Contrasting
Geological Evolution of the Ambilobe, Majunga and
Hyden, Graham1, Edward P.
Blunt2, Douglas Winstone3, Mark Enfield4,
Matthew Watkinson5 (1) TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company (UK) Ltd, MK40
3JY , Bedford, United Kingdom (2) Sterling Energy plc, (3) ACECA Geologica, (4)
PDF Ltd, (5) PDF Fellowship, University of Plymouth,
The Ambilobe, Majunga and Morondava
basins show contrasting geological evolution despite their contiguous location
and similar ages. The basins cover an area of more-than 275,000 square
kilometres (approximately 160,000 square kilometres lie offshore). TGS has
acquired over 20,000 kilometres of marine long-offset seismic and potential
fields data since 2000, in water depths up to 4,000 metres. We present results
of our regional seismic studies and show how changing geological controls on
genesis and evolution of the basins influences their structure and
stratigraphy.
The three basins have evolved due to the
Mesozoic break-up of Gondwana and the separation and southward translation of
The newly acquired seismic and potential
field data have allowed a detailed examination of the three basins to take
place. Examples taken from these data demonstrate the contrasting styles of the
stratigraphy and structure of each basin. It is also shown that despite all
three basins having similar tectono-stratigraphic frameworks their genetic
association with divergent or transform plate boundaries has played a
significant part in their subsequent differential evolution.
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California