Tectonic Evolution of the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico Basin

doi:10.19657/j.geoscience.1000-8527.2020.039

Abstract

Abstract:

The southeastern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) basin is located in the collision zone and tectonic junction of the North American and Caribbean plates. It involves two major plates (North American and Caribbean) and two minorplates (Yucatan and Bahamas-Florida). We summarized previous research findings, including Deep-Sea Drilling Program (DSDP) data and the latest two-dimensional (2D) seismic data.We discussed the controlling effect of relative plate movement on the southeastern GoM basin,through identifying the seismic phase features and analyzing the tectonic evolution processes. Our main findings are as follows: (1) The southeastern GoM basin now contains the northern Cuba foreland basin, and the irregular central rifts of the passive continental margin in the northern part of the basin. (2) The region has experienced multiphase tectonism, and the South American and North American plates were separated from each other during the Early to mid-Middle Jurassic. The Cretaceous Caribbean plate thrust over the North American plate.Sea-level rose in the early Late Cretaceous and the Yucatan and Florida platforms uplifted. The northern Caribbean arc collided with the North American plate at the end Cretaceous. (3) In the late Early Cretaceous, many extensional faults were developed due to the extension/rifting between the Yucatan and Bahamas-Florida plates in the North American plate, forming the NW-trending (semi-) graben tectonic patterns.

Key words: southeastern Gulf of Mexico basin, central rift zone, multi-phase tectonic activity, graben,semi-graben

CLC Number:

P548

WANG Kuo, LUAN Xiwu, RAN Weimin, WEI Xinyuan, ZHANG Hao, SHI Yanfeng, MOHAMMAD Saiful Islam. Tectonic Evolution of the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico Basin[J]. Geoscience, 2020, 34(04): 700-709.

Figures/Tables 7

Fig.1 Lines, DSDP well location and structural unit division of southeastern Gulf of Mexico basin [1-5,8,10]

Fig.2 Diagram comparison for DSDP 535(left) and 540(right) wells

Fig.3 Pre-stack seismic section (a) and seismic-geological composite interpretation section of survey line A (b) (seeing Fig.1 for line location)

Fig.4 Pre-stack seismic section (a)and seismic-geological composite interpretation survey line B (b) (seeing Fig.1 for line location)

Fig.5 Stratigraphic comparison of the southeastern Gulf of Mexico basin with adjacent plates

Fig.6 Schematic diagram of the tectonic evolution of north Cuban foreland basins(modified after Moretti et al[20])

Fig.7 Schematic diagram of the structural evolution of the Yucatan plate and the Bahamas-Florida plate

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