This thesis discusses the effects of basal friction and basement configuration on the deformation of the fold-and-thrust belts in convergent zones. A series of analogue models were conducted with adjacent different basal configuration and frictional properties to observe and gain a better understanding of these basal effects and their interactions. The results from these side-by-side systematic models demonstrate that the kinematics and geometry of the deformation wedges are strongly influenced by the mechanical and geometrical basal effects. In these experiments, high accuracy laser scanner and digital camera were used to record the evolution of the surface topography of the deformed sand packs. Comparison between models with different basal friction shows that the basal friction plays a significant role on the propagation and topography of the deformation structures in aspects such as wedge height, taper angle, number of imbricates and deformation front. The models with a basal viscous material, which acts as low friction substrate, illustrates that the propagation of deformation above viscous material is faster and further than above the adjacent mechanically different frictional decollement. In the experiments with a moving plate under the part of the sand pack, the velocity discontinuity was introduced by either rigid, i.e. frontal edge of the metal plate, or deformable like distal end of the viscous materials. The results of these kinds of experiments, applicable to for example basement faults, salt decollements and tectonic underplating simulations, illustrate that the deformation localizes and develops continuously above the velocity discontinuities. Besides, the different rate and distance of the propagation of deformation fronts caused by different substrate distribution between the adjacent zones also lead to the formation of transpressive zones at the boundary of these adjacent domains with different basal friction/configurations.

Superimposition of contractional structures is widely observed in different scales in the world. Superimposed structures form due to different processes: change in strain accommodation from one type of structure to another during a single progressive shortening; successive coaxial shortening phases separated by an unconformity; superimposition of different non-coaxial shortening phases. Using results of a series of systematic analogue models and detailed field structural mapping, this thesis focuses on the geometry and kinematics of such superimposed structures that are formed by these three processes. During a single progressive folding, thrusts develop within a fold to accommodate stain variations in different regime of the fold. Limited displacement along these thrusts does not significantly modify the geometry of the fold. However, during multiple shortening phases (coaxial or non-coaxial), early formed structures are modified by the later phase ones. The later thrusts can cut and displace the pre-existing structures. The early folds are tightened or interfered by the later folding phase. Pre-existing thrusts may be reactivated either in dip direction and/or along strike during the later shortening. The pre-existing structures in turn influence development of the later structures, which results in change in structure spacing. An angular unconformity between two shortening phases clearly truncates the early phase structures and separates structures of different levels. Unlike in the post-erosional layers, in the layers below the unconformity, complicated superimposed structures are visible. This thesis shows that geometry and sequence of structures formed during one progressive shortening or multiple shortening phases strongly depend on the mode of the superimposition (coaxial, orthogonal or oblique) and the orientation of pre-existing structures.

Cette thèse porte sur les interactions entre les déformations halocinétiques locales au sein des mini-bassins salifères et les déformations régionales compressives. L’étude s’appuie sur une analyse structurale multi-échelle détaillée d’une province à mini-bassins se développant dans le bassin d’avant pays de Sivas (Turquie). Une analyse de terrain approfondie, associée à une étude de données de subsurface, permet de proposer une révision des cartes géologiques ainsi qu’une évolution tectonosédimentaire identifiant les déformations liées à la tectonique salifère et celles liées à la propagation de la ceinture de plis et de chevauchements dans l’avant-pays. A partir de l’Eocène supérieur, le fluage del’évaporite autochtone, initié et entretenu par le chargement sédimentaire différentiel ainsi que par la déformation compressive, permet la formation d’une première génération de mini-bassins. Ces minibassins, constitués par une formation continentale Oligocène, vont être recouverts par une nappe d’évaporite allochtone accueillant une seconde