Tectonic and sedimentary evolution of Bransfield Basin, Antarctica

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6387409

Jeffers, J D; Thomas, M A; Anderson, J B

The Bransfield basin is the youngest and best developed of a series of extensional marginal basins on the Pacific margin of the Antarctic Peninsular. Marine geophysical data collected over five seasons show that the back arc is segmented laterally into three subbasins separated by transform zones. These subbasins differ in width, depth, structural style, and seisimicity and are correlated with three different age segments of subducted sea floor. The distribution of principal sedimentary environments, identified from high-resolution seismic reflection data, and their associated lithofacies, seen in piston cores and surface sediment samples, is controlled largely by the tectonic segmentation of the basins. Terrigenous sediments prograde into the basin from the continent side, whereas sediment gravity-flow processes deliver volcaniclastic material from the arc to slope-base aprons and to fan lobes at the outlets of fiords. Organic-rich muds fill the deep basin; their proximity to submarine volcanic centers produces thermogenic hydrocarbons. Understanding the recent tectonic and sedimentary evolution of the Bransfield basin may help refine interpretations of the older deformed marginal basin sequences of southern South America, the Scotia Arc, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

• OSTI ID: 6387409
• Report Number(s): CONF-880301-
• Resource Relation: Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Houston, TX, USA, 20 Mar 1988
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROGENESIS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
EXPLORATION
GEOPHYSICS
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTATION
SEDIMENTS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
TECTONICS
VOLCANIC REGIONS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MINERAL RESOURCES
POLAR REGIONS
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SURVEYS
020200* - Petroleum- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030200 - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration