Variations In Structural Style Research Articles

Antarctic/Scotia plate convergence off southernmost Chile

The southern tip of South America off Chile has suffered a long phase of ocean-continent convergence which has shaped the continental margin through different phases of accretion and tectonic erosion. The present accretionary wedge is a discontinuous geological record of plate convergence and records only part of the accretionary processes resumed after Chile ridge consumption (14 Ma). The structural style of the subduction complex, such as rates of sediment accretion and tectonic erosion, structural vergence, width of the accretionary wedge, taper angle and deformation in the forearc basin, varies along the margin. Large taper values are related to narrow wedges and seaward vergent structures. Low tapers occur where deformation at the toe of the accretionary complex is spread over wide areas and is related both to landward and seaward vergent thrust faults. Seismic data interpretation contributes to define more accurately frontal wedge morphology and geometry of subduction and suggests that different modes of accretion together with tectonic erosion may be active concurrently along the trench at different locations. In areas of subduction driven accretionary processes the majority of trench sediments are involved in accretionary processes and sediments are uplifted and piled up in the form of imbricate thrust sheets. In areas where the wedge is non-accretionary the continental margin shows steeper continental slopes associated with narrow accretionary wedges, more intense sediment disruption and very shallow decollement levels. Variation in structural style and in the geometry of the forearc region setting off Southernmost Chile, has been interpreted as related to the existence of different structural domains: the nature of their boundaries is still unclear mainly for the lack of high resolution bathymetric data. They have been tentatively related to tectonic lineaments belonging to the Magellan Fault system and/or to the character and morphology of the converging plates (lateral heterogeneities, sea-mounts and fracture zones), which produce a segmentation of the margin.

Fault framework and kinematic evolution of inversion structures: Natural examples from the Neuquén Basin, Argentina

Mesozoic tectonic inversion in the Neuquen Basin of west-central Argentina was investigated by analyzing a three-dimensional seismic and borehole data set over prominent inversion structures related to transpressional tectonics along the Huincul arch. This conspicuous strike-slip deformation has been active since the Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous and caused the reactivation of normal faults and the inversion of Triassic half grabens, some of which are imaged by the seismic data. Detailed structural and stratigraphic mapping allowed the identification of two main fault systems associated with inversion structures: (1) deep faults that affected basement and synrift strata where preexisting faults were selectively reactivated during inversion based on their length and (2) shallow faults that affected postrift and syninversion strata. Normal faults formed at high angle to the reactivated half-graben bounding fault as a result of hanging-wall expansion and internal deformation as it accommodated the shape of the curved footwall during oblique inversion. Structural restorations suggest that contraction during inversion was initially accommodated by folding and internal deformation of synrift sedimentary wedges, followed by displacement along half-graben bounding faults. We suspect that during late inversion, the weight of the overburden inhibited additional fault displacement and folding became the main shortening-accommodating mechanism. Natural examples described in this study exhibit significant along-strike variation in structural style and high structural complexity associated with relatively small amounts of inversion, which suggest the need for incorporating more complex deformation scenarios into analog models. Fault framework development and its linkage to a specific mechanism (e.g., hanging-wall deformation because of oblique inversion) enables the predictive analysis of subseismic faulting and fracture distribution, which can impact our understanding of the petroleum systems in the Neuquen Basin's northern embayment, especially regarding the significant fault development within the Cuyo Group, which may impact the Los Molles petroleum system.

