A geophysical overview of the southern continental margin of North America in the Late Precambrian/Cambrian

Conference · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6138260

Keller, G R ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Texas, El Paso, TX (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences

Recent geophysical studies have shed considerable light on the nature and extent of the southern Continental margin of North America which formed during the Late Precambrian/Cambrian. To the east between Arkansas and Alabama, the PASSCAL/Ouachita seismic experiment and older results in Mississippi indicate that this margin is largely preserved beneath allochthonous rocks emplaced during the Ouachita orogeny. Here the margin is fairly abrupt suggesting transtension was important in this origin. The Wiggins and Sabine blocks appear to be continental fragments which may have formed along this margin. In Texas, the margin extends around the Llano uplift in a sinuous fashion. In this area, Mesozoic extension clouds the picture considerably. However, structural complexities along this portion of he margin can be inferred form gravity data. In West Texas, the margin bends westward and then southward. A very deep oil exploration test which was recently drilled in this area provides valuable constraints for geophysical models of this portion of the margin. Recent results in Mexico allows the authors to trace this margin further south into the state of Chihuahua than previously possible.

• OSTI ID: 6138260
• Report Number(s): CONF-9303212--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 25:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
ALABAMA
ARKANSAS
CAMBRIAN PERIOD
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
LATIN AMERICA
MAPPING
MEXICO
MISSISSIPPI
NORTH AMERICA
PALEOZOIC ERA
PRECAMBRIAN ERA
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SURVEYS
TEXAS
USA