génération de mini-bassins constitués de formations continentales et marines Oligo-Miocène. L’initiation du domaine de mini-bassins secondaires est caractérisée par une distribution polygonale du réseau de diapirs et de murs d’évaporites. Ces mini-bassins enregistrent localement les effets de la tectonique salifère par le développement d’une grande variété de structures halocinétiques à différentes échelles telles que les séquences halocinétiques unitaires (crochet et éventail), séquences composites (tabulaire ou fuseau) et megaflaps. Une série de modélisation analogique préliminaire amontré que ces structures peuvent se développer avec ou sans l’application d’une compression aux limites. De plus, les analogies géométriques entre les mini-bassins de Sivas et les provinces salifères connues suggèrent que la dynamique de formation de ces mini-bassins est au premier ordre contrôlée par le chargement sédimentaire différentiel, découplé partiellement de la compression régionale. Néanmoins, l’analyse du réseau de fractures et de l’endommagement matriciel souligne l’enregistrement précoce de la déformation compressive régionale lors de l’initiation des mini-bassins.L’influence du raccourcissement sur la structuration de la province à mini-bassins s’exprime de manière croissante par l’écrasement des corps salifères permettant : (i) le développement de dépocentres linéaires préférentiellement perpendiculaire à la direction de raccourcissement, (ii) l’émergence de corps allochtones d’évaporites en surface, ainsi que (iii) la rotation et translation des mini-bassins. Cette province à mini-bassins génère une discontinuité dans la propagation et l’accommodation de la déformation compressive : la déformation compressive est accommodée auniveau du réseau polygonal de murs d’évaporites formant des structures multidirectionnelles. De plus, cette concentration de la déformation par écrasement des structures salifères entraine la remobilisation des évaporites vers l’avant-pays générant alors un nouveau système salifère. / This doctoral work studies the interaction between withdrawal of minibasins and regional shortening during evolution of a foreland fold-and-thrust belt. This is achieved by a multiscale structural analysis of the Sivas Basin (Turkey). Extensive field work and regional seismic lines interpretations helped to build a new and detailed geologic map of the central Sivas Basin and to provide a new tectonosedimentary framework highlighting the influence of salt tectonics and the regional shortening, starting in the Late Eocene by the autochthonous evaporite deposition. This level is remobilized by the northward migrating sedimentary load, shortening and tilting of the basin southern margin during propagation of the foreland fold-and-thrust belt. Evaporite flow is recorded by the withdrawal of a primary generation of continental Oligocene minibasins which are then covered by an evaporite canopy. The canopy extending northward allows the development of second generation of continental to shallow marine mini-basins from Oligocene to Middle Miocene. Secondary minibasins initiation in the central part of the Basin, is characterized by sub-circular minibasins surrounded by polygonal diapirs and walls. Flanking these minibasins, a large variety of halokinetic structures is described: halokinetic sequences (hooks and wedges), composite halokinetic sequences and megaflaps. Preliminary sand-box modeling study suggests the development of thesehalokinetic structures both with and without shortening. Furthermore, minibasins geometries are closely similar to those imaged or mapped in other salt provinces suggesting that mini-basin withdrew is first control by sedimentary load, probably due to decoupling by the salt. However, the fractures and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility analyses suggests the record of shortening since the minibasins initiation. The increase influence of regional shortening on the minibasins domain is expressed by salt walls and diapirs squeezing inducing: (i) the development of linear mini-basins perpendicular to the shortening direction, (ii) salt sheet emplacement and (iii) the translation/rotation of minibasins. The minibasins province produces a discontinuity for the fold-and-thrust belt propagation. Indeed, the minibasins province accommodates the shortening deformation along the polygonal network of salt walls and diapirs forming multidirectional structures. Furthermore, the regional shortening accommodation by salt structures squeezing produce an evaporitic remobilization and migration of a salt canopy toward the foreland basin. / Bu doktora tezi/çalışması, bir önülke kıvrım ve bindirme kuşağının evrimi sırasında minihavzaların çekilmesi ve bölgesel kısalma arasındaki etkileşimi konu edinir. Çoklu ölçekteki bu yapısal analiz Sivas Havzası (Türkiye) ölçeğinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Kapsamlı