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作用相互作用的结果。数值模型表明，这种相互作用不仅控制着地貌的演化，而且还通过影响地壳的应力状态来影响构造变形的样式。然而，这些先前的模型不包括离散断层，因此不允许研究表面过程对单个断层滑动行为的影响。采用一种新开发的有限元技术，将包括断层在内的流变分层、均衡响应的构造模型与成熟的景观演化模型结合起来，该项目旨在量化不同构造制度下侵蚀和沉积对单个断层滑动演化的影响。特别是，在构造强迫停止后，将研究地表过程引发断层滑动或促进滑动的可能性。从该模型中获得的滑动演化将与伸展构造体系（盆地-山脉省、科林斯湾）和收缩构造体系（尼泊尔喜马拉雅山脉）的案例研究进行比较，在这些构造体系中，地质和地貌数据表明，断裂在很大程度上受到断层边界山脉剥蚀的影响。

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.