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Sedimentary Basin Analysis
http://eqsun.geo.arizona.edu/geo5xx/geos517/
Sedimentary basins can be classified based on the type of plate
motions (divergent, convergent), type of the lithosphere, distance
from plate margins.
http://eqsun.geo.arizona.edu/geo5xx/geos517/
From divergent to convergent margins
From divergent to convergent margins
Basins related to convergent margins
Convergent margins: collisional and non‐collisional
Peripheral foreland system
p y
Fore‐arc Retroarc
Back‐arc
After Dickinson (1974):
• Oceanic basins
Oceanic basins
• Rifted continental margins
• Arc‐trench system
h
• Suture belts
• Intracontinental basins
TO FORM A SEDIMENTARY BASIN YOU
NEED ACCOMODATION SPACE
• Subsidence of the crust is caused by:
1) Attenuation
Attenuation of the crust due to stretching and
of the crust due to stretching and
erosion (divergent margins);
2) Contraction of lithosphere due to cooling
Contraction of lithosphere due to cooling
(divergent margins);
3) Depression of both crust and lithosphere by
D i fb h d li h h b
sedimentary or tectonic loading (convergent
margins).
i )
Primary mechanisms of basin
subsidence
b d
• Isostasy (changes in lithospheric
(changes in lithospheric
thickness and/or density)
• Flexure (loading)
• Thermal effects
Thermal effects
Isostasy
• Based
Based on Archemides
on Archemides’ principle:
principle:
A body immersed in a fluid is buoyed up by a
force equal to the weight (volume) of the
force equal to the weight (volume) of the
displaced fluid.
Isostasy assumes local compensation: i.e. the
earth is composed of free floating pistons
Depth of compensation
Depth of compensation
Following the theory of isostasy, a mass above
Following the theory of isostasy a mass above
sea level is supported below sea level, and
there is thus a certain depth at which the total
there is thus a certain depth at which the total
weight per unit area is equal all around the
Earth: depth of compensation (ca. 113 km).
Earth: depth of compensation (ca 113 km)
Models for local isostasy
Models for local isostasy
• Airy:
Airy: where different in
where different in
topographic highs are
accommodated by changes in
thickness
• Pratt:….by changes in density
Adjacent blocks with different densities or thickness will have
different relative relief
After Angevine et al., 1990
Typical lithospheric structure under
the continents and the oceans
h d h
After Angevine et al., 1990
Thermal effects
Thermal effects
• Thermal
Thermal effects change the density of the
effects change the density of the
lithosphere so that the isostatic balance is
changed
• Initial cooling of the lithosphere by
conduction: t1/2
conduction: t1/2
• After 10s the lithosphere will cool
exponentially (subsidence: because colder
i ll ( b id b ld
rocks are denser….)
A. If everything else is
equal the total
amount of uplift
during heating (e.g.
intrusion‐doming) is
equal to the amount
l h
of subsidence during
cooling .
B. Subsidence can occur
in case of erosion;
thickening of the
mantle lid during
cooling or stretching.
After Angevine et al., 1990
Following McKenzie (
• In time 2 the
li h h
lithosphere will
ill
subside because
of isostatic
compensation
compensation
(you replace
denser mantle lid
with less dense
asthenosphere.
• In time 3 the
lithosphere cools
p
and thickens as
warm
asthenosphere
converts in cool
t i l
lithosphere
(thermal
subsidence)
Examples of divergent margins
Examples of convergent margins
Peripheral forelands
Retroarc forelands
The Alpine orogeny
p g y
Foreland
Pro‐wedge
Alps
Foreland
Retro‐wedge After Stampfli et al. (2002)
The Alpine orogeny
is the result of the
collision between
Europe and Adria
~50 My ago,
following closure of
the Alpine Tethys.
h l h
The Himalayan orogeny
The Himalayan
The Himalayan
orogeny is the
result of the
collision
lli i
N
between India
Tibetean Plateau
and Asia ~50 My
Himalaya ago, following
closure of the
Foreland
NeoTethys.