saha çalışması ve bölgesel olarak sismik kesitlerden ortaya çıkarılan yorumlamalar, Sivas Havzası’nın orta kesiminde detaylı bir jeolojik haritalama yapımına yardımcı olmuş ve otokton evaporit depolanmasının başladığı Geç Eosen’den başlayarak havza için tuz tektoniği ve bölgesel kısalmanın etkisindeki yeni bir tektono-sedimanter çatının ortaya çıkarılmasına neden olmuştur. Söz konusu seviye, önülke kıvrım ve bindirme kuşağının ilerlemesisüresince kuzeye doğru sedimanter dolgunun göçüyle birlikte havzanın güney kenarında kısalıma uğrayarak ve eğim kazanarak remobilize olmuştur. Evaporit akışı, kıtasal Oligosen minihavzalarının ilksel olarak oluşumundan sonra çekilmesine bağlı olarak gözlenmiş ve sonrasında evaporit yaygılarıyla örtülmüştür. Kuzeye kadar uzanan bu yaygı, Oligosen-Orta Miyosen arasında kıtasaldan sonra sığ denizel tipteki ikincil minihavzaların gelişimine de neden olmuştur.Havzanın orta kesimindeki ikincil minihavza başlangıcı, poligonal diyapir ve duvarlar tarafından çevrelenen dairesel minihavzalarla karakterize olur. Bu minihavzaların kanatlarında halokinetik yapılar tanımlanmıştır. Kanca (hook) ve kama (wedge) tiplerde olmak üzere halokinetik seriler, kompozit halokinetik seriler ve megaflaplar bu yapılar arasında sayılabilir. Çalışmanın başlangıcında yapılan kum kutusu model deneyi, bu halokinetik yapıların kısalmayla veya kısalma olmaksızın geliştiğini göstermiştir. Buna ek olarak minihavzaların geometrisi, muhtemelen tuzun ayrışmasından dolayı tortul yükün ilkkontrolünden dolayı çekilen diğer tuz bölgelerinde önerilen haritalanmış minihavzalara benzerdir. Bununla birlikte kırık ve manyetik suseptibilite analizleri, minihavzaların başlangıcından itibaren kısalmanın kayıt edilebilmesi hakkında fikir vermektedir. Minihavza bölgelerindeki bölgesel kısalımın artışı, tuz duvarları ve diyapirlerin sıkışmasıyla birlikte(i) kısalma yönüne dik durumdaki çizgisel minihavzaların gelişimi, (ii) tuz örtülerinin yerleşimi ve (iii) minihavzaların yer değiştirmesi veya dönmesiyle açıklanır. Minihavzalar bölgesi, kıvrım ve bindirme kuşağının gelişimi için bir süreksizlik üretir. Aslında, minihavzalar birçok yönde yapılar oluşturarak tuz duvarları ve diyapirlerin polygonal şekildeki yerleşimi boyunca kısalma deformasyonuna eşlik eder. Üstelik, tuz yapılarının eşlik ettiği bölgesel kısalma önülke havzalarına doğru evaporitik bir göçe de neden olmaktadır.

Les Grès d’Annot préservés dans les chaînes subalpines méridionales sont des turbidites riches en sable déposées dans le basin d’avant pays alpin durant l’Eocène supérieur et l’Oligocène inférieur. La sédimentologie et la stratigraphie de ce système turbiditique ont déjà été étudiées, mais le contexte structural reste mal connu. Cette thèse est consacrée à l’étude tectonique des Grès d’Annot, combinant un travail de terrain et l’utilisation d’outils de modélisation géométrique en 3D (gOcad) et cinématique (Trishear), centrés sur les sous-bassins d’Annot, du Grand Coyer et de Sanguinière. L’objectif est d’étudier l’héritage et l’évolution structural du bassin turbiditique et de le replacer dans le contexte régional du SE de la France. Les résultats indiquent que le remplissage du bassin périalpin précoce (Eocène et Oligocène) est bien plus complexe qu’une simple migration de la sédimentation (Grès d’Annot) et de la déformation vers l’avant pays. Ils révèlent des interactions entre tectonique et sédimentation à différentes échelles. A l’échelle de l’avant-pays, une coupe équilibrée illustre le contrôle primordial de la marge passive salifère préexistante sur la structure de la chaîne plissée. Le sel triasique constitue un décollement basal régional, qui de par sa faiblesse, a accommodé une déformation alpine précoce d’une large zone de l’avant-pays dès l’Éocène moyen et supérieur. Les variations de stratigraphie mécanique des séries mésozoïques sont à l’origine d’un changement de style structural : lors de la compression, plusieurs niveaux de décollement actifs se développent dans la partie orientale où les séries sont plus argileuses et plus fines. Ceci induit, en surface, une géométrie de bassin complexe avec des plis de longueurs d’ondes différentes et des migrations de charnière au cours de la sédimentation turbiditique. L’héritage structural du bassin d’avant-pays, jusqu’alors sous-estimé, est le résultat de l’ouverture de la Téthys alpine et d’une déformation précoce régionale exprimée par des plis d’axe E-W qui débute dès le Crétacé supérieur et s’accentue durant l’Éocène moyen. Des résultats préliminaires de thermochronologie (datations U-Th/He sur zircons détritiques de grès moyens à grossiers ou de granodiorites présentes dans les coulées de débris du dépocentre de Sanguinière) suggèrent une exhumation des reliefs à l’origine du matériel détritique liée à cette déformation crétacée. L’étude structurale détaillée de la série des Grès d’Annot et de son