SedimentaryBasinAnalysis

http://eqsun.geo.arizona.edu/geo5xx/geos517/

Sedimentarybasinscanbeclassifiedbasedonthetypeofplate motions(divergent,convergent),typeofthelithosphere,distance fromplatemargins.

SedimentaryBasinAnalysis
http://eqsun.geo.arizona.edu/geo5xx/geos517/

Fromdivergenttoconvergentmargins

Convergent margins: collisional andnoncollisional Basins related toconvergent margins

Peripheral p forelandsystem y

Forearc

Backarc

Retroarc

AfterDickinson(1974):
Oceanicbasins Riftedcontinentalmargins Arctrench hsystem Suturebelts Intracontinental basins

TOFORMASEDIMENTARYBASINYOU NEEDACCOMODATIONSPACE
Subsidenceofthecrustiscausedby:

1) Attenuationofthecrustduetostretchingand erosion(divergentmargins); 2) Contractionoflithosphereduetocooling (divergentmargins); 3) Depression D i of fb both hcrustand dlithosphere li h h by b sedimentaryortectonicloading(convergent margins). i )

Primarymechanismsofbasin subsidence b d
Isostasy (changesinlithospheric thicknessand/ordensity) Flexure(loading) Thermaleffects

Isostasy
BasedonArchemides Archemidesprinciple: Abodyimmersedinafluidisbuoyedupbya forceequaltotheweight(volume)ofthe displacedfluid. Isostasy assumeslocalcompensation:i.e.the earthiscomposedoffreefloatingpistons

Depthofcompensation
Followingthetheoryofisostasy, isostasy amassabove sealevelissupportedbelowsealevel,and thereisthusacertaindepthatwhichthetotal weightperunitareaisequalallaroundthe Earth:depthofcompensation (ca. (ca 113km). km)

Modelsforlocalisostasy
Airy:wheredifferentin topographichighsare accommodatedbychangesin thickness Pratt:.bychangesindensity

Adjacentblockswithdifferentdensitiesorthicknesswillhave differentrelativerelief

AfterAngevine etal.,1990

Typicallithospheric structureunder the h continentsand dthe h oceans

AfterAngevine etal.,1990

Thermaleffects
Thermaleffectschangethedensityofthe lithospheresothattheisostatic balanceis changed Initialcoolingofthelithosphereby conduction:t1/2 After10sthelithospherewillcool exponentially i ll ( (subsidence: b id because b colder ld rocksaredenser.)

A.Ifeverythingelseis equalthetotal amountofuplift duringheating(e.g. intrusiondoming)is equal ltothe h amount ofsubsidenceduring cooling. B.Subsidencecanoccur incaseoferosion; thickeningofthe mantlelidduring coolingorstretching.

AfterAngevine etal.,1990

FollowingMcKenzie(
Intime2the li h h will lithosphere ill subsidebecause ofisostatic compensation (youreplace densermantlelid withlessdense asthenosphere. Intime3the lithosphere p cools andthickensas warm asthenosphere converts t i incool l lithosphere (thermal subsidence)

Examplesofdivergentmargins

Examplesofconvergentmargins

Peripheralforelands Retroarcforelands

Foreland

TheAlpine p orogeny g y
Foreland

Prowedge

Alps

Retrowedge

AfterStampflietal.(2002)

TheAlpineorogeny istheresultofthe collisionbetween EuropeandAdria ~50Myago, followingclosureof the h Alpine l Tethys. h

TheHimalayanorogeny
TheHimalayan orogenyisthe resultofthe collision lli i betweenIndia andAsia~50My ago,following closureofthe NeoTethys.

N TibeteanPlateau Himalaya Foreland

Exampleofoceancontinentcollisionandretroarcforeland:

TheAndes
TheAndesaretheresultof Tertiarycrustalthickeningand magmaticprocessesrelated tothesubductionofthe N Nazca plate l t under d th theSouth S th AmericanPlate.
Foreland

Cordillera Altiplano Puna Plateau

CourtesyIsabelleCoutand

Mechanismsofforelandbasinformation
Peripheralbasins:

ModifiedafterDeCellesandGiles(1996)

Mechanismsofforelandbasinformation
Retroarcbasins:

ModifiedafterDeCellesandGiles(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

Sedimentaryfaciesanddepositionalenvironmentin pheripheral p p basins

Shallowing upward d t trend d upsection

GEODYNAMICSOFFORELANDS
TheshapeofaFB andthe magnitudeof subsidencelargely dependonthe age g andthickness oftheunderlying crust(i.e.closing youngrift=lowD; oldcontinental margin=highD).

D=flexuralstrength

Thin versusthick sckinneddeformation

Typical(continuous)forelandbasinsdevelop inassociationwiththinskinnedthrustbelts:
i.e. i e wheresedimentarycoverrocksareshortened byfoldingandthrustingaboveundeformed basement.

Thin versusthick sckinneddeformation

Brokenforelandbasins(SierrasPampeanas andLaramidestyle)developassociatedwith thickskinnedbasementuplift where crystallinebasementrockstranslatealong highanglereversefaults. faults

Preconditionstoformacontinuous f l db foreland basin i

Theexistanceoftopographichighsand horizontalshortening; Thepreexistanceofathickpileoflayered strata.

Inferredpreconditionstoformabroken f l db foreland basin i

Theexistanceoftopographichighsand horizontalshortening; Thepresenceofasubductingplatewithvery lowangleofdescentintothemantle(i.e.flat slaborflatsubduction). subduction)

Componentoftectonicsubsidencein b k f broken foreland l dbasins b i

Inabrokenforelandthecrustissubdivided intoshortbeamsthatcanrotateabout horizontalaxesrelativetooneanother another.This rotationisaprincipalcomponentoftectonic susbidence(inadditiontoflexuralloading)

Whatarethecontrollingfactorsforthe angle l of fsubduction? bd i ?

Th Thepreexisting i ti tectonic t t i history hi t of fan orogenicbeltandtheshapeofitsplatemargin

Exampleofflatslabandbrokenforeland:Sierra Pampeanas(Andes) ( d )

I InS South hAmerica A i along l strike ik variabilitiesinthestructureof theAndesgeneratesalong strikevariationsingeometryof forelandbasins

Exampleofbrokenforeland:
theRockyMountains andtheLaramideforelandsystem

ThedepocenteroftheupperCretaceous(A)ineastern Wyomingistoofarfromthethrustbelttohavebeen simplycausedbyloadingandflexure.B)Eocenebasinand ranges;upliftandsubsidencearecontemporaneous;C) thicknessoftheGreenRiverBasinreflectstiltingand bendingofthecrustalblocks.

LaramideandSierraPampeanas comparison i

Seismicexercise: thin hi skinned ki dorthick hi kskinned? ki d?

Seismicexample: thin hi skinned ki dorthick hi kskinned? ki d?

AfterRamosetal.(2002)