Salt Flow from Basin-Scale in the Gulf of Mexico

Xavier Fort¹ and Jean Pierre Brun^2
1G.O. Logical Consulting, Rennes, France
²Geosciences Rennes, Rennes, France

We present an analysis of salt flow at regional scale in the GoM, on the basis of three types of data: (1) 3D analysis of salt structures from seismic data from Green Canyon to Walker Ridge, (2) structural and kinematic analysis of seabed structures from multibeam data and (3) onshore evidence from Lidar data of active normal faulting in Louisiana and Texas. The resulting kinematic pattern shows that salt doesn’t flow radially directly from the coastline to the Sigsbee Escarpment, as it is often argued. In fact, flow lines first converge basinward before diverging radially in the Sigsbee area. Initial and boundary conditions suitable to produce such a kinematic pattern of salt flow at basin scale are studied using experimental models. On the above bases, we argue (1) that a non-cylindrical pattern of subsidence is likely responsible for the observed kinematics and (2) that basal basin slope is still controlling salt flow and associated structure development, more than 150 My after the onset of salt tectonics.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90078©2008 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas