Reinterpretation of the origin of the Gulf of Mexico based on data from the northwestern Florida shelf
- Conoco Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
Sedimentary and structural and potential field relationships established on the Northwest Florida shelf are used to infer Triassic-Jurassic rift morphology throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico. Regional Louann Salt distribution and gravity data define the location and gross morphology of the rift basins. The inferred distribution and geometries of Triassic-Jurassic basins are consistent with a counterclockwise departure of the Yucatan tectonic block during the initial opening of the gulf. Coincident with this rotation, the Florida tectonic block rotated 15{degree} counterclockwise to open the South Georgia-DeSoto Canyon rift basin complex. The Sabine and Wiggins uplifts were separated from the North American craton and moved along small circle flow lines of the departing Yucatan plate. A detachment fault model best explains the asymmetry of the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico margins and the distribution of structural features. Alternating rift basins and uplifts along the northern gulf are interpreted to be the result of changes in the dip direction of the most northerly crustal detachment fault.
- OSTI ID:
- 7259774
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-910403--
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Vol. 75:3; ISSN AABUD; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Early Mesozoic structure and stratigraphy of the northwestern Florida shelf
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Related Subjects
580000* -- Geosciences
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
FLORIDA
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
GEOMETRY
GULF OF MEXICO
JURASSIC PERIOD
MATHEMATICS
MESOZOIC ERA
NORTH AMERICA
ORIENTATION
ORIGIN
PLATE TECTONICS
RIFT ZONES
SEAS
STRATIGRAPHY
SURFACE WATERS
TECTONICS
TRIASSIC PERIOD
USA