Manfred R Strecker

Universität Potsdam · Institut für Geowissenschaften

Knowledge of the causative dynamics of earthquakes along subduction-zone interfaces and within oceanic slabs is relevant for improving future seismic hazard assessments. Here, we combine the analysis of seismic tomography, the 3D structure of the slab and seismicity to investigate the controlling factors driving slab seismic activity beneath the so...

The Andean Plateau of north-western Argentina (Puna) at a mean elevation of ca. 4.2 km constitutes the southern continuation of the Altiplano; it is a compressional basin-and-range province comprising fault-bounded, high-elevation mountain ranges and largely internally drained basins with often thick sedimentary and volcaniclastic fill. Growing sed...

The non-collisional subduction margin of South America is characterized by different geometries of the subduction zone and upper-plate tectono-magmatic provinces. The localization of deformation in the southern Central Andes (29°S–39°S) has been attributed to numerous factors that combine the properties of the subducting oceanic Nazca plate and the...

The southern Central Andes (29°S-39°S) is a key area to better understand the mechanisms of non-collisional mountain building associated with changes in oceanic plate dip geometry and the interaction between the oceanic and continental plates. The orogen experienced an increase of shortening during the last 35 Ma which is coeval with the southward...

The subduction of bathymetric highs, such as aseismic ridges, leads to far‐reaching changes in the dynamics of subduction zones with increased plate coupling and deformation in the upper plate. Subduction of the submarine Carnegie Ridge on the Nazca Plate has fundamentally impacted late Cenozoic magmatism and tectonic activity in the northern Andes...

The first step towards assessing hazards in seismically active regions involves mapping capable faults and estimating their recurrence times. While the mapping of active faults is commonly based on distinct geologic and geomorphic features evident at the surface, mapping blind seismogenic faults is complicated by the absence of on-fault diagnostic...

This study documents the impact of a shallow intrusion on low-temperature thermochronologic data

Text: Volcanism at graben junctions occurs worldwide in the form of calderas (Okataina, New Zealand), central volcanic edifices (Nyamulagira, East Africa Rift), or areas with distributed volcanism (Rhenish Massif). A variety of mechanisms have been proposed to explain the location and clustering of volcanism at graben junctions as well as differenc...

East Africa is a global biodiversity hotspot and exhibits distinct longitudinal diversity gradients from west to east in freshwater fishes and forest mammals. The assembly of this exceptional biodiversity and the drivers behind diversity gradients remain poorly understood, with diversification often studied at local scales and less attention paid t...

The first step towards assessing hazards in seismically active regions involves mapping capable faults and estimating their recurrence times. While the mapping of active faults is commonly based on distinct geologic and geomorphic features evident at the surface, mapping blind seismogenic faults is complicated by the absence of on-fault diagnostic...

In an ocean-continent subduction zone, the assessment of the lithospheric thermal state is essential to determine the controls of the deformation within the upper plate and the dip angle of the subducting lithosphere. In this study, we evaluate the degree of influence of both the configuration of the upper plate (i.e., thickness and composition of...

This book aims to view and to understand Alexander von Humboldt from different perspectives and in varying disciplinary contexts. His contributions addressed numerous topics in the earth but also life sciences—spanning from geo-botany, climatology, paleontology, oceanography, mineralogy, resources, and hydrogeology to links between the environmenta...

We examined the relationship between the mechanical strength of the lithosphere and the distribution of seismicity within the overriding continental plate of the southern Central Andes (SCA, 29°–39°S), where the oceanic Nazca Plate changes its subduction angle between 33°S and 35°S, from subhorizontal in the north (<5°) to steep in the south (∼30°)...

We present a structural analysis using 86 reduced paleostress tensors that document the spatio-temporal evolution of the stress field since the last 24 my across the southern margin of the Puna Plateau in transition with the Frontal Cordillera, Fiambalá basin and Sierra Pampeanas areas (26°30’-27°40’ S, Figure 1). The paleostress tensors were obtai...

Magmatic continental rifts often constitute nascent plate boundaries, yet long‐term extension rates and transient rate changes associated with these early stages of continental breakup remain difficult to determine. Here, we derive a time‐averaged minimum extension rate for the inner graben of the Northern Kenya Rift (NKR) of the East African Rift...

The Gofa Province and the Chew Bahir Basin of southern Ethiopia constitute tectonically active regions, where the Southern Main Ethiopian Rift converges with the Northern Kenya Rift through a wide zone of extensional deformation with several north to northeast-trending, left-stepping en-échelon basins. This sector of the Southern Main Ethiopian Rif...

Detrital zircons from two major rift basins within the East African Rift System (EARS) provide a means to evaluate not only sediment provenance and landscape dynamics in sedimentary basins, but also the timing of the silicic volcano-tectonic evolution of the rift system. We sampled from drill cores collected by the Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Dril...

