--> ABSTRACT: Synsedimentary Deformation And The Development Of The Permian Capitan Reef Carbonate Platform, Slaughter Canyon, Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, by D. W. Hunt, E. Kosa, W. M. Fitchen, G. P. Roberts, and M.-O. Bockel-Rebelle; #90906(2001)

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D.W. Hunt1, E. Kosa2, W.M. Fitchen3, G.P. Roberts4, M.-O. Bockel-Rebelle5

(1) Manchester University, Manchester, United Kingdom
(2) The University of Manchester, United Kingdom
(3) Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, TX
(4) University of London, United Kingdom
(5) Elf Exploration Production, Pau, France

ABSTRACT: Synsedimentary Deformation And The Development Of The Permian Capitan Reef Carbonate Platform, Slaughter Canyon, Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico

Despite more than fifty years of study, the origin of the relationships developed between the Permian Capitan Reef and equivalent back reef strata are still the subject of on-going controversy. Here we present the results of an integrated stratigraphic and structural study revealing that the Capitan-equivalent carbonate platform was subject to syndepositional faulting, folding and down-to-the-basin tilting. The results allow us to critically reappraise; i) the controls on platform development, ii) platform-reef correlations, iii) the depositional platform profile, iv) water depths in which the Capitan Reef grew, v) the amplitude of sea-level changes affecting the platforms stratigraphic development, and vi) platform diagenesis and dolomitization. The main large-scale features that reveal the synsedimentary growth of the faults include changes in thickness, facies, stratigraphic pinchouts, and the development of growth anticlines and synclines. Growth folds are developed over the fault tips and in fault hangingwalls. For the most part the faults were blind and did not cut the platform top. Taking a conservative value of 400 k.y for the duration of each Capitan-equivalent high frequency sequence, gives a mean displacement rate on the faults of 0.021 m/k.y and a propagation rate of 0.088-0.12 m/k.y.. Significantly, these rates are much lower than the rates of platform accumulation. This is why the faults were normally blind and synsedimentary breccias and slumps are rare. Geopetal data indicate that the faults grew as the platform was subject to down-to the-basin-tilting, thought to be related to differential compaction of underlying basinal sediments.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90906©2001 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado