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A mechanism for decoupling within the oceanic lithosphere revealed in the Troodos ophiolite

Nature volume 374, pages 232–238 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

Contrasting kinematic histories recorded in the sheeted dykes and underlying plutonic rocks of the Troodos ophiolite provide a new perspective on the mechanical evolution of oceanic spreading centres. The kinematic framework of the decoupling zone that partitions deformation between the sheeted dykes and plutonics contrasts with low-angle detachment models for slow-spreading ridges based on continental-rift analogues. A model for the generation of multiple, horizontal decoupling horizons, linked by planar normal faults, demonstrates new possibilities for the kinematic and rheological significance of seismic reflectors in oceanic lithosphere.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 60208, USA

    Susan M. Agar

  2. US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, 94025, USA

    Kim D. Klitgord

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  1. Susan M. Agar
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  2. Kim D. Klitgord
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Agar, S., Klitgord, K. A mechanism for decoupling within the oceanic lithosphere revealed in the Troodos ophiolite. Nature 374, 232–238 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/374232a0

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