Extensional inheritance and surface processes as controlling factors of mountain belt structure

摘要: Surface processes and inherited structures are widely regarded as factors that strongly influence the evolution of mountain belts. The first-order effects these parameters have been studied extensively throughout last decades, but their relative importance remains notoriously difficult to assess document. We use lithospheric scale plane-strain thermomechanical model experiments study surface extensional inheritance on internal structure contractional orogens foreland basins. Extensional is modeled explicitly by forward modeling formation a rift basin before reversing velocity boundary conditions its inversion. through combination simple sedimentation algorithm, where all negative topography filled up prescribed reference level, an elevation-dependent erosion model. Our results show (1) facilitates propagation basement deformation in retro-wedge (2) increases width orogen; (3) length both thin-skinned thick-skinned thrust sheets (4) wider (5) helps localize resulting narrower orogen less well-developed retro-wedge. A comparison behaviors High Atlas, Pyrenees, Central Alps, three natural examples characterized different degrees inversion, presented confirms predicted controls orogenic structure.