TY - JOUR
T1 - Normal faulting in the forearc of the Hellenic subduction margin
T2 - Paleoearthquake history and kinematics of the Spili Fault, Crete, Greece
AU - Mouslopoulou, Vasiliki
AU - Moraetis, Daniel
AU - Benedetti, Lucilla
AU - Guillou, Valery
AU - Bellier, Olivier
AU - Hristopulos, Dionisis
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - The late-Cenozoic kinematic and late-Pleistocene paleoearthquake history of the Spili Fault is examined using slip-vector measurements and in situ cosmogenic (36Cl) dating, respectively. The Spili Fault appears to have undergone at least three successive but distinct phases of extension since Messinian (~7Ma), with the most recent faulting resulting in the exhumation of its carbonate plane for a fault-length of ~20km. Earthquake-slip and age data show that the lower 9m of the Spili Fault plane were exhumed during the last ~16,500 years through a minimum of five large-magnitude (Mw>6) earthquakes. The timing between successive paleoearthquakes varied by more than one order of magnitude (from 800 to 9000 years), suggesting a highly variable earthquake recurrence interval during late Pleistocene (CV=1). This variability resulted to significant fluctuations in the displacement rate of the Spili Fault, with the millennium rate (3.5mm/yr) being about six times faster than its late-Pleistocene rate (0.6mm/yr). The observed variability in the slip-size of the paleoearthquakes is, however, significantly smaller (CV=0.3). These data collectively suggest that the Spili Fault is one of the fastest moving faults in the forearc of the Hellenic subduction margin.
AB - The late-Cenozoic kinematic and late-Pleistocene paleoearthquake history of the Spili Fault is examined using slip-vector measurements and in situ cosmogenic (36Cl) dating, respectively. The Spili Fault appears to have undergone at least three successive but distinct phases of extension since Messinian (~7Ma), with the most recent faulting resulting in the exhumation of its carbonate plane for a fault-length of ~20km. Earthquake-slip and age data show that the lower 9m of the Spili Fault plane were exhumed during the last ~16,500 years through a minimum of five large-magnitude (Mw>6) earthquakes. The timing between successive paleoearthquakes varied by more than one order of magnitude (from 800 to 9000 years), suggesting a highly variable earthquake recurrence interval during late Pleistocene (CV=1). This variability resulted to significant fluctuations in the displacement rate of the Spili Fault, with the millennium rate (3.5mm/yr) being about six times faster than its late-Pleistocene rate (0.6mm/yr). The observed variability in the slip-size of the paleoearthquakes is, however, significantly smaller (CV=0.3). These data collectively suggest that the Spili Fault is one of the fastest moving faults in the forearc of the Hellenic subduction margin.
KW - Cosmogenic dating
KW - Crete
KW - Limestone scarp
KW - Normal fault
KW - Paleoearthquakes
KW - Spili fault
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84903708241&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84903708241&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsg.2014.05.017
DO - 10.1016/j.jsg.2014.05.017
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84903708241
VL - 66
SP - 298
EP - 308
JO - Journal of Structural Geology
JF - Journal of Structural Geology
SN - 0191-8141
ER -