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Buckling of the oceanic lithosphere from geophysical data and experiments
Author(s) -
Bull Jonathan M.,
Martinod Joseph,
Davy Philippe
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
tectonics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.465
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1944-9194
pISSN - 0278-7407
DOI - 10.1029/91tc02908
Subject(s) - lithosphere , geology , brittleness , buckling , geophysics , asthenosphere , wavelength , basement , layer (electronics) , petrology , seismology , tectonics , materials science , civil engineering , engineering , composite material , optoelectronics
Two major hypotheses have been advanced for the formation of the long wavelength (100–300 km) undulations of oceanic basement and overlying sediments developed in the central Indian Ocean basin: whole layer folding (buckling) and local thickening (inverse boudinage). Using appropriately scaled two‐layer analogue models for the oceanic lithosphere comprising a brittle layer above a ductile layer, we show that buckling of the entire brittle layer is likely to be the mode of deformation. However, the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary remains undisturbed. We find a relationship between the thickness of the brittle layer and the wavelength of folding such that the wavelength is 7 times the brittle layer thickness.