Progressive changes in sedimentary facies and stratal patterns along the strike-slip margin, northeastern Jinan Basin (Cretaceous), southwest Korea: implications for differential subsidence

Abstract

Abstract In strike-slip basins, proximal stratal patterns are a function of displacement on basin-bounding faults. In order to better understand factors that control changes in sedimentary facies and stratal patterns of the northeastern part of the Jinan Basin (Cretaceous), a strike-slip basin, we made a detailed analysis of sedimentary facies, depositional architecture and paleoflows. The sedimentary successions can be grouped into five facies associations representing five depositional environments: (1) facies association FA I (alluvial fan); (2) FA II (small-scale Gilbert-type delta); (3) FA III (large-scale, steep delta slope); (4) FA IV (base of large-scale, steep delta slope and prodelta); and (5) FA V (lacustrine plain). The successions are divided into two distinct sedimentary fills on the basis of facies associations, depositional architecture and paleocurrents: (1) marginal fill and (2) longitudinal fill. The marginal fill (ca. 3.2 km thick) is present along the strike-slip basin-bounding fault. The lower part of the marginal fill (ca. 1.3 km thick) consists of alluvial-fan deposits (FA I) along the bounding fault which are transitional northward to small-scale Gilbert-type delta (FA II) and lacustrine plain (FA V) deposits. The upper part of the marginal fill (ca. 1.9 km thick) contains large-scale, steep delta slope (FA III) and base of delta slope/prodelta (FA IV) deposits accompanied with a northward change in facies associations. In the marginal fill, the successive alluvial fan, small-scale Gilbert-type delta and large-scale, steep delta/prodelta deposits are overlapped (shingled) northeastward. The longitudinal fill (ca. 2 km thick) is characterized by eastward overlapped stacks of large-scale, steep delta slope (FA III) and base of delta slope/prodelta (FA IV) deposits with a westward progradation. The longitudinal fill was overstepped by the marginal fill. The northeastward shingled geometry of the marginal fill was most likely caused by sinistral strike-slip displacements on the basin-bounding fault. The slightly oblique (northward) progradation of the marginal fill was due to the northward basin-floor tilting. In the marginal fill, the progressive changes in facies and depositional architecture from the lower alluvial fan/small-scale Gilbert-type delta to the upper large-scale, steep delta/prodelta are suggestive of increase in basin subsidence along the strike-slip basin margin that was closely related to the variation in displacement on the basin-bounding fault. The sinistral strike-slip movements on the bounding fault also caused the eastward overlapping of the longitudinal fill.