Brittle strain regime transition in the Afar depression: Implications for fault growth and seafloor spreading

Research Article| December 01, 2000 Brittle strain regime transition in the Afar depression: Implications for fault growth and seafloor spreading Anupma Gupta; Anupma Gupta 1Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Christopher H. Scholz Christopher H. Scholz 1Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2000) 28 (12): 1087–1090. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<1087:BSRTIT>2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 01 May 2000 rev-recd: 28 Aug 2000 accepted: 08 Sep 2000 first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Anupma Gupta, Christopher H. Scholz; Brittle strain regime transition in the Afar depression: Implications for fault growth and seafloor spreading. Geology 2000;; 28 (12): 1087–1090. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<1087:BSRTIT>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Numerical and analogue models of fault-population evolution suggest that we should see a frequency-size transition from power law to exponential as brittle strain within a region increases. We now observe this transition in continental rift faults in the Afar region, Ethiopia and Djibouti. Furthermore, we observe that this strain transition is accompanied by a plateau in fault density and an increase in the displacement: length ratio of faults with increasing brittle strain. Once faults reach a critical density, stress shadows of nearby faults inhibit fault nucleation and restrict tip propagation. However, pinned faults continue to accommodate extension by accumulating more displacement, thus leading to higher displacement: length ratios in the higher strain regime. This strain regime transition is important to understanding the physics of fault growth and may also be important to rift localization and the development of plate boundaries. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.