Fault reactivation control on normal fault growth: an experimental study

Field studies frequently emphasize how fault reactivation is involved in the deformation of the upper crust. However, this phenomenon is generally neglected (except in inversion models) in analogue and numerical models performed to study fault network growth. Using sand/silicon analogue models, we show how pre-existing discontinuities can control the geometry and evolution of a younger fault network. The models show that the reactivation of pre-existing discontinuities and their orientation control: (i) the evolution of the main fault orientation distribution through time, (ii) the geometry of relay fault zones, (iii) the geometry of small scale faulting, and (iv) the geometry and location of fault-controlled basins and depocenters. These results are in good agreement with natural fault networks observed in both the Gulf of Suez and Lake Tanganyika. They demonstrate that heterogeneities such as pre-existing faults should be included in models designed to understand the behavior and the tectonic evolution of sedimentary basins.