Using bathymetry to identify basin inversion structures on the

English Channel shelf

Jenny S. Collier Department of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London

Sanjeev Gupta SW7 2AZ, UK
Graeme Potter UK Hydrographic Office, Admiralty Way, Taunton, Somerset TA1 2DN, UK
Andy Palmer-Felgate Department of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road,
London SW7 2AZ, UK

ABSTRACT tics, which in the west of the study area in-

High-resolution bathymetry is used to derive a new structural interpretation of a sub- clude localized evaporites in the upper section
merged inverted graben on the English Channel shelf (northwest Europe). The bathymetry (Hamblin et al., 1992; Harvey and Stewart,
provides a continuous plan-view image of the bedrock geology and resolves fine structural 1998). These strata are overlain by a marine
detail, particularly in areas of steeply dipping strata where traditional seismic imaging Jurassic succession consisting of a cyclic se-
fails. The imagery, combined with shallow core, deep borehole, and two-dimensional seis- ries of shales, sandstones, and limestones. The
mic reflection data, shows a marked asymmetry in the bedrock outcrop and structural lowermost Cretaceous rocks compose a brack-
style, both across and along the axis of the basin. For example, the oldest synrift rocks ish to freshwater clastic succession (Wealden)
crop out in a complex south-verging anticline along one margin, whereas more massively that passes upward into marine sandstones and
bedded younger rocks are folded into a simpler anticline at the other. Comparison of our shales (Greensand and Gault Clay). The Upper
observations with both recent analog modeling and a neighboring inverted basin highlights Cretaceous saw the end of active extension
the importance of the mechanical properties of the basin stratigraphy in controlling the and the deposition of a postrift succession of
structural development. We conclude that the inversional asymmetry developed because massively bedded and regionally extensive
of the distribution of strong competence contrasts within the synrift fill. chalk. The youngest rocks recovered from the
seabed during an extensive shallow coring
Keywords: basin inversion, inversion anticline, high-resolution bathymetry, Channel Basin, program throughout the basin are Campanian
English Channel shelf. (Dingwall, 1971). Tertiary strata dating from
the latest Paleocene to the early Oligocene are
INTRODUCTION north-south shortening direction that is gen- limited to the marginal Hampshire and Central
Basin inversion involves the far-field hori- erally attributed to Alpine collision and/or At- Channel Basins that developed to the north
zontal shortening and uplift of former rift ba- lantic opening (Ziegler, 1990). The Channel and south during the inversion. The timing of
sins, and is a significant, yet poorly under- Basin presents the opportunity to examine the the onset of the inversion in this part of south-
stood, mode of intraplate deformation. One of inversion of an entire graben system, because ern England is uncertain. Most recognize a
the key issues in basin inversion studies is ex- it has good coverage of two-dimensional (2D) minor phase during the latest Cretaceous to
plaining the wide variety of structural styles seismic data, shallow cores, and boreholes. To early Paleocene, the main phase having oc-
observed (Buchanan and Buchanan, 1995). date the basin has received little attention; the curred in the Miocene (Chadwick, 1993).
Recent analog and numerical modeling studies most significant previous study concluded that
propose that the synrift stratigraphy imparts a the inversion proceeded by coherent (simple METHODS
shear) reactivation of small fault blocks across Our interpretation combines bathymetry
major control on inversion geometry (Brun
its axis (Beeley and Norton, 1998). Here we with 1500 km of 2D seismic reflection, shal-
and Nalpas, 1996; Buiter and Pfiffner, 2003;
integrate recently released seismic reflection low core, and deep borehole data. The seismic
Panien et al., 2005). In particular, these studies
profiles with a new bathymetric data set that data were collected in 1993 and consist of 19
show that the thickness and distribution of
across-axis and along-axis profiles at 1020
strong and weak stratigraphic layers can influ- provides a continuous image of the bedrock
km line spacing. The bathymetry soundings
ence the localization of new compressional geology cropping out at the present seabed.
were collected over a 24 yr period (1979
structures that are not directly related to pre- The seabed is a transgressive surface that
2003) with a hull-mounted, single-beam echo
inversion faults. These modeling studies pro- crosscuts the studied geological structures,
sounder; individual soundings were converted
vide new insights into basin inversion pro- and provides a new perspective on their ge-
to depth using measured water sound-velocity
cesses; however, their applicability to natural ometries and development. The bathymetry
profiles. Vessel positioning for the pre-1996
examples remains uncertain. Moreover, there best resolves the structures in areas of com-
surveys was by range and bearing from on-
are few studies of the inversion of complete plex and steeply dipping strata (dips 10),
shore trisponders, and for post-1996 surveys
grabens with which to compare modeling precisely where seismic imaging becomes
was by differential global positioning system.
results. problematic.
The data set, which was originally collected
This study focuses on the Channel Basin, for maritime safety purposes, was acquired
an inverted graben that crops out on the UK BASIN STRATIGRAPHY along transects spaced 62.5 m apart on a bear-
continental shelf (Curry and Smith, 1975). The Channel Basin is an east-westoriented ing of 080 together with 2.5 km spaced cross-
The basin is one of a number of Mesozoic rift graben bounded by the Portland-Wight-Bray lines. The raw data were hand-edited to re-
basins in northwest Europe that were affected and Mid-Channel faults (Fig. 1), and has a move bad navigational and depth points,
by tectonic inversion during the Late Creta- synrift succession that gently thins to the reduced to Admiralty Chart Datum using tide
ceous and Tertiary. Many of these basins doc- south and east. The earliest synrift strata are gauge measurements, and gridded with a 40
ument a polyphase inversion history with a Permian and Triassic continental redbed clas- m cell size.

