High Displacement Faults Project

Aiming to understand the spatial and temporal evolution of large-displacement normal faults

Seismic section, orientated E-W across the northern North Sea showing the fault network, dominated by large, crustal-scale normal faults. The High-Displacement fault project is studying the evolution of the major faults that dominate the late Jurassic syn-rift succession (seismic unit between orange and yellow horizons) in the northern North Sea, coupled with geodynamic numerical modelling of fault and deopcentre evolution. Seismic data courtesy of CGG.

Photo:

Rob Gawthorpe

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Objectives:

This study aims to understand the spatial and temporal evolution of large-displacement normal faults, in particular the processes controlling the growth, interaction and abandonment of these faults as well as the development of associated sediment sources and depocenters. We will accomplish this by focussing on the following objectives: i) Determine the 3D geometry and growth of these faults; ii) Analyse which faults in a network become large in size and displacement, iii) Disentangle the factors controlling the spatial and temporal development of these faults in rifts and continental margins; iv) Examine how they affect basin morphology and surface processes (e.g. uplift, subsidence, sediment routing), and crustal processes (e.g. exhumation, core complex formation).

Funding: UiB-Equinor Akademiaavtalen

Project Period: 01/06/2020 – 1/03/2024

Project Leader: Rob Gawthorpe

Involved people at UiB: Rob Gawthorpe & Ritske Huismans

Project Partners: UiB, Equinor

23.06.2022