Datapages, Inc.Print this page

ABSTRACT: The South Georgia Basin: An Integration of Landsat, Gravity, Magnetics and Seismic data to delineate Basement Structure and Rift Basin Geometry

SARTAIN, S. M. and B. E. SEE

The South Georgia Basin is the southernmost and largest of the East Coast Newark Series rift basins. It is different, however, from the other basins in the Newark Series in that it does not conform to the typical asymmetric half graben or paired half graben structure. Previous COCORP studies describe the basin as a series of synrift grabens with intervening structural highs.

An integrated study utilizing landsat, gravity, magnetic and seismic data was completed to better understand the structural complexity of the basement structure and its relationship to the overlying rift graben.

The base of the rift ranges from depths of 4100 ft to 20,000 ft. Evidence of structural inversion and diabase intrusives associated with rifting are seen on the gravity, magnetic and seismic data.

The synrift grabens which comprise the South Georgia Basin were filled by clastic red beds and fluvial and lacustrine sediments of the Eagle Mills formation in combination with sediments similar to those of the Newark series along the Atlantic margin. Rift fill ranges from 1,100 ft to 14,000 ft in thickness.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90941©1997 GCAGS 47th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana