Cleavage–fold relationships in the Lower Cambrian Tubize Group, southeast Anglo-Brabant Fold Belt (Lembeek, Belgium)

Abstract

Little is known about the cleavage–fold relationships in the Lower Palaeozoic Brabant Massif, primarily because of the scarcity of suitable exposures. Moreover, to date, folds have only been described in the Ordovician and Silurian sequences along the southern extremity of the basement. However, excavation works for the construction of the TGV(railway)-track south of Brussels created an opportunity to study cleavage–fold relationships in the Lower Cambrian terrigenous series (Tubize Group) in a more central part of the Brabant Massif. The structural features observed seemed inconsistent with the suspected regional trends. Primarily, a divergent cleavage fan was observed in a region thought to have a regular cleavage attitude. The symmetrical but divergent disposition of the cleavage with regard to the fold hinges is explained by flexural folding of a pre-existing bedding-parallel compaction fabric. Cleavage development and folding are considered synchronous. The divergent cleavage fan reflects local strain variations. Also the steeply plunging hinge lines of the open, subangular folds are seemingly inconsistent with the regional trend characterized by subhorizontal fold hinges. Taking into account the structural position of the fold assemblage in the subvertical limb of a large-scale, upright, isoclinal fold structure, the fold assemblage is interpreted as an incongruous parasitic feature. The steeply plunging hinge lines are considered to be caused by fold hinge rotation during progressive coaxial deformation. Although this incongruous fold assemblage with its divergent cleavage fan is localized, it provides important information on both local and regional deformation circumstances in this part of the Anglo-Brabant Fold Belt.