A mechanism to explain rift-basin subsidence and stratigraphic patterns through fault-array evolution

Gupta, Sanjeev; Cowie, P. A.; Dawers, Nancye H.; Underhill, John R.

doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1998)026<0595:amterb>2.3.co;2

Cited by 260 publications

(210 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The border fault nucleation and growth through fault tip propagation and linkage through breaching relay structures between overlapping segments (Trudgill and Cartwright, 1995) occurred in a manner anticipated for normal fault systems (Dawers and Anders, 1995;Trudgill and Cartwright, 1995;Gupta et al, 1998;Cowie et al, 2000). This evolution leads to predictable sediment distribution with deposition progressively focussed toward the centre of the border fault array as it lengthens (McLeod et al, 2004) as is observed on the present day central basin (Figures 4 and 5 The intra-basin region is dominated in the north and the centre by the presence of a horst that trends parallel to the MNF, and is offset across Fault 9.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implications of structural inheritance in oblique rift zones for basin compartmentalization: Nkhata Basin, Malawi Rift (EARS)

Mortimer

Paton

Scholz

et al. 2016

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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The Cenozoic East African Rift System (EARS) is an exceptional example of active continental extension, providing opportunities for furthering our understanding of hydrocarbon plays within rifts. It is divided into structurally distinct western and eastern branches. The western branch comprises deep rift basins separated by transfer zones, commonly localised onto pre-existing structures, offering good regional scale hydrocarbon traps. At a basin-scale, local discrete inherited structures might also play an important role on fault localisation and hydrocarbon distribution. Here, we consider the evolution of the Central basin of the Malawi Rift, in particular the influence of pre-existing structural fabrics.Integrating basin-scale multichannel 2D, and high resolution seismic datasets we constrain the border, Mlowe-Nkhata, fault system (MNF) to the west of the basin and smaller Mbamba fault (MF) to the east and document their evolution. Intra basin structures define a series of horsts, which initiated as convergent transfers, along the basin axis. The horsts are offset along a NE-SW striking transfer fault parallel to and along strike of the onshore Karoo 2 (Permo-Triassic) Ruhuhu graben. Discrete pre-existing structures probably determined its location and, oriented obliquely to the extension orientation it accommodated predominantly strike-slip deformation, with more slowly accrued dip-slip.To the north of this transfer fault, the overall basin architecture is asymmetric, thickening to the west throughout; while to the south, an initially symmetric graben architecture became increasingly asymmetric in sediment distribution as strain localised onto the western MNF. The presence of the axial horst increasingly focussed sediment supply to the west. As the transfer fault increased its displacement, so this axial supply was interrupted, effectively starving the south-east while ponding sediments between the western horst margin and the transfer fault. This asymmetric bathymetry and partitioned sedimentation continues to the present-day, overprinting the early basin symmetry and configuration. Sediments deposited earlier become increasingly dissected and fault juxtapositions changed at a small (10-100 m) scale. The observed influence of basin-scale transfer faults on sediment dispersal and fault compartmentalisation due to pre-existing structures oblique to the extension orientation is relevant to analogous exploration settings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implications of structural inheritance in oblique rift zones for basin compartmentalization: Nkhata Basin, Malawi Rift (EARS)

Mortimer

Paton

Scholz

et al. 2016

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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“…This increase in the average rate of displacement marks the transition from the 'rift initiation' to 'rift climax' phases of extension, after Prosser (1993). This transition has previously been discussed by Gupta et al (1998) and related to interactions between fault segments that begin just prior to segment linkage.…”

Section: On the Timing Of Segment Linkagementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cartwright et al (1995). As strain increases, an initial fault population of a large number of short, low displacement faults will evolve into a late population comprising a few large fault systems (Cowie, 1998) (Gupta et al, 1998). The temporal and spatial evolution of the fault population within a rift is reflected by changes in the basin topography, and changes in the location, magnitude and rate of generation of accommodation space, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The propagation and linkage of normal faults: insights from the Strathspey–Brent–Statfjord fault array, northern North Sea

McLeod¹,

Dawers²,

Underhill³

2000

Basin Research

107

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Through examination of the scaling relations of faults and the use of seismic stratigraphic techniques, we demonstrate how the temporal and spatial evolution of the fault population in a half-graben basin can be accurately reconstructed. The basin bounded by the >>62 km long Strathspey-Brent-Statfjord fault array is located on the western flank of the Late Jurassic age northern North Sea rift basin. Alongstrike displacement variations, transverse fault-displacement folds and palaeo-fault tips abandoned in the hangingwall all provide evidence that the fault system comprises a hierarchy of linked palaeo-segments. The displacement variations developed while the fault was in a pre-linkage, multi-segment stage of its growth have not been equilibrated following fault linkage. Using the stratal architecture of syn-rift sediments, we date the main phase of segment linkage as latest Callovian -Middle Oxfordian (10-14 M.yr. after rift initiation). A dense sub-population of faults is mapped in the hangingwall to the Strathspey-Brent-Statfjord fault array. The majority of these faults are short, of low displacement and became inactive within 3-4 M.yr. of the beginning of the extensional event. Subsequently, only the segments of the proto-Strathspey-Brent-Statfjord fault and a conjugate array of antithetic faults located 3.5 km basinward continued to grow to define a graben-like basin geometry. Faults of the antithetic array became inactive approximately 11.5 M.yr. into the rift event, concentrating strain on the linked Strathspey-Brent-Statfjord fault; hence, the basin evolved into a half-graben. As the rift event progressed, strain was localised on a smaller number of active structures with increased rates of displacement. The results of this study suggest that a simple model for the linkage of 2-3 fault segments may not be applicable to a complex multi-segment array.

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“…The effect of fault-array evolution on sedimentation style is described by a number of studies (e.g. Gupta et al, 1998). These relative changes in subsidence rate have been confirmed by structural restorations over each major depocentre, and subsequent calculation of cumulative subsidence of each major bounding fault from late Tithonian to late Barremian time, as shown in Figure 3 below.…”

Section: Results Indicate That the Early Cretaceous Sediments Of Thementioning

confidence: 93%

A revised chronostratigraphic framework for the Onshore Otway Basin, implications for understanding the early development of an intra-cratonic rift margin

Briguglio

2013

ASEG Extended Abstracts

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A mechanism to explain rift-basin subsidence and stratigraphic patterns through fault-array evolution

Cited by 260 publications

References 21 publications

Implications of structural inheritance in oblique rift zones for basin compartmentalization: Nkhata Basin, Malawi Rift (EARS)

Implications of structural inheritance in oblique rift zones for basin compartmentalization: Nkhata Basin, Malawi Rift (EARS)

The propagation and linkage of normal faults: insights from the Strathspey–Brent–Statfjord fault array, northern North Sea

A revised chronostratigraphic framework for the Onshore Otway Basin, implications for understanding the early development of an intra-cratonic rift margin

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