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Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

DOI

10.3906/yer-1401-23

Abstract

Turtleback surfaces are common elements of highly extended terrains all over the world. This paper presents a 3D model explaining the formation of turtleback surfaces based on field observations made on the Horzum Turtleback of the Alaşehir graben, western Turkey. Three essential features have been determined as forming a turtleback surface. These are 1) the rolling hinge mechanism on a normal fault system, where the initial fault stays operational after forming second and third normal faults in its hanging wall; 2) relay ramps between initial fault segments; and 3) a synextensional intrusion on the shear zone of the initial normal fault at midcrustal level. The strike-slip tectonic setting is not among the essential features as suggested recently for Death Valley turtlebacks.

Keywords

Turtleback, extension, normal fault, Death Valley, western Turkey, graben

First Page

479

Last Page

494

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