Structural styles and stratigraphic patterns of syndepositional faults in a contractional setting: Examples from Quaidam basin, northwestern China

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:6947867

Song, Tingguang; Wang, Xiepei ^[1]

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1. China Univ. of Geosciences, Wuhan (China)

Seismic and well studies have shown that thrust faults, high-angle reverse faults, and transpressive faults are three typical styles of syndepositional faults that developed in the Quaidam basin during its Tertiary compressive and transpressive evolution. These faults are characterized by intervals that are thicker within the footwall than within the hanging wall, as well as by clear differences in lithology of contemporary sedments across the faults. Syndepositional thrust faults with listric geometry generally act as the leading front of the thrust belt and control the wedge-shaped geometry of basin or compressive fault-depression thickening toward the fault. The hanging-wall folds were formed by horizontal shortening after the main faulting period, during which the upthrown side of the fault was tilted upslope due to the faulting along listric plane. Syndepositional reverse faults are planar, having steeper (60-80[degree]) planes rooting into basement; the strata on the upthrown and downthrown blocks generally are flat. The syndepositional transpressive faults have either a steep-dipping, more planar fault plane or a plane steepening downward. Transpressive deformation after the faulting created the hanging-wall folds. Wedge-shaped sediment that thickens toward the fault, flat sediment, or wedge-shaped sediment that thins toward the fault are three typical geometries of compressive fault depressions, which are likely to be bordered by syndepositional thrust faults, reverse faults, and transpressive faults, respectively. 18 refs., 19 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6947867
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Vol. 77:1; ISSN 0149-1423; ISSN AABUD2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
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& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
ASIA
CHINA
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
HYDROCARBONS
MINERAL RESOURCES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
STRATIGRAPHY
SURVEYS