Control of regional structural styles and faulting on Northeast Mexico spring distribution

Groundwater-dependent, spring-fed ecosystems of the Cuatrocienegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico, host >70 endemic species. These desert springs occur primarily aligned along the base of an anticline that bisects the Cuatrocienegas Basin, but the hydrogeologic controls of the springs are poorly understood. The hypothesis that spring locations are controlled by subsurface geology, such as buried anticlines or faulting, versus stratigraphic controls is tested by evaluating: (1) regional structural styles; (2) fracture models of analogous structures; (3) hydrogeologic data; and (4) geophysical surveys. Jurassic and Cretaceous siliciclastic and carbonate rocks deposited on the Coahuila Block west of the Cuatrocienegas Basin have dips <10° and lack faults because of a structurally rigid granodiorite basement. To the east of the Coahuila Block and around the Cuatrocienegas Basin, the Coahuila Folded Belt has anticlines associated with basement-involved faults, 10–25° backlimb dips, and forelimb dips up to vertical or slightly overturned. Springs in the western sub-basin that represent 85% of total basin discharge are located on zones of highest anticipated fracture density predicted by fracture models of analogous anticlines. Spring waters reveal elevated temperature (32–35°C) and low tritium (<1 tritium unit). Gravimetry and time-domain electromagnetic surveys correspond with a best-fit Cuatrocienegas Basin hydrogeologic model of fractures associated with reverse faulting controlling spring locations in the western Cuatrocienegas Basin. Springs in the eastern sub-basin are located where ephemeral streams have eroded through confining beds along the base of alluvial fans and lack faulting. Regional variations in structural style are an important control on the location of springs in the Cuatrocienegas Basin.

The Monagas Fold–Thrust Belt of Eastern Venezuela. Part I: Structural and thermal modeling

The Eastern Venezuelan Basin (EVB) contains one of the largest hydrocarbon accumulations in the world. Main petroleum targets are buried structures of the Monagas Fold–Thrust Belt (MFTB) which forms the northeastern edge of the EVB. The objective of this study is to integrate the seismic and well data that has been acquired over the last 10 years across the MFTB and EVB, to create an updated structural model. Three regional cross sections 60–75 km long are presented across an area of 4000 km 2. Five structural domains are described: Amarilis, Furrial, Jusepín, Cotoperí and Pirital. They are characterized by thrusts and high-angle reverse faults. Structural style changes along strike are related to variations in depth of detachment levels and to the strike-slip component of the deformation. We have estimated a shortening between 43 and 59 km that increases eastward over a distance of 40 km. The evolution of the MFTB is divided in four episodes based on stratigraphic, structural and thermal maturity evidences: (1) Oligocene–early Miocene initial movement of Pirital thrust. (2) Early Miocene simultaneous movement on Pirital, Furrial and Cotoperí thrusts. (3) Middle Miocene increases in velocity and change in geometry of Pirital thrust, during an out of sequence period of thrusting. (4) Late Miocene to Holocene minor thrust activity. This evolution is consistent with the oblique convergence between the Caribbean and South American plates and the convergence between North and South America that affected Eastern Venezuela during the Cenozoic. By analyzing the along-strike variations in structural style, new exploratory opportunities have been identified. Under the Orocual and Santa Bárbara fields two untested duplex structures are proposed; they were developed during the middle Miocene. Other prospective hydrocarbon traps are associated to oblique transpressive faults that create anticline structures.

Bainang Terrane, Yarlung–Tsangpo suture, southern Tibet (Xizang, China): a record of intra-Neotethyan subduction–accretion processes preserved on the roof of the world

The Bainang terrane, an intra-oceanic island arc subduction complex into which Tethyan oceanic rocks were accreted during the Cretaceous, is preserved within the Yarlung–Tsangpo suture zone of Tibet. The lithostratigraphic succession established from field mapping records a long history of sedimentation in different portions of the central Tethyan domain from Late Triassic to mid-Cretaceous time. These rocks are preserved within a south-verging imbricate thrust stack of thin (≪1 km thick) northward younging tectonic slices. Five lithotectonic units were mapped in the terrane and these units are assigned to two distinct tracts. The northern tract, which accumulated on the north side of Neotethys, was probably separated from its southern counterpart by a mid-ocean ridge. Detailed radiolarian biostratigraphy is used to constrain the timing of depositional events within each tract. Oceanic plate stratigraphy of the northern tract records its northward travel and mid-Cretaceous (late Aptian) approach towards a south-facing intra-oceanic subduction zone. Rocks in the southern tract developed closer to the Indian subcontinent and experienced thermotectonic subsidence and Mid-Jurassic basic alkaline intraplate magmatism. They were probably accreted late in the Cretaceous. Variations in structural style across the terrane indicate deformation at different depths and vertical growth of the wedge rather than lateral accretion. The overall tectonostratigraphy of the terrane reflects its development in a remote intra-oceanic setting.