Example of ocean‐continent collision and retroarc foreland:
The Andes
The Andes are the result of
Tertiary crustal thickening and
Tertiary crustal thickening and
magmatic processes related
to the subduction of the
N
Nazca plate under the South
l t d th S th
Cordillera American Plate.
Altiplano‐
Puna Foreland
Plateau
Courtesy Isabelle Coutand
Mechanisms of foreland basin formation
Peripheral basins:
Peripheral basins:
Modified after DeCelles and Giles (1996)
Mechanisms of foreland basin formation
Retroarc basins:
Retroarc basins:
Modified after DeCelles and Giles (1996)
Slide 28
c1 dynamic slab load is caused by viscous coupling between the subducting slab, overlying mantle-wedge materil and the base of the
overidding continental plate
carrapa, 1/5/2006
Sedimentary facies and depositional environment in
p
pheripheral basins
p
Shallowing
upward trend
dt d
up‐section
GEODYNAMICS OF FORELANDS
GEODYNAMICS OF FORELANDS
• The
The shape of a FB
shape of a FB
and the
magnitude of
subsidence largely
depend on the
age and thickness
g
of the underlying
crust (i.e. closing
young rift=low D;
young rift=low D;
old continental
D=flexural strength margin=high D).
Thin‐ versus thick
Thin versus thick‐ sckinned deformation
sckinned deformation
• Typical
Typical (continuous) foreland basins develop
(continuous) foreland basins develop
in association with thin‐skinned thrust belts:
– i.e. where sedimentary cover rocks are shortened
i e where sedimentary cover rocks are shortened
by folding and thrusting above undeformed
basement.
Thin‐ versus thick
Thin versus thick‐ sckinned deformation
sckinned deformation
• Broken
Broken foreland basins (Sierras Pampeanas
foreland basins (Sierras Pampeanas
and Laramide style) develop associated with
thick‐skinned
thick skinned basement uplift
basement uplift where
where
crystalline basement rocks translate along
high angle reverse faults
high angle reverse faults.
Preconditions to form a continuous
f l db i
foreland basin
• The
The existance of topographic highs and
existance of topographic highs and
horizontal shortening;
• The pre‐existance of a thick pile of layered
The pre existance of a thick pile of layered
strata.
Inferred preconditions to form a broken
f l db i
foreland basin
• The
The existance of topographic highs and
existance of topographic highs and
horizontal shortening;
• The presence of a subducting plate with very
The presence of a subducting plate with very
low angle of descent into the mantle (i.e. flat‐
slab or flat subduction)
slab or flat‐subduction).
Component of tectonic subsidence in
b k f l db i
broken foreland basins
• In
In a broken foreland the crust is subdivided
a broken foreland the crust is subdivided
into short beams that can rotate about
horizontal axes relative to one another This
horizontal axes relative to one another. This
rotation is a principal component of tectonic
susbidence (in addition to flexural loading)
susbidence (in addition to flexural loading)
What are the controlling factors for the
angle of subduction?
l f bd i ?
• Th
The pre‐existing tectonic history of an
i ti t t i hi t f
orogenic belt and the shape of its plate margin
Example of flat slab and broken foreland: Sierra
Pampeanas (Andes)
( d )
• IIn South America along strike
S hA i l ik
variabilities in the structure of
the Andes generates along
strike variations in geometry of
foreland basins
Example of broken foreland:
the Rocky Mountains
the Rocky Mountains
and the Laramide foreland system
The depocenter of the upper Cretaceous (A) in eastern
Wyoming is too far from the thrust belt to have been
simply caused by loading and flexure. B) Eocene basin and
ranges; uplift and subsidence are contemporaneous; C)
thickness of the Green River Basin reflects tilting and
bending of the crustal blocks.
Laramide and Sierra Pampeanas
comparison
i
Seismic exercise:
thin‐skinned or thick skinned?
hi ki d hi k ki d?
Seismic example:
thin‐skinned or thick skinned?
hi ki d hi k ki d?
After Ramos et al. (2002)