substratum dans les sous-bassins d’Annot et du Grand Coyer permet de définir en 3D les connections entre les dépocentres et de proposer une évolution structurale de ceux-ci à l’échelle du bassin. Les paléocourants montrent un parallélisme avec la direction des plis majeurs, indiquant un confinement alors que des directions divergentes à proximité des structures tectoniques plus mineures ou transverses suggèrent que ces dernières interagissent avec les écoulements. Les turbidites se déposent parallèlement dans plusieurs synclinaux alpins, actifs en alternance ou en même temps. A l’échelle des dépocentres, la modélisation géométrique 3D du dépocentre d’Annot en utilisant gOcad permet d’identifier les structures héritées et de démontrer la contemporanéité du plissement alpin et des dépôts turbiditiques. La migration de l’onlap des dépôts de grès et la variation des pendages à l’intérieur des membres turbiditiques sont associées à une migration du dépocentre. Cette géométrie est liée à une migration de la charnière synclinale qui favorise une tendance des dépôts à migrer latéralement plutôt qu’à s’empiler.D’un point de vue sédimentologique et stratigraphique, les Grès d’Annot sont connus pour être un bon analogue des réservoirs des grands fonds de type « riches en sable », situés sur les marges passives en aval de deltas. / The Annot Sandstone, exposed in the southern sub-alpine chains, consists of sand-rich turbidites deposited in the Tertiary Alpine foreland basin (Upper Eocene – Lower Oligocene Annot Sandstone basin). While the sedimentology and stratigraphy of this turbidite system have been largely described and discussed, its structural framework remains unconstrained. This thesis presents a study of the tectonics of the Annot Sandstone basin based on field surveys and 3D geometrical (gOcad) and kinematic modelling (Trishear), focusing in particular on the Annot, Grand Coyer and Sanguinière sub-basins. Objectives were to determine the structural evolution of the sub-basins, including the role of inherited features, and to use these data to better constrain the alpine tectonic history of SE France.Infill of the early alpine foreland basin is more complex than a simple foreland migration of sedimentation and deformation. Results reveal complex interactions of tectonics and sedimentation at different scales during deposition of the Annot Sandstone.•At the foreland scale, a balanced cross-section illustrates the critical control by the pre-existing salt-based passive margin architecture on the structure of the fold and thrust belt. Triassic evaporates regionally acted as a weak basal detachment, accommodating an early alpine deformation phase of the whole foreland from the Middle to Upper Eocene. Variations in mechanical stratigraphy within the Mesozoic sediments generated a change in structural style. For example, the eastern region is characterized by a thinner, shalier Mesozoic succession, leading to several active detachments during alpine compression. Multiple fold wavelengths and synsedimentary rolling hinges generated by these active detachments led to complex depocentres. The previously under-estimated structural heritage of the foreland basin derived from rifting and spreading of the Alpine Tethys and from an early regional deformation responsible for E-W trending folds, which began in the Late Cretaceous and increased during the Middle Eocene. Preliminary thermochronology results (U-Th/He datings on detrital zircons of medium to coarse sandstone blocks and granodiorite blocks from debris flows of the Sanguiniere depocentre) suggest an exhumation of source areas during this Cretaceous deformation.•A detailed study of structures within the Annot and Grand Coyer sub-basins and their Cretaceous substrate revealed connected depocentres evolving in 3D at the basin scale. Paleocurrent directions are mainly parallel to the main alpine fold axes recording structural confinement, while some diverging directions indicate flow interaction with minor or oblique tectonic features. Turbidites were deposited along the axis into several alpine synclines, which were simultaneously or successively active.•Concerning the depocentre infill, 3D geometrical modelling of the Annot depocentre (using gOcad) was used to identify inherited structures and to constrain alpine fold activity during turbidite deposition. The onlap migration and the specific stacking and dip pattern within turbidite members (laterally rather than vertically stacked deposits) record depocentre migration linked with a rolling synclinal hinge. Due to its sedimentology and its stratigraphy, the Annot Sandstone is well-known as an analogue for sand-rich reservoirs deposited at delta toes in deep-water passive margins. This study reveals that, structurally, it is also a good example of axially-sourced turbidite depocentres developed on a multi-detachement fold and thrust belt