Recent tectonics in the Turkana Rift (North Kenya): an integrated approach from drainage network, satellite imagery and reflection seismic analyses

AbstractThe Turkana rifted zone in northern Kenya is a long‐lived and polyphased rift system where the lack of well‐marked rift morphology makes it difficult to identify the zone of active deformation. A high‐density river network is exceptionally well developed over the study area and shows evidence of drainage anomalies that suggest recent fault‐induced movements at various scales. Correlation of surface drainage anomalies with Landsat remote sensing and deep seismic reflection data permits to characterize the deep geometry of the inferred fault structures. Seismic stratigraphy further allows distinction between the inherited (Oligocene–Pliocene) and the newly formed (&lt;3.7 Ma) origin of the recent deformation. Evidence for neotectonics are observed (1) along a large‐scale transverse (EW) fault rooted at depth along a steep basement discontinuity (Turkwell), (2) along a rift‐parallel (NS) fault zone probably emplaced during the Pliocene–Pleistocene and currently bounding the Napedet volcanic plateau to the west and (3) over a round‐shaped uplifted zone caused by positive inversion tectonics (Kalabata). The major contribution of this work is the recognition of a broad (80 km wide) zone of recent/active extensional deformation in the Turkana Rift in contrast with the narrow (20 km wide) N10°E‐trending axial trough forming the Suguta valley to the south, and the Chew Bahir faulted basin to the north. These along‐strike variations in structural style are partly controlled by the occurrence of rejuvenated Oligocene–Miocene rift faults and long‐lived transverse discontinuities in the Turkana Rift area. More generally, this study has implications for the use of river drainage network about recent/active extensional domains with subdued topography and slow deformation rate.

Nature and Distribution of the Deformation Front in the Luzon Arc-Chinese Continental Margin Collision Zone at Taiwan

Marine seismic reflection profiles from offshore SW Taiwan combined with onland geological data are used to investigate the distribution and nature of the deformation front west of Taiwan. Locations of the frontal structure west of Taiwan are generally connected in a linear fashion, although the alignment of frontal structures is offset by strike-slip faults. The deformation front begins from the northern Manila Trench near 21°N and continues northward along the course of the Penghu Submarine Canyon in a nearly N–S direction north of 21°N until it reaches the upper reaches of Penghu Canyon at about 22°15′N. The deformation front then changes direction sharply to the northeast. It connects to the Chungchou thrust fault or the Tainan anticline in the coastal plain and continues northwards along the outer Western Foothills to the northern coast of Taiwan near 25°N. Characteristics of structural style, strain regime, sedimentation and tectonics vary along the trend of the deformation front. Ramp anticlines, diapiric intrusion and incipient thrust faults are commonly associated with the deformation front. Variations in structural style along strike can be related to different stages of oblique collision in Taiwan. The deformation front (collision front) west of Taiwan can be considered as a boundary between contraction in the Taiwan orogen and extension west of the collision zone. The deformation front east of the Tainan Basin and its northward extension along the outer limit of the Western Foothills is the surface trace separating the foreland thrust belt from the nearby foredeep, not a boundary between the Chinese and Taiwan margins. The submarine deformation front off SW Taiwan is the surface trace separating the submerged Taiwan orogenic wedge from the Chinese passive continental margin, not a surface trace of the plate boundary between the Eurasian and Philippine Sea plates.

