Henstock, Timothy J. (2008) Evolution of the offshore western Gulf of Corinth. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 120 (1-2), 156-178. (doi:10.1130/B26212.1).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The young Gulf of Corinth rift in central Greece is an ideal place to study processes occurring during the initiation and early stages of continental extension. At the east end of the 100-km–long E-W rift, Holocene extension on N-dipping faults equates to geodetic extension rates. At the western end, however, estimated extension rates on N-dipping onshore faults account for only 20%–40% of the geodetically measured rates (10–15 mm/yr). We use high-quality, multichannel, seismic reflection and swath bathymetry data to investigate the tectonics of the western Gulf and quantify the contribution of offshore fault activity toward total-rift extension. Five major offshore faults generate the variable basement topography, and a ca. 0.4-Ma unconformity separates stratigraphy into two main packages. Basin-fill geometry indicates that during the early stages of subsidence of the offshore western Gulf, S-dipping faults were the dominant border-fault structure. This is still the case at the western end of the western Gulf; however, elsewhere, N-dipping faults on the south margin are now relatively more dominant and cause stratigraphy to tilt south. The temporally and spatially varying rift structure contrasts with the simple, consistently N-dipping, border-fault, half-graben geometry of the east Gulf of Corinth. Combined west Gulf offshore and onshore Holocene fault extension rates total 5–14.5 mm/yr, within the range calculated geodetically, and render enhanced slip on a low-angle detachment surface beneath the western Gulf unnecessary.

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More information

Published date: January 2008
Keywords: gulf of corinth, normal fault, seismic reflection, seismic stratigraphy, rift evolution
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 50079
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/50079
ISSN: 0016-7606
PURE UUID: 587bf23f-885b-4e1d-bc3a-2199fc0aea10
ORCID for Lisa C. McNeill: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8689-5882
ORCID for Jonathan M. Bull: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3373-5807
ORCID for Timothy J. Henstock: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2132-2514

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 18 Jan 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:20

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Contributors

Author: Rebecca E. Bell
Author: Lisa C. McNeill ORCID iD

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