Tectonic implications of Paleocene-Eocene Foreland Basin, Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela

Conference · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:6064159

Lugo, J ^[1]; Mann, P ^[2]

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1. Lagoven S.A., Caracas (Venezuela)
2. Univ. of Texas, Austin (United States)

A compilation of industry geological and geophysical data indicates that Paleocene-Eocene clastic sedimentation in the Maracaibo basin records the first manifestation of Cenozoic foreland basin tectonics in northern South America. Isopach maps based on industry seismic data and well logs suggest that the Maracaibo foreland basin formed a 100 to 200 km wide elongate trough along the northeastern edge of the present-day Lake Maracaibo. The basin is asymmetric with a deep (7 km) northeastern margin adjacent to an exposed southwest-verging thrust belt mapped by previous workers. Isopach mapping of seven seismic units within the Eocene suggest a nor-northwest to southeast migration of the depocenter from Paleocene to Middle Eocene time at a rate of 0.6 cm/year. A similar style of foreland basin has been previously identified over a distance of 1000 Km from western central Venezuela to Trinidad. Eocene to Pliocene ages of foreland basin sedimentation in these areas suggest time transgressive, oblique collision of the Caribbean plate along the northern margin of South America. Comparison of the age of deformation along both the northern and southern edges of the pro-Caribbean plate yield reasonable estimates for the rate of relative motion of this small plate relative to the larger America plates.

• OSTI ID: 6064159
• Report Number(s): CONF-930306--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 77:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
CENOZOIC ERA
DEFORMATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EOCENE EPOCH
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
LATIN AMERICA
MAPPING
MIGRATION
PLATE TECTONICS
PLIOCENE EPOCH
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTATION
SOUTH AMERICA
TECTONICS
TERTIARY PERIOD
VENEZUELA