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Interaction between accretionary thrust faulting and slope sedimentation at the frontal Makran accretionary prism and its implications for hydrocarbon fluid seepage

Interaction between accretionary thrust faulting and slope sedimentation at the frontal Makran accretionary prism and its implications for hydrocarbon fluid seepage
Interaction between accretionary thrust faulting and slope sedimentation at the frontal Makran accretionary prism and its implications for hydrocarbon fluid seepage
Using high?resolution seismic profiles and other geophysical data, collected during R/V Meteor Cruise M74/2, we investigate the distribution patterns of shallow sediments, their structure and deformation processes, and their role in the migration, accumulation and seepage of hydrocarbon?rich fluids. Here, we show that rapid syn?kinematic sedimentation at the frontal Makran accretionary prism provides a mechanism by which emerging imbricated thrust packets override the footwall at the seafloor without significant mass?wasting and destruction of fault?related anticline in the hanging wall. These anticlines may rise high above the seafloor to form plate?boundary?parallel ridges, and distinguish from simple thrust blocks seen at convergent margins elsewhere. With the fast burial of many thrust faults by the syn?kinematic sediments, anticlinal growth structures form in these syn?kinematic sediments by continuous thrust activity. The anticlinal structures preserved within the cores of the ridges or formed from these syn?kinematic sediments act as structural traps for migrating hydrocarbon?rich fluids, above which fluid escape structures are generated leading to seafloor seeps. Most of the discovered hydrocarbon seeps around Sixth Ridge are sourced from these traps. Despite the compressional environment and the rapid syn?kinematic sedimentation rates, shallow subsurface of the frontal Makran is a normally pressured regime, in which the buoyancy of hydrocarbons may account for the fluid migration. In this important respect, the Makran accretionary prism differs from many other convergent margins and accretionary prisms, where fluid flow is largely driven by tectonically induced overpressure.
0148-0227
B08106
Ding, Feng
f98f815b-af6d-4dee-9b88-90c47dcb7b2d
Spiess, Volkhard
23e8aa28-1d20-4dde-b981-242c96bbc4b7
Fekete, Noemi
b8eb3eab-b220-4c9a-82dd-83e7d69aebc3
Murton, Bramley
9076d07f-a3c1-4f90-a5d5-99b27fe2cb12
Brüning, Markus
be1bb506-f1d4-47ba-8d5c-ca966d726c70
Bohrmann, Gerhard
02353b02-389c-4b34-b9cf-5af207a38615
Ding, Feng
f98f815b-af6d-4dee-9b88-90c47dcb7b2d
Spiess, Volkhard
23e8aa28-1d20-4dde-b981-242c96bbc4b7
Fekete, Noemi
b8eb3eab-b220-4c9a-82dd-83e7d69aebc3
Murton, Bramley
9076d07f-a3c1-4f90-a5d5-99b27fe2cb12
Brüning, Markus
be1bb506-f1d4-47ba-8d5c-ca966d726c70
Bohrmann, Gerhard
02353b02-389c-4b34-b9cf-5af207a38615

Ding, Feng, Spiess, Volkhard, Fekete, Noemi, Murton, Bramley, Brüning, Markus and Bohrmann, Gerhard (2010) Interaction between accretionary thrust faulting and slope sedimentation at the frontal Makran accretionary prism and its implications for hydrocarbon fluid seepage. Journal of Geophysical Research, 115 (B8), B08106. (doi:10.1029/2008JB006246).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Using high?resolution seismic profiles and other geophysical data, collected during R/V Meteor Cruise M74/2, we investigate the distribution patterns of shallow sediments, their structure and deformation processes, and their role in the migration, accumulation and seepage of hydrocarbon?rich fluids. Here, we show that rapid syn?kinematic sedimentation at the frontal Makran accretionary prism provides a mechanism by which emerging imbricated thrust packets override the footwall at the seafloor without significant mass?wasting and destruction of fault?related anticline in the hanging wall. These anticlines may rise high above the seafloor to form plate?boundary?parallel ridges, and distinguish from simple thrust blocks seen at convergent margins elsewhere. With the fast burial of many thrust faults by the syn?kinematic sediments, anticlinal growth structures form in these syn?kinematic sediments by continuous thrust activity. The anticlinal structures preserved within the cores of the ridges or formed from these syn?kinematic sediments act as structural traps for migrating hydrocarbon?rich fluids, above which fluid escape structures are generated leading to seafloor seeps. Most of the discovered hydrocarbon seeps around Sixth Ridge are sourced from these traps. Despite the compressional environment and the rapid syn?kinematic sedimentation rates, shallow subsurface of the frontal Makran is a normally pressured regime, in which the buoyancy of hydrocarbons may account for the fluid migration. In this important respect, the Makran accretionary prism differs from many other convergent margins and accretionary prisms, where fluid flow is largely driven by tectonically induced overpressure.

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Published date: 2010
Organisations: Marine Geoscience

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Local EPrints ID: 165421
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/165421
ISSN: 0148-0227
PURE UUID: 85c6299c-c044-49d8-b4a9-9005ba465c33

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Date deposited: 12 Oct 2010 08:53
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:10

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Contributors

Author: Feng Ding
Author: Volkhard Spiess
Author: Noemi Fekete
Author: Bramley Murton
Author: Markus Brüning
Author: Gerhard Bohrmann

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