Distortion of the Salt-cored Fold System and its Effects Upon Abyssal Plain Sedimentary Processes in the Cilicia-Adana Evaporitic Basin, The NE- Mediterranean

Mustafa Toker¹, Vedat Ediger², and Graham Evans^3
1Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
²TUBITAK-MAR, Marmara Research Center, Kocaeli, Turkey
³Imperial College, London, England

The abyssal plain zones of the evaporitic environments generally provide very attractive structural targets as the associated salt-cored fold trains containing the first structures out of the basin where hydrocarbons are generated. The Cilicia-Adana basin contains upper Messinian evaporite interval which has undergone widespread halokinesis to recently folding stage since Pliocene. Detailed interpretation of seismic reflection data was undertaken to gain insight into the formation, growth, spatial distribution of salt-cored folds and their strong body distortion by abyssal plain sedimentary processes.
The deep-water abyssal plain of the basin underwent a gravity driven compression by a large variety of syn/post-sedimentary structures, including folds with different wavelengths-amplitudes, and squeezed diapirs, displaying distorted body styles. The salt-cored folding driven by gravity is where updip extension accommodated by downdip compression using basinwide salt detachment, interpreted by varying modes of salt-sediment deformation, salt-diapir body distortion and chronization at their growth velocities.
Thickness of laterally migrated salt decreases southwards, to the N-Cyprus coasts. The wavelength of diapirs also decreases southwards and estimated original salt thickness reaches maximum along the central basin graben setting where the wavelength sharply increases, we postulate a strong positive relationship between salt thickness, diapir wavelength and body distortion. Diapirs seem to be spaced at a characteristic wavelength, not directly related to faults and the wavelength varies smoothly through the area. However, there is a strong alignment of some maturated diapirs, parallel with the W-E oblique-slip master fault trend, suggesting that their axis of elongation was controlled by faulting, supporting the main initial movement during the early Pliocene, due to basin extension and buoyancy.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90072 © 2007 AAPG and AAPG European Region Conference, Athens, Greece