3D analogue models of variable displacement extensional faults: applications to the Revfallet Fault system, offshore mid-Norway

Abstract The Revfallet Fault system, Heidrun area, offshore mid-Norway, illustrates considerable variation in structural style along strike which is attributed to variation in coupling between basement and cover (separated by Triassic salt), due to the variable displacement along the fault system and to distinct phases of shallow level as well as basement-involved extension. Deformation in the southern part of the fault is partitioned over a number of cover-graben and associated with the development of a monoclinal flexure above the basement fault system. With an increase in displacement northwards, cover-graben become grounded on the pre-salt basement resulting in the rotation and breaching of the extensional drape fold and, eventually, partial and full coupling between basement and cover fault systems. Analogue models were designed to simulate the 3D evolution of cover deformation above a variable displacement extensional fault separated from the cover by a ductile basal unit and to validate the structural interpretations and evolutionary models for the Revfallet Fault system. Analogue model results reveal the changing geometry along strike from a gentle extensional drape fold with minimal brittle deformation at low extension, to a breached drape fold system with significant rotation and collapse of the cover across the basement fault as displacement increases. Models conducted with a two-phase history — shallow extension (orthogonal and oblique) followed by basement-involved extension illustrate variable reactivation of cover-graben along strike during the basement-involved event, and collapse and rotation of the extensional footwall to the basement fault as displacement increases to a maximum. Coupling between cover faults and the basement fault only occurred where an oblique, precursor cover-graben cuts across the basement fault from hanging wall to footwall. Closer examination of the structural and stratigraphic relationships reveals major discrepancies between throw on cover and basement fault segments. The analogue model results compare favourably to seismic data from the Revfallet Fault system and validate the structural model for this fault system.

Geometry of thin‐skinned tectonic systems in relation to detachment layer thickness in sedimentary basins

Characterizing features of both extensional and compressional thin‐skinned systems may be controlled by the thickness of the underlying mobile material. Within extensional fault arrays, detachment layer thickness, in conjunction with detachment dip, controls variations in fault spacing and polarity because rigid fault blocks are only free to rotate as long as there is enough underlying mobile material to redistribute between the fault block keels. Different styles of extensional fault array range from single polarity arrays with closely spaced faults (thin detachment) to arrays where the fault blocks rotate until the fault blocks separate from one another (thick detachment). Departure from this relationship depends on the amount of internal deformation that can be sustained by the domino fault blocks. Within contractional zones, detachment folds occur where the amount of mobile material can fill the evolving fold core via redistribution; thrusts occur where there is insufficient mobile material to sustain detachment fold growth. The variations in extensional and contractional style that are described here in relation to mobile layer thickness can be combined to give an idealized model of regional variation in structural style in relation to regional variation in stratigraphy. Applying this model to a salt basin, an allochthon in the area of thickest salt may be characterized by updip raft tectonics and downdip detachment fold belts; this style would be laterally transitional toward areas of thinner or lower net salt to updip domino fault arrays and downdip thrust systems.

Late Jurassic subsidence and passive margin evolution in the Vulcan Sub‐basin, north‐west Australia: constraints from basin modelling

The Vulcan Sub‐basin, located in the Timor Sea, north‐west Australia, developed during the Late Jurassic extension which ultimately led to Gondwanan plate breakup and the development of the present‐day passive continental margin. This paper describes the evolution of upper crustal extension and the development of Late Jurassic depocentres in this subbasin, via the use of forward modelling techniques. The results suggest that a lateral variation in structural style exists. The south of the basin is characterized by relatively large, discrete normal faults which have generated deep sub‐basins, whereas more distributed, small‐scale faulting further north reflects a collapse of the early basin margin, with the development of a broader, ‘sagged’ basin geometry. By combining forward and reverse modelling techniques, the degree of associated lithosphere stretching can be quantified. Upper crustal faulting, which represents up to 10% extension, is not balanced by extension in the deeper, ductile lithosphere; the magnitude of this deeper extension is evidenced by the amount of post‐Valanginian thermal subsidence. Reverse modelling shows that the lithosphere stretchingfactor has a magnitude of up to β=1.55 in the southern Vulcan Sub‐basin, decreasing to β=1.2 in the northern Vulcan Sub‐basin. It is proposed that during plate breakup, deformation in the Vulcan Sub‐basin consisted of depth‐dependent lithosphere extension. This additional component of lower crustal and lithosphere stretching is considered to reflect long‐wavelength partitioning of strain associated with continental breakup, which may have extended 300–500 km landward of the continent–ocean boundary.

