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Title: Impact of late Cenozoic extension on Laramide overthrust belt and Diablo Platform margins, northwestern Trans-Pecos Texas

Abstract

Late Cenozoic basins and normal faults were superimposed upon preexisting Tertiary, Mesozoic and older structures of northwestern Trans-Pecos Texas. We analyzed the structural and stratigraphic framework of the region using borehole, seismic, outcrop, and aerial-photograph interpretations; regional cross sections were prepared to record Mesozoic and Cenozoic structural attributes. Laramide thrusting displaced Cretaceous rocks northeastward and produced northwest-trending thrust faults and related normal faults, folds, and monoclines. Cenozoic extension caused normal faulting that produced northwest- and north-northwest-trending, 3 to 30 mile-wide fault-bounded basins and adjacent mountain ranges. Tectonism continues to the present. The pre-late Cenozoic structural grain has at least partly controlled geometries of the late Cenozoic basins and associated faults. The deepest Cenozoic basin of this area developed along the leading edge of the Laramide thrust belt and the southwest margin of the Diablo Plateau, and has as much as 9800 ft of Cenozoic basin fill. The most active Quaternary faults vertically displace middle Pleistocene deposits by about 33 to 105 ft. The 56-mi-long Red Light Bolson, containing more than a 2000 ft of Cenozoic deposits, also formed near the leading edge of the older thrust belt. A northwest-striking Quaternary fault zone bounds this basin on its east margin. Twomore » series of Cenozoic basins also have formed northeast of the overthrust belt. The 50-mi-long Eagle Flat-Green River basin system consists of three basins that contain 900 to more than 2000 ft of basin fill. Late Tertiary-Quaternary tectonism has not been as active there as in the other large basins. The 124-mi-long Salt Basin graben system comprises five basins and marks the east edge of Quaternary faulting in this region. Cenozoic fill is more than 2000 ft thick, and the most active Quaternary faults vertically displace middle Pleistocene deposits by at least 13 to 36 ft.« less

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Texas, Austin (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
6833219
Report Number(s):
CONF-9404148-
Journal ID: ISSN 0149-1423; CODEN: AABUD2
Resource Type:
Conference
Journal Name:
AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 78:3; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Southwest Section meeting, Ruidoso, NM (United States), 24-26 Apr 1994; Journal ID: ISSN 0149-1423
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
02 PETROLEUM; GEOLOGIC FAULTS; PETROLEUM GEOLOGY; GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES; CROSS SECTIONS; TEXAS; BOREHOLES; CENOZOIC ERA; GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS; GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS; GEOLOGIC STRATA; MESOZOIC ERA; QUATERNARY PERIOD; SEDIMENTARY BASINS; SEISMIC SURVEYS; STRATIGRAPHY; TECTONICS; TERTIARY PERIOD; CAVITIES; DEVELOPED COUNTRIES; GEOLOGIC AGES; GEOLOGIC FRACTURES; GEOLOGY; GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS; NORTH AMERICA; SURVEYS; USA; 020200* - Petroleum- Reserves, Geology, & Exploration

Citation Formats

Collins, E W, and Raney, J A. Impact of late Cenozoic extension on Laramide overthrust belt and Diablo Platform margins, northwestern Trans-Pecos Texas. United States: N. p., 1994. Web.
Collins, E W, & Raney, J A. Impact of late Cenozoic extension on Laramide overthrust belt and Diablo Platform margins, northwestern Trans-Pecos Texas. United States.
Collins, E W, and Raney, J A. 1994. "Impact of late Cenozoic extension on Laramide overthrust belt and Diablo Platform margins, northwestern Trans-Pecos Texas". United States.
@article{osti_6833219,
title = {Impact of late Cenozoic extension on Laramide overthrust belt and Diablo Platform margins, northwestern Trans-Pecos Texas},
author = {Collins, E W and Raney, J A},
abstractNote = {Late Cenozoic basins and normal faults were superimposed upon preexisting Tertiary, Mesozoic and older structures of northwestern Trans-Pecos Texas. We analyzed the structural and stratigraphic framework of the region using borehole, seismic, outcrop, and aerial-photograph interpretations; regional cross sections were prepared to record Mesozoic and Cenozoic structural attributes. Laramide thrusting displaced Cretaceous rocks northeastward and produced northwest-trending thrust faults and related normal faults, folds, and monoclines. Cenozoic extension caused normal faulting that produced northwest- and north-northwest-trending, 3 to 30 mile-wide fault-bounded basins and adjacent mountain ranges. Tectonism continues to the present. The pre-late Cenozoic structural grain has at least partly controlled geometries of the late Cenozoic basins and associated faults. The deepest Cenozoic basin of this area developed along the leading edge of the Laramide thrust belt and the southwest margin of the Diablo Plateau, and has as much as 9800 ft of Cenozoic basin fill. The most active Quaternary faults vertically displace middle Pleistocene deposits by about 33 to 105 ft. The 56-mi-long Red Light Bolson, containing more than a 2000 ft of Cenozoic deposits, also formed near the leading edge of the older thrust belt. A northwest-striking Quaternary fault zone bounds this basin on its east margin. Two series of Cenozoic basins also have formed northeast of the overthrust belt. The 50-mi-long Eagle Flat-Green River basin system consists of three basins that contain 900 to more than 2000 ft of basin fill. Late Tertiary-Quaternary tectonism has not been as active there as in the other large basins. The 124-mi-long Salt Basin graben system comprises five basins and marks the east edge of Quaternary faulting in this region. Cenozoic fill is more than 2000 ft thick, and the most active Quaternary faults vertically displace middle Pleistocene deposits by at least 13 to 36 ft.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6833219}, journal = {AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)},
issn = {0149-1423},
number = ,
volume = 78:3,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1994},
month = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1994}
}

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