2006 Geological Society of America. For permission to copy, contact Copyright Permissions, GSA, or editing@geosociety.org.
Geology; December 2006; v. 34; no. 12; p. 10011004; doi: 10.1130/G22714A.1; 4 figures. 1001
 Sandown Anticline
The northern anticline is best seen in the
bathymetry to the east of the Isle of Wight,
where it is known onshore as the Sandown
anticline (Fig. 3A). Two seismic profiles
across the structure show it to be open, asym-
metric, and northward verging. A number of
seabed ridges within the Lower Cretaceous
outcrop allow a clearer definition of the struc-
ture. The rim of the anticline is formed of Up-
per Cretaceous Chalk, and a particularly
prominent bedrock ridge defines the boundary
between it and the Lower Cretaceous (marked
with a dashed white line in Fig. 3A). Based
on the width of seabed outcrop and the thick-
ness of stratal units found by drilling, the
southern limb of the anticline dips 2 and
the northern limb dips 17. In plan view, fold
closures of individual bedsets indicate that the
fold axis plunges toward the SSE, and the fold
terminates 30 km from the Isle of Wight
coastline. The asymmetry of the fold is further
confirmed by the convergence of bedding
when traced around the nose of the anticline
to the north.

Mid-Channel Anticline
Figure 1. Bathymetry of eastern Channel Basin and adjacent areas shown as grayscale The southern anticline exposes Upper Ju-
shaded relief image. Onshore (solid color) and offshore (circles and triangles) stratigraphy
rassic strata in its core (Fig. 1). The structure
is from Hamblin et al. (1992), British Geological Survey (1995), and Dingwall (1971). Numbers
next to boreholes are estimated Middle to Upper Jurassic rock uplift in meters (Law, 1998). is imaged on five of the seismic lines as a
IoWIsle of Wight. Inset map shows general location. Neighboring inverted basins: WAB southward-facing asymmetric fold (Fig. 2B).
Western Approaches Basin, WxBWessex Basin, WdBWeald Basin, BBBoulonnais Ba- The bathymetry provides fine structural detail
sin, PBParis Basin. that shows the folding here to be much more
complex than that at the northern margin (Fig.
3B). Closures indicate the fold axis to be sig-
The processed bathymetry is presented in where steep bedding resulted in poor seismic moidal in plan view, with a strike that varies
Figure 1, together with the results of shallow imaging. between 110 and 170; it plunges to the east
seabed coring (Dingwall, 1971; British Geo- and to the northwest. The width of outcrop
logical Survey, 1995). The bathymetry dis- STRUCTURAL STYLE indicates that the northern and southern limbs
plays four distinct textures that correlate with The seismic reflection data show the basin dip at 3 and 13, respectively. Seabed texture
the known core stratigraphy and the expected to be mildly inverted, with both boundary and fold closures south of the western tip of
seabed expression of the various geological faults remaining in net extension along much the main Jurassic anticline also indicate the
units. For example, the massively bedded Up- of their lengths (Fig. 2A). An exception to this presence of a secondary syncline-anticline
per Cretaceous chalk forms a characteristically is along the western part of the Mid-Channel pair in Lower Cretaceous and Upper Jurassic
fault, where the synrift strata in the basin are strata. This structure was not discernable in
smooth seabed. In contrast, seabed floored by
exhumed relative to those in the marginal the seismic reflection data set. The amplitude
Lower Cretaceous strata is much rougher, with
Central Channel Basin to the south (Fig. 2B). of the main fold decays along strike, and in
numerous ridges and troughs formed by pack-
Overall, the basin structure is dominated by the east of the study area the Mid-Channel
ages of harder and softer strata that can be
an open syncline (limb dips 1) that pre- fault juxtaposes Lower Cretaceous (Wealden)
followed laterally for tens of kilometers. The
serves postrift Upper Cretaceous Chalk across strata against the Upper Cretaceous Chalk
cyclic Upper Jurassic strata produce a seabed
its center. Lower Cretaceous and Upper Juras-
consisting of a series of closely spaced 24- Group without significant folding (Fig. 2A).
sic rocks crop out in two anticlines at the
m-high ridges and troughs that give a corru- northern and southern margins. The geomet-
gated appearance. The Paleogene unit is the rical relationships between these anticlines DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
most internally varied texturally, containing and their neighboring basin-bounding faults Our analysis shows the Channel Basin to
some prominent ridges that pass laterally into are difficult to determine from the seismic have an asymmetric inversion geometry, with
rougher areas. The outcrop geology was data, because these regions contain crosscut- contrasting folding styles along its margins.
mapped by combining these broad textural ting high-angle reflections and diffractions. The northeast margin is characterized by rel-
characteristics with the tracing of prominent However, the addition of the bathymetry to the atively broad and simple folding of the synrift
ridges and troughs, thereby allowing structural interpretation has allowed the inversion struc- and postrift succession. This structure is com-
elements, such as the positions of fold clo- tures in the critical areas close to the main patible with fault-related folding during the re-
sures and fault traces, to be determined. This faults to be mapped accurately for the first activation of a former extensional fault
was a particularly valuable technique in areas time. (McClay, 1989). In contrast, the southwest