Palaeozoic to Tertiary rift and basin dynamics: mid-Norway to the Bay of Biscay – a new context for hydrocarbon prospectivity in the deep water frontier

Since the advent of North Sea exploration, a variety of new advances have been made in understanding basin dynamics and regional variations in structural style that are well-founded on the stratigraphy of the better known basins. New insights have also been made into the influence of Palaeozoic compressional and inversion tectonics on the structure of Mesozoic successor basins. This paper, based in part on these advances, offers a new, post plate tectonics, model for the structural and stratigraphic development of Mesozoic and Tertiary basins between mid-Norway and the Bay of Biscay. The tectono-stratigraphic evolution of this region can now be simply described in terms of a southward propagating ‘Arctic’ rift and a northward propagating ‘Atlantic’ rift. These rifts, formed by polyphase extension, remained largely separate entities until the Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous. Thereafter, the rifts and their successor basins became a single entity represented by the Rockall Trough, Faeroe–Shetland Basin and Møre Basins only modified by later Cretaceous events and the Early Tertiary break-up of the North Atlantic and Norwegian–Greenland Sea. The ‘Arctic’ rift was initiated possibly as early as the Late Palaeozoic, nucleating on Caledonian and Late Devonian structures in the strike-parallel Caledonian terranes. Polyphase extensional events between the Permo-Triassic and Late Jurassic with intervening phases of passive subsidence resulted in rifts and basins of opposing polarity, sometimes superposed or offset, trending from the Barents Sea into the greater North Sea area. In contrast, the ‘Atlantic’ rift was probably initiated by rifting between North America and Africa in Late Triassic to Early Jurassic times. Its northward propagation was at first limited by the E-W and NE-SW Hercynian and Caledonian terranes of the British Isles and northeast Canada. The main subsequent major phase of extension initiated in the Late Jurassic and continuing through the Early Cretaceous progressively opened the North Atlantic from south to north through into the Bay of Biscay. The northward propagation of the Atlantic rift from Biscay into the Rockall Trough and Faeroe–Shetland Basin–Møre Basin completed the linkage to the Arctic rift possibly as early as the Late Jurassic and certainly by the Albo–Aptian. The ensuing rift, underlain by highly stretched continental crust, extended from the Barents Sea via the Vøring Plateau, Møre Basin into the Rockall Trough. The subsequent Late Cretaceous history of the linked system of rifts is characterized by both extension and inversion of unknown origin. In the Early Tertiary, rifting associated with voluminous volcanism along the entire margin and on the scale of the Deccan Traps heralded the break-up by spreading of the Norwegian–Greenland Sea and the northern North Atlantic. A subsequent phase of rifting elevated the Jameson Land Basin of East Greenland exhuming major oil accumulations. In contrast, co-eval phases of inversion in the Vøring Basin, Møre Basin and the Faeroe–Shetland Basin have had a positive impact on prospectivity. Inversion in the Celtic Sea is more probably related to the Pyrennean orogeny. The model of ‘Arctic’ and ‘Atlantic’ rifts offers a new and simpler predictive model of source and reservoir distribution. In the ‘Arctic’ rift, i.e. the North Sea, West of Shetland and offshore Norway–Greenland, volumetrically significant source-bed systems are confined to the Permo–Triassic, Toarcian, Middle and Late Jurassic. In the ‘Atlantic’ rift, between the Celtic Sea, Iberia and the Grand Banks, the major sources seem to be of Toarcian and Late Jurassic age. Cretaceous source beds are minor in the linked rift. However, the multiple phases of rifting and later burial or inversion history have severely affected the maturity of the Jurassic, although appeal to remigration is clearly necessary in the Faeroe–Shetland Basin. Distribution of the major reservoirs in both rifts can be best understood in relation to phases of rift propagation and subsequent subsidence. Thus, the early rifts and their immediate successor passive basins are characterized by shallow marine sedimentation. In contrast, the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rifts were subject to stretching that resulted in initially deep marine environments and very thick infill of later Cretaceous sediments. Significant sand input to the linked rifts only began in the Early Tertiary as a result of the uplift and unroofing of Scotland that heralded the opening to the North Atlantic.

