Michael A. Ellis

Middlebury College

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Andrew Barkwith

British Geological Survey

Martin D. Hurst

University of Glasgow

Alexander L. Densmore

Durham University

Andrés Payo

British Geological Survey

A. Brad Murray

Duke University

Jan Zalasiewicz

University of Leicester

Mark Williams

University of Leicester

David Favis‐Mortlock

British Geological Survey

Robert S. Anderson

Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research

Liam Reinhardt

University of Copenhagen

Cooperative Institutions

British Geological Survey

Australian National University

United States Geological Survey

University of Memphis

University of Oxford

Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales

University of Nottingham

University of Southampton

University of Exeter

Middlebury College

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Lithospheric Strength in Compression: Initiation of Subduction, Flake Tectonics, Foreland Migration of Thrusting, and an Origin of Displaced Terranes

The Journal of Geology (1988)

Michael A. Ellis

Compressive strength profiles through continental and oceanic lithosphere show, under all likely conditions, continental lithosphere to be significantly weaker than oceanic. Manifestations of this include subduction initiation within continental lithosphere (North Africa, eastern Japan) and the existence of continental large-scale, strike-slip faults. These latter are associated with the production of displaced (exotic) terranes. Once failure has begun and crustal shortening occurs through thrusting, reduction of the geotherm causes an increase in total compressive strength and burial of the strength maximum in the thickened section. This result leads to a mechanistic view of flake tectonics such that the modified strength profile of the overriding (thickened) plate enables it to act as a chisel and strip the upper crust from an encroaching continent. The increase in total strength leads to a horizontal-strength gradient, such that the most recently thrust-shortened section is stronger than the as yet undeformed foreland. Thus the footwall/foreland begins to deform internally until eventually it collapses and becomes imbricated into the hanging wall. This newly thickened section cools, becomes stronger, and deformation spreads to the new footwall/foreland. This is recognized as foreland migration of thrusting, documented in both active and inactive orogens. Thus mountains get wider through time because of a thermally induced horizontal strength gradient.

Convergent boundary

Collision zone

Thrust fault

10.1086/629195

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Citations (30)

Minimum Magnitude of Completeness and Rates of Seismicity in the New Madrid Region

Seismological Research Letters (1992)

Lotte Hass Michael A. Ellis P. A. Rydelek

Abstract We apply the Schuster test to an augmented Central Mississippi Valley (CMV) seismic catalog to determine the minimum magnitude of completeness (MMC). We test the null hypothesis that the events in the catalog are distributed as a Poissonian process at a period of 24 hours. The test is based, in part, on the assumption that event detection is modulated by differences between day and night noise. We tested different temporal portions of the catalog corresponding to the whole catalog, 1974 – 1990; the period of network improvement in 1980 – 1987; and post-1987. The minimum magnitude of completeness between 1980 and 1987 is 1.8 within the region reported in the CMV Earthquake Bulletin. The catalog shows anomalous distribution after 1987, which may be related to a combination of mistaken identification of blasts as earthquakes and changes in network personnel. A significant (better than 95% confidence) increase in the rate of seismicity above magnitude 2.0 occurred in the central New Madrid seismic zone in 1981, followed by the Arkansas swarm less than a year later and by a significant rate increase in the enveloping region less than two years later. A significant rate decrease occurred in the whole region in June 1987, although the anomalous nature of the post-1987 catalog makes this change suspect. We suggest that the early rate increase is caused by a change in local (New Madrid) fault conditions, rather than a change in far-field conditions, because the rate increase appears first in the central region.

Completeness (order theory)

Maximum magnitude

10.1785/gssrl.63.3.395

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Monitoring Coastal Change from space; what end users need and what is feasible

Coastal Management (2020)

Andrés Payo Mark Hennen Jara Martinez Xavier Monteys Jaegler Thomas

: Abstract In this manuscript, we present the first version of the user-needs specification and the service-providers feasibility-analysis produced by the Monitoring Coastal Change from Space consortium for the Coastal Erosion project (2019 to 2021). The scope of the European Space Agency (ESA) Coastal Erosion project is the development and demonstration of innovative EO products that will be driven by end-user organizations and provided as services to agencies and communities with responsibilities of monitoring coastal change. This project involves end users from the UK (British Geological Survey), Canada (ARCTUS), Ireland (Geological Survey Ireland), Spain (MITECO assisted by IHCantabria) and France (IGNFI). This consortium led by ARGANS and supported by isardSAT and adwäisEO, is developing innovative approaches that best exploit the novel observational capabilities of both synthetic aperture radar (SAR - e.g. Sentinel-1) and multi-spectral optical (e.g. Sentinel-2) earth observation (EO) data. End-Users have defined seventeen products that represent the coastal change of different observable geometries (1D, 2D and 3D). We have clustered these into five general EO products: (1D) waterlines and shoreline indicators; (2D) Land Use, Land Cover and habitats maps; (3D) Topo Bathymetric Digital Elevation Models; (CSI) Coastal State Indicators. The rationale, benefits and feasibility of each type of product is presented. The next step is to expand this first version of the requirements the requirements from the broader community of end-users to produce a final consolidated version of the users-needs and feasibility analysis.

