Tectonics and Structural Geology

TS Must-Read – Mancktelow (2008): Tectonic pressure: Theoretical concepts and modelled examples

The Must-read team February 15, 2024

Neil Mancktelow published this Must-Read paper on the concept of “tectonic pressure” in 2008. The paper reviews previous work and theoretical concepts published on this fundamental topic. Additionally, numerical models that estimate the magnitude of tectonic pressure variations are presented for several realistic natural structures, such as folds, boudins, and inclusions. The premise of tectonic p ...[Read More]

TS Must-Read – Hudec and Jackson (2007) Terra infirma: Understanding salt tectonics

The Must-read team January 19, 2024

The TS Must-Read paper by Hudec and Jackson (2007) provides a combination of analogue models and natural cases to describe, in a review paper, salt flow mechanisms, diapir growth, and the ways these processes interact with regional deformation, in compression and extensional tectonics. Salt is mechanically weak and can flow like a fluid under gravitation, displacement, and thermal lo ...[Read More]

TS Must-Read – Bond et al. (2007) What do you think this is? “Conceptual uncertainty” in geoscience interpretation

The Must-read team December 1, 2023

The Must-Read paper by Bond et al. (2007) is a truly original piece of work, focusing on the conceptual uncertainty that occurs when earth scientists carry out a geological interpretation on data with limited resolution and/or spatial coverage. In this example it is about an interpretation of seismic reflection data (Fig. 1), but it can be applied to other situations as well. Conceptual uncertaint ...[Read More]

TS Must-read – Dewey (1988) Extensional collapse of orogens

The Must-read team June 25, 2021

After building orogens with Dewey and Bird (1970) and extending them during building with Platt (1986), Dewey (1988) explores the lifetime of orogens in their last breath: their extensional collapse. Simple considerations on how to form a normally-thick continental crust (30-40 km) from a thickened continental domain (50-60 km) indicate that erosion of the topography alone is far from being suffic ...[Read More]