The structural evolution of the Erris Trough, offshore northwest Ireland, and implications for hydrocarbon generation

The Erris Trough is a narrow, elongate, Mesozoic basin lying adjacent to the eastern margin of the Rockall Trough to the northwest of Ireland. Limited drilling in the area has proven Carboniferous, Permo-Triassic, Lower–Middle Jurassic and Cretaceous sediments beneath a thin Tertiary cover. Considerable variation in structural style and preserved stratigraphy is observed along the basin. Based on interpreted fault polarity and observed pre-Cretaceous stratal dip, the Erris Trough can be subdivided into three structural sub-basins separated by diffuse, poorly defined, overlapping or divergent transfer zones. Carboniferous basin development in the area of the Erris Trough was significant but is poorly constrained. Permo-Triassic rifting produced a series of half-graben, some of which were controlled by down-to-the-southeast faults. This extensional phase was followed by post-rift subsidence during the Early and Middle Jurassic. In addition, N–S and NW–SE faults locally influenced depositional patterns. In the southern part of the Erris Trough a Middle to Late Jurassic rifting event produced a reversal of the earlier basin geometry with the generation of northwest- and west-downthrowing normal faults. Along the western margin of the Erris Trough, footwall uplift associated with this event induced massive, kilometre scale, uplift and erosion implying Late Jurassic rifting within the Rockall Trough. Restricted basins may have been developed in the area during the Cretaceous as a result of ‘ponding’ of deposition to the east of this zone of footwall uplift. A minor extensional phase occurred during the Aptian–Albian resulting in local reactivation of the Late Jurassic faults concurrent with rifting in the Rockall Trough. A westerly tilt of the basin was established during the Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary caused by downflexing associated with thermal subsidence of the Rockall Trough. Regional uplift and erosion occurred during the Oligocene–Miocene. Basin modelling indicates that Lower Jurassic source rocks may have generated oil during the Early Eocene to Early Miocene, dependent on an elevated geothermal gradient during the Early Tertiary. Late Carboniferous sediments may have generated hydrocarbons at a number of times during the basin’s history.

Mesozoic-Cenozoic evolution of the intraplate Euphrates fault system, Syria: implications for regional tectonics

A lack of dramatic surface geological structures along the Euphrates River in Syria belie a complex tectonic history revealed by newly released seismic reflection and well data. We document the intraplate Euphrates fault system, characterize the variation in structural style along its 350 km length in Syria, and infer its Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonic and deformational history. We then relate the deformation of the Euphrates system and other proximate intraplate structures to nearby Arabian plate boundary processes in order to develop a new model for the tectonic evolution of the northern Arabian plate. Throughout most of Mesozoic time, the Euphrates area experienced minor deposition compared to the Palmyride trough to its southwest, and the Sinjar trough to its northeast. During latest Cretaceous time, however, significant sinistral transtension occurred along the length of the Euphrates fault system in Syria, with graben formation especially noteworthy in southeastern Syria. This episode was probably related to events at nearby plate boundaries, and may have reactivated a zone of weakness formed during Pan-African accretion of the Arabian plate. A Palaeogene sag basin formed over the graben system in southeastern Syria. Neogene continental collision along the northern and eastern Arabian plate boundaries caused minor reactivation of the Euphrates fault system in a dextral transpressional sense, in concert with significant inversion and the main phase of uplift of the nearby Palmyride and Sinjar mountains.

