The impact of erosion and sediment deposition on the initiation and evolution of faults: an investigation using fully coupled three-dimensional numerical models

构造活动区的地形是构造位移与地表过程相互作用的结果。数值模拟结果表明，这种相互作用不仅控制着地貌的演化，而且通过影响地壳应力状态而影响构造变形的类型。然而，这些以前的模型不包括离散故障，因此不允许调查的影响，表面过程上的滑动行为的个别故障。使用一个新开发的有限元技术，耦合流变分层，均衡响应构造模型，包括故障与一个完善的景观演化模型，拟议的项目旨在量化的影响，侵蚀和沉积在不同的构造体制的个别断层的滑动演化。特别是，将调查地表过程启动断层滑动或在构造强迫停止后促进滑动的潜力。从模型中获得的滑动演化将比较案例研究从伸展构造制度（盆岭省，科林斯湾）和收缩设置（尼泊尔喜马拉雅山），地质和地貌数据表明，断层是相当大的影响，由断层为界的山脉剥蚀。

The topography of tectonically active areas results from the interaction between tectonic displacement and surface processes. As shown by numerical models, this interaction does not only control the evolution of landscapes but also influences the style of tectonic deformation by affecting the state of stress in the crust. However, these previous models did not include discrete faults and hence did not allow to investigate the effect of surface processes on the slip behaviour of individual faults. Using a newly developed finite-element technique that couples a rheologically stratified, isostatically responding tectonic model including faults with a well established landscape evolution model, the proposed project aims to quantify the impact of erosion and sedimentation on the slip evolution of individual faults in different tectonic regimes. In particular, the potential of surface processes to initiate fault slip or to promote slip after cessation of the tectonic forcing will be investigated. The slip evolution obtained from the model will be compared to case studies from extensional tectonic regimes (Basin-and-Range Province, Gulf of Corinth) and contractional settings (Nepalese Himalayas), where geological and geomorphological data suggest that faulting is considerably influenced by denudation of the fault-bounded mountain ranges.