06 February 2008
GSA Release No. 08-08
Strike-Slip Fault System Exposé
Boulder, CO, USA – A new volume published by the Geological Society of America sheds light on the puzzling and ill-defined geologic processes by which rocks of Earth's middle crust are exposed during strike-slip fault motion.
Exhumation Associated with Continental Strike-Slip Fault Systems, GSA Special Paper 434, examines modern and ancient systems at a wide range of scales. The volume's eleven papers incorporate a broad spectrum of geological and geophysical methods in studying tectonic settings in western North America, South America, Asia, and New Zealand.
"Classic models of strike-slip fault systems tend to emphasize limited crustal thinning or thickening in response to fault motion," said lead editor Alison B. Till of the U.S. Geological Survey. "We've known since the late 1970s that middle as well as deep crustal rocks are sometimes exhumed or exposed, but we haven't really understood how it happens."
According to Till, research studies contained in the book show that exhumation processes are quite varied. "No common thread among them has yet emerged, suggesting that our understanding is still rudimentary," said Till. "There is certainly a need for more research."
Individual copies may be purchased through the Geological Society of America online store
or by contacting GSA Sales and Service,
Book editors of earth science journals/publications may request a review copy by contacting Jeanette Hammann,
Exhumation Associated with Continental Strike-Slip Fault Systems
Alison B. Till, Sarah M. Roeske, James C. Sample, and David A. Foster (editors)
Geological Society of America Special Paper 434
2007, 264 pages, US$80.00, GSA member price US$56.00