In an ocean-continent subduction zone, the assessment of the lithospheric thermal state is essential to determine the controls of the deformation within the upper plate and the dip angle of the subducting lithosphere. In this study, we evaluate the degree of influence of both the configuration of the upper plate and variations of the subduction ang...

It has been proposed that at short timescales of 102–105 yr, climatic variability can explain variations in sediment flux, but in orogens with pronounced climatic gradients rate changes caused by the oscillating efficiency in rainfall, runoff, and/or sediment transport and deposition are still not well-constrained. To explore landscape responses un...

The Pamir Frontal Thrust (PFT) of the Trans-Alai Range in Central Asia is the principal active fault of the intracontinental convergence zone between the Pamir and Tien Shan. Its northward propagation is reflected by frequent seismic activity and ongoing crustal shortening. Recent and historic earthquakes exhibit complex rupture patterns within and...

Resolving Earth's surface at the meter scale is essential for an improved understanding of the dynamics of mass‐movement processes. In this study, we explore the applicability and potential of digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from stereophotogrammetry to detect debris‐flow channels in the Quebrada del Toro in the northwestern Argentine Andes...

Alpine glacial erosion exerts a first-order control on mountain topography and sediment production, but its mechanisms are poorly understood. Observational data capable of testing glacial erosion and transport laws in glacial models are mostly lacking. New insights, however, can be gained from detrital tracer thermochronology. Detrital tracer therm...

The data presented here were produced to study glacial and glacio-fluvial catchment erosion using 'tracer thermochronology' where detrital downstream samples can be used to infer the source elevation sectors of sediments when integrated with known surface bedrock ages from the catchment (Falkowski et al., 2021). For the first time, our study used t...

The Patagonian Andes have been used to illustrate the dependency of major topographic changes in response to glacial erosion processes dominating over tectonic deformation and uplift. Here, we investigate tectonic and glacial contributors to the erosion history and evolution of topography in the Patagonian Andes at 46.5° S. We present 33 new apatit...

Foreland basins are sensitive recorders of spatiotemporal variations in tectonic and climatic forcing associated with an approaching orogenic front. Thus, analysis of foreland deposits and their associated deformation patterns and provenance signals allows assessment of tectonic and sedimentary processes during orogeny, providing clues to past envi...

Understanding the control mechanisms that affect soil leaf wax hydrogen isotopes is crucial when interpreting these data in the context of paleoclimatic reconstructions. Within a pilot study we aimed to evaluate the regional controls on leaf wax δ²H in the Central Asian Pamir Mountains (Tajikistan), a region characterized by pronounced hydroclimati...

The Sea of Marmara is a tectonically active basin that straddles the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) that separates the Eurasian and Anatolian tectonic plates. The Main Marmara Fault (MMF), which is part of the NAFZ, contains an approximately 150 km long seismotectonic segment that has not ruptured since 1766. A key question for seismic hazard an...

Tectonically active coasts are dynamic environments characterized by the presence of multiple marine terraces formed by the combined effects of wave erosion, tectonic uplift, and sea-level oscillations at glacial-cycle timescales. Well-preserved erosional terraces from the last interglacial sea-level highstand are ideal marker horizons for reconstr...

Complex, time-dependent, and asymmetric rift geometries are observed throughout the East African Rift System (EARS) and are well documented, for instance, in the Kenya Rift. To unravel asymmetric rifting processes in this region, we conduct 2D geodynamic models. We use the finite element software ASPECT employing visco-plastic rheologies, mesh-refi...

We present three‐dimensional (3D) models of the present‐day steady‐state conductive thermal field and strength distribution in the lithosphere beneath the Central Andes. Our primary objective was to investigate the influence that the structure of the Central Andean lithosphere has on its thermal and rheological state, and the relationship between t...

The Pamir forms the northwestern tail of the Tibetan plateau and is a first-order tectonic feature of the Cenozoic Indo-Eurasian collision. The nature of the topographic uplift and orogenic growth of the entire northwestern margin of the Pamir is poorly constrained; however, this history can provide important constraints that are required to test g...

In active tectonic settings dominated by strike-slip kinematics, slip partitioning across subparallel faults is a common feature; therefore, assessing the degree of partitioning and strain localization is paramount for seismic hazard assessments. Here, we estimate a slip rate of 18.8 ± 2.0 mm/year over the past 9.0 ± 0.1 ka for a single strand of t...

Deformation in the orogen-foreland system of the southern Central Andes between 33° and 36° S varies in style, locus, and amount of shortening. The controls that determine these spatially variable characteristics have largely remained unknown, yet both the subduction of the oceanic Nazca plate and the strength of the South American plate have been...

