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Geophysical evidence for 'thick-skinned' crustal deformation in central Australia

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Abstract

Until now, there has been no clear evidence from deep seismic reflection profiles of crustal faults that displace the Moho. New data from central Australia show such a structure in a region characterized by large thrust structures, large gravity anomalies and abrupt changes in teleseismic travel times. Here the principal thrust, the Redbank Deformed Zone, cuts through the crust, and the Moho is significantly displaced across it. The geological and geophysical evidence leads to a model of thick-skinned crustal deformation which occurred in an intra-cratonic environment in late Devonian time.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Bruce R. Goleby, Russell D. Shaw & Cedric Wright

  2. Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, GPO Box 4, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Bruce R. Goleby, Russell D. Shaw, Brian L. N. Kennett & Kurt Lambeck

Authors
  1. Bruce R. Goleby
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  2. Russell D. Shaw
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  3. Cedric Wright
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  4. Brian L. N. Kennett
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  5. Kurt Lambeck
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Goleby, B., Shaw, R., Wright, C. et al. Geophysical evidence for 'thick-skinned' crustal deformation in central Australia. Nature 337, 325–330 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/337325a0

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