1002 GEOLOGY, December 2006


Figure 2. Depth-converted, time-migrated seismic reflection profiles across eastern (A) and
western (B) axes of basin. Vertical exaggeration is 7.6. Boreholes are marked in blue. Minor
faults have not been marked for clarity. Interpretation of horizons south of Mid-Channel
fault is based on seismic character alone. Red lines mark extents of bathymetric images
shown in Figure 3.
margin of the basin shows the development of
a more complex, south-verging, asymmetric
anticline that exposes Upper Jurassic strata.
Previous work has shown these units to have
been exhumed 1500 m, more than 500 m
more than elsewhere in the basin (Fig. 1; Law,
1998). While the basement clearly also shal-
lows beneath the structure (Fig. 2B), previous
attempts at fault restoration (Beeley and Nor-
ton, 1998) have shown that the geometry of
this anticline cannot be explained by simple
reactivation of a steep normal fault.
We propose that the asymmetry in inversion
geometry is a consequence of the strong lith-
ological competence contrast within the syn-
rift succession of the Channel Basin. The bas-
al Triassic and Jurassic succession comprises
much weaker lithologies than later synrift and
postrift Cretaceous rocks (Hamblin et al.,
1992). During inversion, thrusting and folding
of these mechanically weak rocks led to their
extrusion to the south and development of a
tight asymmetric anticline in Upper Jurassic
mudrocks that is observed in the southwest
part of the study area. The along-strike de-
crease in amplitude of this inversion anticline
to the east may also be explained by variation
in properties of the basin-fill succession. The
GEOLOGY, December 2006
Triassic succession in particular has marked
lateral thickness and facies changes across our
study area, consisting of a 450 m series of
dominantly mudstones with anhydrite layers
in the west and a 150 m series of dominantly
sandstones in the east (Hamblin et al., 1992).
This synrift sedimentary architecture is partly
a consequence of along-strike displacement
variation on the pre-inversion Mid-Channel
normal fault. When the far-field stress
changed from extension to compression, the
greater thickness of synrift strata toward the
center of the Mid-Channel fault and the pre-
ponderance of weaker lithologies led to the
enhanced structural inversion seen. We con-
sider spatial variation in the mechanical prop-
erties of the synrift fill to be a more plausible
explanation of the observed inversion struc-
ture than alternatives such as a change in re-
activation properties of the Mid-Channel fault
or basement buttressing effects along strike.
Analog models that have examined the ef-
fects of strong mechanical contrasts within the
synrift fill provide support for our hypothesis.
Panien et al. (2005), for example, ran a series
of models in which an asymmetric graben was
filled with various combinations of strong and
weak layers. Only models with strong com-
petence contrasts within the synrift fill result-
ed in an enhanced inversion asymmetry (Fig.
4B); those without did not (Fig. 4A). The in-
versional asymmetry was achieved by the me-
chanical extrusion of the weak strata by dis-
placement along forward thrusts toward the
side with the thinnest succession. On the other
