The Changing Roles of Long-lived Faults in MountainBelts: Examples from the Variscides of Southern Ireland

Once initiated and developed, faults tend to have prolonged
activation histories that highly influence tectonic deformation, fluid flow, and
associated mineralisation in the brittle upper crust. The fault systems associated with Devonian/Carboniferous crustal extension and subsequent Variscan crustal shortening from southern Ireland offer an opportunity to explore the various stages and roles of faults throughout their long lifespans. This talk will primarily look at the temporal and spatial distribution of Variscan tectonic strain across the northern margin of the Upper Devonian Munster Basin, which was very much influenced by pre-collisional basin architecture, particularly by inherited extensional fault systems.