Reassessment of tectonic style and crustal character in foundation of south Florida and western Florida shelf
Interpretation of seismic reflection data forces a number of constraints on their initial working hypothesis regarding the nature of the crust beneath the Western Florida Shelf. Rather than blocks of pre-Mesozoic continental crust separated by zones of extension or spreading underlain by extensively refitted, transitional, or Jurassic oceanic crust, seismic and well data indicate a vast expanse of paleozoic rock that essentially underlies the entire platform north of 26/degrees/N. Highs and lows (arches and basins) within this region do exist, but both positive and negative areas appear to be underlain by substantial thicknesses of predominantly sedimentary or metasedimentary Paleozoic rocks. It follows that if any oceanic crust is present in the foundation of the Western Florida Shelf, it must be Paleozoic or older in age and must lie below the depth of penetration of their 8-sec records. Rift-style faulting of pre-Jurassic rocks is most common in the Apalachicola basin and northern part of the Middle Ground arch. This style of faulting, consisting of half graben formation, is not restricted to basinal settings nor to Late Triassic-Early Jurassic age of formation. One of the best examples seen on their records appears to be Paleozoic in age. However, enough of the fault activity is identified as Late Triassic to Early Jurassic to justify the inference that this region was involved in the initiation of the Atlantic-Gulf sea-floor spreading event.
- Research Organization:
- Geological Survey, Denver, CO (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6376860
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-890404-
- Journal Information:
- AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States), Journal Name: AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States) Vol. 73:3; ISSN AABUD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Internal framework of southwestern Florida bank
Early Mesozoic structure and stratigraphy of the northwestern Florida shelf
Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
EARTH CRUST
FEDERAL REGION IV
FLORIDA
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
JURASSIC PERIOD
MESOZOIC ERA
NORTH AMERICA
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SURVEYS
TRIASSIC PERIOD
USA