In recent decades, slope instability in high‐mountain regions has often been linked to increase in temperature and the associated permafrost degradation and/or the increase in frequency/intensity of rainstorm events. In this context we analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution and potential controlling mechanisms of small to medium‐sized mass movements...

The thick‐skinned fold‐and‐thrust belt on the eastern flank of the Andean Plateau in northwestern Argentina (NWA) is a zone of active contractional deformation characterized by fault‐bounded mountain ranges with no systematic spatiotemporal pattern of tectonic activity. In contrast, the thin‐skinned Subandean fold‐and‐thrust belt of northern Argent...

The southern Central Andes (SCA) (between 27° S and 40° S) is bordered to the west by the convergent margin between the continental South American Plate and the oceanic Nazca Plate. The subduction angle along this margin is variable, as is the deformation of the upper plate. Between 33° S and 35° S, the subduction angle of the Nazca plate increases...

Tectonically active coasts are dynamic environments characterized by the presence of multiple marine terraces formed by the combined effects of wave-erosion, tectonic uplift, and sea-level oscillations at glacial-cycle timescales. Well-preserved erosional terraces from the last interglacial sea-level highstand are ideal marker horizons for reconstr...

This archive includes the matlab code that was used to compute the valley-fill thicknesses and bedrock topographies presented in Mey et al. (2015, 2016) and Wang et al. (2014). Last update: 18.11.2020 Mey, J., Scherler, D., Zeilinger, G., & Strecker, M. R. (2015). Estimating the fill thickness and bedrock topography in intermontane valleys using a...

Recent developments in terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) exposure dating and the reinterpretation of TCN boulder ages from moraines have improved our understanding of the glacial chronology in the Central Andes. According to these records, glacial advances throughout the region correlate with insolation-driven changes in the intensity of the Sou...

Reconstructing the timing of mountain range uplift and the evolution of high-altitude plateaus is important when attempting to understand potential feedbacks between tectonics and climate at geological timescales. This requires proxies that are able to accurately reconstruct elevation during different time periods in the past. Often, the sensitivit...

In seismically-active regions, mapping capable faults and estimating their recurrence time is the first step to assess seismic hazards. Fault maps are commonly based on geologic and geomorphic features evident at the surface; however, mapping blind faults and estimating their seismic potential is challenging because on-fault diagnostic features are...

Uplift in the broken Andean foreland of the Argentine Santa Bárbara System (SBS) is associated with the contractional reactivation of basement anisotropies, similar to those reported from the thick-skinned Cretaceous-Eocene Laramide province of North America. Fault scarps, deformed Quaternary deposits and landforms, disrupted drainage patterns, and...

The structural and topographic evolution of orogenic plateaus is an important research topic because of its impact on atmospheric circulation patterns, the amount and distribution of rainfall, and resulting changes in surface processes. The Puna region in the north-western Argentina (between 13ºS and 27ºS) is part of the Andean Plateau, which is th...

The Victoria microplate between the Eastern and Western Branches of the East African Rift System is one of the largest continental microplates on Earth. In striking contrast to its neighboring plates, Victoria rotates counterclockwise with respect to Nubia. The underlying cause of this distinctive rotation has remained elusive so far. Using 3D nume...

High-resolution records of lake-level changes are crucial to elucidate the impact of local and global climatic changes in lacustrine basins. The Late Quaternary evolution of the Dead Sea has been characterized by substantial variability apparently linked with global climatic changes, beign subject of many research e orts since decades. Previous stu...

The Pamir Frontal Thrust (PFT) constitutes the northernmost boundary of the Pamir mountain range at the NW edge of the India-Eurasia collision zone. Due to the ongoing collision this active system propagates into and overthrusts the Quaternary deposits of the Alai Valley, an intermontane basin separating the Pamir from the Tien Shan in the north. G...

Climate and tectonics impact water and sediment fluxes to fluvial systems. These boundary conditions set river form and can be recorded by fluvial deposits. Reconstructions of boundary conditions from these deposits, however, is complicated by complex channel–network interactions and associated sediment storage and release through the fluvial syste...

The Andes constitute an important orographic barrier in the southern hemisphere, impacting atmospheric circulation, the amount and distribution of rainfall, and Earth-surface processes in a highly asymmetric manner. In the Central Andes of NW Argentina, the Andean Plateau (Puna) and the intermontane basins of the adjacent Eastern Cordillera constit...

Abstract. Climate and tectonics impact water and sediment fluxes to fluvial systems. These boundary conditions set river form and can be recorded by fluvial deposits. Reconstructions of boundary conditions from these deposits, however, is complicated by complex channel-network interactions and associated sediment storage and release through the flu...