Thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belts (FTBs) have been extensively studied through both field examples and modelling. The overall dynamics of FTBs are, therefore, well understood. One less understood aspect is the combined influence of across-strike changes in the detachment properties and the basement topography on the behaviour of an orogenic wedge. In this paper, we use field data together with reflection seismic interpretation from the External Zones of the Central Betics FTB, S Spain, to identify a significant increase in the wedge basal dip (a basement "threshold") coinciding with the pinch-out of a weak substrate. This induced both changes to the wedge geometry and to the basal friction, which in turn influenced the wedge dynamics. The changing dynamics led to a transient “stagnation” of the FTB propagation, topographic build-up and subsequent collapse of the FTB front. This in turn fed an important Langhian depocenter made up of mass transport deposits. Coevally with the FTB propagation, extension took place both parallel and perpendicular to the orogenic trend. This case study illustrates how across-strike changes in wedge basal properties can control the detailed behaviour of a developing FTB front, but questions remain regarding the time-space interaction and relative importance of the basal parameters.

The processes and the structures within the middle and the lower crust are intimately related to the evolution of orogenies, but more detailed knowledge is needed of these deep crustal processes. Seismic reflection data, chiefly displayed in amplitude, are commonly used to interpret deep crustal structures. The strongest amplitude events are probably related to lithological changes and do not necessarily correspond to geological structures, tectonic boundaries, or deformation fabrics. Furthermore, the detailed structures and the strain distribution between the interpreted structural boundaries remain obscure. Here, we show an example of how seismic attributes, combined with the seismic facies interpretation technique, can be used to enhance 2D seismic reflection data from the Palaeoproterozoic Svecofennian crust of southern Finland, to reveal unprecedentedly detailed information about the deformation fabrics within the mid‐crust of a collisional orogen. The images are plausibly interpreted to show that the extension/lateral flow of the orogenic middle and lower crust was mainly accommodated by kilometer‐scale S‐C′ structures. The structures form penetrative deformation fabrics which are correlated with outcrop observations. The successful enhancement of the seismic data confirms the ductile extension affecting hot orogenic crust, and gives new information about the strain distribution of the regional, syn‐ to late‐orogenic deformation. The seismic attribute method and the seismic facies interpretational approach described in this paper should be applicable to other seismic datasets from the crystalline basement.