Variations in Structural Style and Kinematics of the Medina Block of Colombia: ABSTRACT

Variations in Structural Style and Kinematics of the Medina Block of Colombia: ABSTRACT

The southern Whidbey Island fault: An active structure in the Puget Lowland, Washington

Information from seismic-reflection profiles, outcrops, boreholes, and potential field surveys is used to interpret the structure and history of the southern Whidbey Island fault in the Puget Lowland of western Washington. This northwest-trending fault comprises a broad (as wide as 6–11 km), steep, northeast-dipping zone that includes several splays with inferred strike-slip, reverse, and thrust displacement. Transpressional deformation along the southern Whidbey Island fault is indicated by along-strike variations in structural style and geometry, positive flower structure, local unconformities, out-of-plane displacements, and juxtaposition of correlative sedimentary units with different histories. The southern Whidbey Island fault represents a segment of a boundary between two major crustal blocks. The Cascade block to the northeast is floored by diverse assemblages of pre-Tertiary rocks; the Coast Range block to the southwest is floored by lower Eocene marine basaltic rocks of the Crescent Formation. The fault probably originated during the early Eocene as a dextral strike-slip fault along the eastern side of a continental-margin rift. Bending of the fault and transpressional deformation began during the late middle Eocene and continues to the present. Oblique convergence and clockwise rotation along the continental margin are the inferred driving forces for ongoing deformation. Evidence for Quaternary movement on the southern Whidbey Island fault includes (1) offset and disrupted upper Quaternary strata imaged on seismic-reflection profiles; (2) borehole data that suggests as much as 420 m of structural relief on the Tertiary-Quaternary boundary in the fault zone; (3) several meters of displacement along exposed faults in upper Quaternary sediments; (4) late Quaternary folds with limb dips of as much as ≈9°; (5) large-scale liquefaction features in upper Quaternary sediments within the fault zone; and (6) minor historical seismicity. The southern Whidbey Island fault should be considered capable of generating large earthquakes (M s ≥7) and represents a potential seismic hazard to residents of the Puget Lowland.

Petroleum Systems Along the Foldbelt Associated to the Maranon-Oriente-Putomayo Foreland Basins: ABSTRACT

Along strike variations in structural style of the foldbelt associated to the Maranon-Oriente-Putumayo (MOP) Basins and timing of deformation accounts for the major variations in their petroleum systems. Space-time changes in structural style controlled the timing of maturation and generation as well as reservoir and seal quality. Source rock distribution and richness could vary along the foldbelt, however, they are difficult to document. The Foldbelt associated to the Oriente and Putumayo Basins is characterized by thick-skinned style of deformation and contains the only commercial accumulations. A thick sedimentary wedge of the Tena Formation in front of the Napo and Cutucu Uplifts documents Late Cretaceous/Paleocene deformation (Peruvian Phase). AFT data in the Putumayo, Napo and Cutucu Uplifts documents a Middle Eocene Uplift (Incaic Phase) followed by a Late Miocene Pliocene renewal of uplift. The main phase for hydrocarbon generation and migration was from Late Cretaceous to Middle Eocene, therefore, the productive structures must have an older component. Biodegradation and water washing accounts for the destruction of the largest accumulation of heavy oil in the southern plunge of the Napo Uplift. The Peruvian segment includes the salt-related Santiago and Huallaga Foldbelts which are still poorly explored. Although there are strong indications formore » salt movement and basin inversion since Mesozoic times, the main episode of folding and thrusting was Late Miocene to Pliocene. This is supported by AFT and modern seismic data. Although there are several structures showing Mesozoic thinning against the salt, the major episodes of salt withdrawal took place during the Tertiary. This accounts for significant burial of the reservoir rocks with concomitant reduction of the primary porosity.« less