side of the basin, shortening was accommo-
dated by partial reactivation of the normal
fault and by the generation of back thrusts that
cut across the older fault into the footwall. We
consider the across-axis structure in the west
of the study area to be compatible with their
model with a weak basal layer in the graben
fill succession (Fig. 4B).
The models of Panien et al. (2005) do not
reproduce all of the observed structural ele-
ments in the Channel Basin, the most signifi-
cant being the synclinal folding of the postrift
layers across its center. This discrepancy is
probably due to the different aspect ratios
the width-to-height ratio of the sand box mod-
el being 1.6 compared to 22.5 for the real
basinsuch that the analog models are most
applicable to the marginal areas. However, as
further support for our interpretation, we note
that the neighboring inverted basin, the on-
shore Weald Basin (WdB in Fig. 1), has a
symmetric outcrop and inversion structure
(British Geological Survey, 1988, 1989; Han-
sen et al., 2002). The Weald Basin did not
initiate until the Early Jurassic and the lower
synrift fill is a more competent succession of
limestone and sandstone with occasional mud-
stone than that deposited in the Channel Basin
(Hawkes et al., 1998). Assuming the same
inversion-inducing stress field in the Weald
Basin, the mechanical difference in the basal
synrift strata between these two basins likely
explains the difference in the observed inver-
sion style.
In summary, we have shown an across-axis
and along-axis asymmetry in the bedrock out-
crop and structural style of the inverted Chan-
nel Basin. This asymmetry appears to be con-
trolled by the distribution of weak
stratigraphic layers that give rise to strong
competence contrasts within the basin fill. Our
study also demonstrates the effectiveness of
high-resolution bathymetry to delineate bed-
rock structural trends on continental shelves
with strong tidal scour and hence thin surficial
sediments. In the right setting, the combina-
tion of bathymetry and seismic data is a pow-
erful, and often overlooked, tool.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The bathymetry surveys were funded by the
Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) under the UK
Civil Hydrography Programme. We thank Joe Col-
lins (MCA) for his enthusiastic support. The seismic
data were acquired by Jebco Seismic UK Ltd and
are reproduced with the permission of IHS Energy,
owners of the data. We acknowledge Landmark
1003

Figure 3. Shaded relief perspective views showing details of seabed outcrop adjacent to
northern (A) and southwestern (B) margins of Channel Basin. See Figure 1 for approximate
image locations. White dashed lines mark stratigraphic boundaries and white solid lines
mark positions of seismic lines shown in Figure 2.
Graphics for the provision of software. The manu-
script benefited from insightful comments from Li-
dia Lonergan, Chris Jackson, James Gardner, An-
drea Fildani, Tina Niemi, and an anonymous
reviewer.
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Manuscript received 13 February 2006
Revised manuscript received 25 May 2006
Manuscript accepted 21 June 2006
Printed in USA
GEOLOGY, December 2006