Earth observation

Scope (computer science)

Coastal Management

Geological survey

10.1680/cm.65147.213

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Citations (4)

Orogen-parallel extension and oblique tectonics: The relation between stretching lineations and relative plate motions

Geology (1987)

Michael A. Ellis Anne Watkinson

Research Article| November 01, 1987 Orogen-parallel extension and oblique tectonics: The relation between stretching lineations and relative plate motions Michael Ellis; Michael Ellis 1Department of Geology, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota 55812 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A. J. Watkinson A. J. Watkinson 2Department of Geology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1987) 15 (11): 1022–1026. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<1022:OEAOTT>2.0.CO;2 Article history first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Michael Ellis, A. J. Watkinson; Orogen-parallel extension and oblique tectonics: The relation between stretching lineations and relative plate motions. Geology 1987;; 15 (11): 1022–1026. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<1022:OEAOTT>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Many collisional orogens exhibit two distinct deformation phases. The first, and relatively early, phase forms within an obliquely subducting continent and is characterized by regionally consistent stretching lineations subparallel to the orogen and to associated isoclinal and sheath folds. Second-phase folds and stretching lineations develop during and after imbrication of the subducting plate into the overriding plate, and they become progressively disharmonic with stretching lineations oriented perpendicular to the orogen. Structural morphology and stretching lineations indicate that a fundamental kinematic transition occurs as material is imbricated from footwall to hanging wall. Kinematic modeling, based on modern oblique convergent boundaries, and considerations of buoyancy forces suggest that only the relatively early structures reflect the relative plate motion, but that the correspondence is not simple. In particular, the orientation of stretching lineations is a function of finite strain, kinematics of deformation, and angle of subduction and convergence, and it will consistently underestimate the angle of oblique convergence. Second-phase structures reflect isostatic emergence of the hanging wall and are independent of relative plate convergence. Examples are drawn from the south-central Canadian Rockies, the Western Alps, the Variscides of Ireland and France, and the Himalaya. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Lineation

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10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<1022:oeaott>2.0.co;2

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Citations (96)

New Constraints on Crustal Deformation in the New Madrid Seismic Zone From Continuous GPS Geodesy.

AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts (2004)

V. M. Santillan R. Smalley Michael A. Ellis Roy B. VanArsdale

Satellite geodesy

Source

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Erratum to “Marine and terrestrial environmental changes in NW Europe preceding carbon release at the Paleocene–Eocene transition” [Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 353–354 (2013) 108–120]

Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2013)

Sev Kender Michael H. Stephenson James B. Riding Melanie J. Leng Robert Knox

10.1016/j.epsl.2013.07.005

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The Anthropocene: a conspicuous stratigraphical signal of anthropogenic changes in production and consumption across the biosphere

Earth s Future (2016)

Mark Williams Jan Zalasiewicz Colin N. Waters Matt Edgeworth Carys E. Bennett

Abstract Biospheric relationships between production and consumption of biomass have been resilient to changes in the Earth system over billions of years. This relationship has increased in its complexity, from localized ecosystems predicated on anaerobic microbial production and consumption to a global biosphere founded on primary production from oxygenic photoautotrophs, through the evolution of Eukarya, metazoans, and the complexly networked ecosystems of microbes, animals, fungi, and plants that characterize the Phanerozoic Eon (the last ∼541 million years of Earth history). At present, one species, Homo sapiens , is refashioning this relationship between consumption and production in the biosphere with unknown consequences. This has left a distinctive stratigraphy of the production and consumption of biomass, of natural resources, and of produced goods. This can be traced through stone tool technologies and geochemical signals, later unfolding into a diachronous signal of technofossils and human bioturbation across the planet, leading to stratigraphically almost isochronous signals developing by the mid‐20th century. These latter signals may provide an invaluable resource for informing and constraining a formal Anthropocene chronostratigraphy, but are perhaps yet more important as tracers of a biosphere state that is characterized by a geologically unprecedented pattern of global energy flow that is now pervasively influenced and mediated by humans, and which is necessary for maintaining the complexity of modern human societies.

Anthropocene

Consumption

Hydrosphere

10.1002/2015ef000339

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Citations (85)

Displacement variation along thrust faults: implications for the development of large faults

Journal of Structural Geology (1988)

Michael A. Ellis W. J. Dunlap

Thrust fault

Décollement

Maxima and minima