Basin development and petroleum prospectivity of the Rockall and Hatton region

Abstract The Rockall region, offshore west of Ireland, contains a number of large, virtually unexplored, frontier sedimentary basins: Rockall Trough, Hatton Basin and Hatton Continental Margin. It is suggested that the sedimentary section, up to 6 km thick, is of Late Palaeozoic to Tertiary age. Normal incidence reflection seismic data from the region are typically of poor quality owing to the effects of shallow Tertiary sills. Recent wide-angle reflection seismic profiles have helped to resolve the basin geometry and structural setting. Backstripping (reverse modelling) and forward modelling of the wide-angle model are consistent with development in a complex multi-phase rift setting. Rift events are suggested in the Jurassic and Cretaceous, and possibly locally during the Permo-Triassic. The variation in structural style across the region is interpreted as resulting from the interplay of intraplate stresses, magmatic underplating, thermal doming and thermal subsidence adjacent to the continent/ocean margin, and seafloor spreading dynamics in the region to the west. The basins are predicted to contain a range of petroleum plays. Structural, stratigraphic and combination traps are indicated from a range of data. Reservoirs are predicted at several levels, with source rocks in the Jurassic and lowermost Cretaceous.

Insights into the Along-Strike Variation in Structural Style of the Northern Subandean Trend: ABSTRACT

Insights into the Along-Strike Variation in Structural Style of the Northern Subandean Trend: ABSTRACT

The crustal continuum model for late-Archaean lode-gold deposits of the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia

Most Archaean gold ores belong to a coherent genetic group of structurally controlled lode-deposits that are characteristically enriched in Au with variable enrichments in Ag, As, W, Sb, Bi, Te, B and Pb, but rarely Cu or Zn, and are surrounded by wallrock alteration haloes enriched in K, LILE and CO2, with variable Na and/or Ca addition. Evidence from the Yilgarn Block of Western Australia, combined with similar evidence from Canada and elsewhere, indicates that such deposits represent a crustal continuum that formed under a variety of crustal regimes over at least a 15 km crustal profile at PT conditions ranging from 180°C at <1 kb to 700°C at 5 kb. Individual deposits, separated by tens to hundreds of kilometres, collectively show transitional variations in structural style of mineralisation, vein textures, and mineralogy of wallrock alteration that relate to the PT conditions of their formation at varying crustal depths. Specific transitions within the total spectrum may be shown also by deposits within gold camps, although nowhere is the entire continuum of deposits recorded from a single gold camp or even greenstone belt. Recognition of the crustal continuum of deposits implicates the existence of giant late-Archaean hydrothermal systems with a deep source for the primary ore fluid. A number of deep fluid and solute reservoirs are possible, including the basal segments of greenstone belts, deep-level intrusive granitoids, mid-to lower-crustal granitoidgneisses, mantle lithosphere, or even subducted oceanic lithosphere, given the probable convergent-margin setting of the host greenstone terranes. Individual stable and radiogenic isotope ratios of fluid and solute components implicate fluid evolution from, or equilibrium with, a number of these reservoirs, stressing the potential complexity of pathways for fluid advection to depositional sites. Lead and strontium isotope ratios of ore-associated minerals provide the most persuasive evidence for fluid advection through deep-level intrusive granitoids or granitoid-gneiss crust, whereas preliminary oxygen isotope data show that mixing of deeply sourced fluid and surface waters only occurred at the highest crustal levels recorded by the lode gold deposits.

The structure of the Helvetic nappes and its relation to the mechanical stratigraphy

This paper discusses structure and variations in structural style due to changes in mechanical stratigraphy of the Helvetic nappes based on five cross-sections. The ratio, n, of the thickness of mechanically weak to the thickness of adjacent mechanically strong layers is of particular importance. A low value of n favours imbricate thrusting and harmonic folding, a high value favours detachment and disharmonic folding. The transition at around n = 0.5 is characterized by polyharmonic folding. Stratigraphic thickness variations due to local basin subsidence resulted in arcuate fold hinges and important plunges upon basin inversion. Lateral variations in the overall structure of the Helvetic nappes is largely controlled by the initial irregular arrangements of the various small basins. One more or less coherent thrust sheet, the Cretaceous stockwerk of the Wildhorn-(Drusberg-) Säntis nappe can be traced along the entire fold-and-thrust belt.