Supplemental Material Fault Kinematics Methods
Supplemental Material Fault Kinematics Methods
S.E.K. Bennett et al., Transtensional rifting in the protoGulf of California near Baha Kino, Sonora,
Mxico: GSA Bulletin, doi: 10.1130/B30676.1.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
FAULT KINEMATICS
Methods
Structural observations and fault kinematic data were collected from fault planes in
outcrop (e.g. Fig. 4H, I) where fault-slip indicators (slickenlines or mullions) were preserved
(e.g. Fig. 4J, K). 132 fault-slip indicators were measured within all non-Quaternary map units.
Each fault-slip measurement consists of the strike/dip of the fault plane, rake of fault slip
indicator, and sense of shear. A reliable shear sense indicator was absent for ~80% of the
measured striae. Thus, a shear sense direction was systematically assigned to each fault
kinematic datum based on models of predictable transtensional structures (e.g. Withjack and
Jamison, 1986) formed from dextral oblique extension (e.g. a west-dipping fault with dip-slip
slickenlines is assigned an extensional, not compressional, shear-sense indicator).
Analysis
For this kinematic analysis, slickenlines are assumed to form in the direction of the
maximum resolved shear stress on a fault plane (Wallace, 1951; Bott, 1959). Thus, the paleodirections of the most compressive and least compressive principal stresses on that fault form
components of the orientation of the fault slickenline or mullion datum. Together these data, in
the context of the orientation of the fault plane on which they are measured, yield a set of
principal strain directions. If these represent infinitesimal strain (i.e. small-offset faults that have
not been subsequently rotated) the strain axes should be representative of paleo-stress principal
axes. Principal paleo-stress axes were determined using FaultKin v.4.3.5 software (Marrett and
Allmendinger, 1990; Allmendinger et al., 2012), which utilizes the right dihedra geometrical
method of Angelier and Mechler (1977) and Pfiffner and Burkhard (1987).
Variable amounts of clockwise vertical-axis rotation of fault blocks have occurred across
the study area. This rotation greatly complicates the analysis, as faults may have slipped at an
orientation different than that measured in outcrop. In our analysis we assume that the faults
measured were formed prior to rotation. All fault kinematic data were thus rotated counterclockwise about a vertical-axis by the amount of rotation either determined by the paleomagnetic
results of this study (up to 53), or predicted from strain compatibility with adjacent blocks.
Results
Fault kinematic data are highly variable and do not show a consistent relationship
between fault dip and rake or fault strike and rake (Fig. DR1). This suggests that many faults
have been rotated since their formation, complicating kinematic analysis. Overall the fault
kinematic data are consistent with transtensional deformation of the area. Fault kinematic
indicators measured in pre-12.5 Ma rocks (Fig. DR2A; n=89) are generally ignored in this
analysis as they may record older, pre-rift episodes of deformation. Fault kinematic indicators
measured in 12.5 - 0 Ma rocks (n=43) reflect all Gulf of California deformation, and display
WSW-directed slightly oblique extension (T-axis azimuth 254) with a near-vertical 1 principal
stress (Fig. DR2B).
To test for a change in paleo-stress orientation with time (cf. Angelier et al., 1981), the
well-dated stratigraphy was used as a chronologic filter as various periods of time were
compared for similar or dissimilar paleo-stress axis orientations. Fault kinematic indicators
(n=20) measured in early proto-Gulf rocks (12.5 to 11.5 Ma), which integrate all subsequent
Gulf deformation, display a SW-NE slightly oblique extension direction (T-axis azimuth 232)
with a near-vertical 1 principal stress (Fig. DR2C). In latest proto-Gulf rocks (7 to ~6 Ma), fault
kinematic indicators (n=23) suggest an approximate E-W slightly oblique extension direction (T-
axis azimuth 263), again with a near-vertical 1 principal stress (Fig. DR2D). Although the
paleo-stress results from the fault kinematic dataset appear to distinguish two distinctly different
extension (i.e. 3 principal stress) directions for early proto-Gulf and latest proto-Gulf time
periods, the confidence of this distinction is not high. Confidence contours for P- and T-axes
strongly overlap (Fig. DR2). A major limitation of this dataset is that rocks deposited during a
large portion of proto-Gulf time (~11.57 Ma) are not observed. Therefore, the kinematic data do
not represent the tectonic style during a large portion of proto-Gulf time, and overall, these
results should be taken with some level of reservation.
REFERENCES CITED
Allmendinger, R.W., Cardozo, N.C., and Fisher, D., 2012, Structural Geology Algorithms:
Vectors & Tensors: Cambridge, England, Cambridge University Press, 289 p.
Angelier, J., and Mechler, P., 1977, Sur une mthode graphique de recherche des contraintes
principales galement utilisable en tectonique et en sismologie: La mthode des didres
droits: Bulletin de la Socit Gologique de France, v. 7, p. 13091318.
Angelier, J., Colletta, B., Chorowicz, J., Ortlieb, L., and Rangin, C., 1981, Fault tectonics of the
Baja California Peninsula and the opening of the Sea of Cortez, Mexico: Journal of
Structural Geology, v. 3, no. 4, p. 347357, doi:10.1016/0191-8141(81)90035-3.
Bott, M.H.P., 1959, The mechanics of oblique slip faulting: Geological Magazine, v. 96, p. 109
117.
Marrett, R.A., and Allmendinger, R.W., 1990, Kinematic analysis of fault-slip data: Journal of
Structural Geology, v. 12, p. 973986.
Pfiffner, O.A., and Burkhard, M., 1987, Determination of paleostress axes orientations from
fault, twin and earthquake data: Annales Tectonicae, v. 1, p. 4857.
Wallace, R.E., 1951, Geometry of shearing stress and relation to faulting: Journal of Geology, v.
59, p. 118130.
Withjack, M.O., and Jamison, W.R., 1986, Deformation produced by oblique rifting:
Tectonophysics, v. 126, p. 99124, doi:10.1016/0040-1951(86)90222-2.
FIGURE DR1. (A) Fault Dip vs. Rake for all measured fault striae. (B) Fault Strike vs. Rake for
all measured fault striae. See Table DR1 for a list of all measured fault striae.
FIGURE DR2. Fault kinematic data of slickenlines and mullions observed in coastal Sonora
study area. Columns display (left) measured faults and striae, (left-center) P-axes (gray circles)
and T-axes (black squares) for individual fault measurements, (right-center) Kamb contour of Paxes (gray) and T-axes (black), and (right) fault plane solution. All analysis conducted with
FaultKin software (Marrett and Allmendinger, 1990; Allmendinger et al., 2012). (A) Kinematic
data from pre-12.5 Ma rocks. (B) Kinematic data from rift-related (post-12.5 Ma) rocks. These
rift-related fault data are further subdivided into faults measured in early proto-Gulf-age rocks
(C) and in latest proto-Gulf-age rocks (D). It is assumed that the faults formed prior to rotation,
which may be invalid. All fault kinematic data plotted here were first rotated counter-clockwise
about a vertical-axis by the amount of rotation either determined by the paleomagnetic results of
this study (up to 53).
Page 2 of 2