Seismic Stratigraphy of Western Colombian Basin, Caribbean Sea: ABSTRACT

Abstract

Multichannel seismic reflection profiles disclose the regional stratigraphy of the western Colombian basin. The basement complex is the seismic unit below the deepest, continuous reflection horizon that can be traced throughout the basin. The basement complex reflection signature on the flanks of the Mono Rise and adjacent areas is smooth, continuous, and characterized by local occurrences of internal reflectors, and is equivalent to the Late Cretaceous Horizon B in the Venezuelan basin. In the central basin, the reflection signature is rough with abundant diffractions typical of normal oceanic crust. The sediment overlying the basement complex is subdivided into five mapping units. Unit CB5, which directly overlies the basement complex, is thickest on the Mono Rise and thins down the flanks of the rise. This unit is equivalent to the Upper Cretaceous to Middle Eocene pelagic unit bounded by seismic horizons A^Prime and B^Prime in the Venezuelan basin. Unit CB4, characterized by pervasive, small offset faulting, is restricted to the crest of the Mono Rise. Units CB3 and CB2 contain subparallel, variable amplitude, continuous reflectors that fill the regional basement complex relief. They are Middle Tertiary terrigenous distal turbidites and hemipelagic deposits. Unit CB1 thickens toward southern Central America and shows complicated reflection patterns typical of a deep-sea fan com lex. A jump correlation to Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 154 is used to assign a Late Miocene to Quaternary age to unit CB1. Development of unit CB1 was concurrent with the uplift of and magmatic activity in southern Central America. End_of_Article - Last_Page 456------------