We report here a detailed structural study carried out in the Internal Ligurian Units of the Northern Apennines, Italy, formed during the building of the Alpine accretionary complex through subduction of the sediment-filled LigureePiemontese oceanic basin. The deformation mechanisms associated with fluid migration across an accretion-related fault zone have been studied through a detailed analysis of different generations of syn-tectonic veins. Hydrofracturing occurred mainly sub-parallel to bedding in unlithified to semi-lithified sediments. Transient, upward-directed fluid injection locally connected the de´collement-parallel veins through bedding-normal hydrofractures of lithified sandstone layers. A third vein system comprises fibrous hydrofractures developed on the limbs of accretion-related folds. Crosscutting vein sets and the peculiar features of each identified vein set suggest that deformation was intricately associated with lithification and diagenetic processes. Dehydration-produced fluids transiently injected the lithifying sediments leading to local stress permutations. The proposed model provides a ‘‘ramp-flat’’ migration of fluids in which fluid flow is enhanced along high permeability, less cohesive layers, leading to the development of regional dilated hydrofracture channels like those recognized along the de´collement zone of modern margins. The more competent layers are truncated by high angle fractures representing the transient connectivity that existed between horizontal conduits.

Fluid flow during accretion in sediment-dominated margins: Evidence of a high-permeability fossil fault zone from the Internal Ligurian accretionary units of the Northern Apennines, Italy

MENEGHINI, FRANCESCA;PANDOLFI, LUCA
2007-01-01

Abstract

We report here a detailed structural study carried out in the Internal Ligurian Units of the Northern Apennines, Italy, formed during the building of the Alpine accretionary complex through subduction of the sediment-filled LigureePiemontese oceanic basin. The deformation mechanisms associated with fluid migration across an accretion-related fault zone have been studied through a detailed analysis of different generations of syn-tectonic veins. Hydrofracturing occurred mainly sub-parallel to bedding in unlithified to semi-lithified sediments. Transient, upward-directed fluid injection locally connected the de´collement-parallel veins through bedding-normal hydrofractures of lithified sandstone layers. A third vein system comprises fibrous hydrofractures developed on the limbs of accretion-related folds. Crosscutting vein sets and the peculiar features of each identified vein set suggest that deformation was intricately associated with lithification and diagenetic processes. Dehydration-produced fluids transiently injected the lithifying sediments leading to local stress permutations. The proposed model provides a ‘‘ramp-flat’’ migration of fluids in which fluid flow is enhanced along high permeability, less cohesive layers, leading to the development of regional dilated hydrofracture channels like those recognized along the de´collement zone of modern margins. The more competent layers are truncated by high angle fractures representing the transient connectivity that existed between horizontal conduits.
2007
Meneghini, Francesca; Michele, Marroni; Pandolfi, Luca
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11568/786541
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