The kinematics of the Baikal rift zone accommodation structures

Abstract

Rift systems are composed of a set of heterogeneous tectonic blocks that deform under regional extension concordantly, but individually. Such coordination is achieved due to development of evolving ensembles of deformation structures along the borders of the blocks; these structures accommodate in some way the discrepancies in the structural style between the separate domains of tension. Generally, the number of structural ensembles that segment the space of the rift zone is limited and each of them has its own trend of tectonic development. This article analyzes the segmentation and evolutionary patterns of the Baikal rift zone in terms of transfer and accommodation zones, which have been accepted recently as standard descriptions for the architecture of continental rifts.