Pull-apart basins are faulting and folding zones with high intensity of fractures that strongly affect the production in unconventional shale gas. While most observations of pull-apart basins were from surface mapping...Pull-apart basins are faulting and folding zones with high intensity of fractures that strongly affect the production in unconventional shale gas. While most observations of pull-apart basins were from surface mapping or laboratory experiments, we investigated a nascent pull-apart basin in the subsurface. We characterized a nascent pull-apart basin along the strike-slip fault within the Woodford Shale by using seismic attributes analyses, including coherence, dip-azimuth, and curvature. The results indicate a 32 km long, N-S striking strike-slip fault that displays a distinct but young pull-apart basin, which is ~1.6 km by 3.2 km in size and is bounded by two quasi-circular faults. The curvature attribute map reveals two quasi-circular folds, which depart from the main strike-slip fault at ~25°, resulting in an elliptical basin. Inside the basin, a series of echelon quasi-circular normal faults step into the bottom of the basin with ~80 m of total subsidence. We propose that the controls of the shape of pull-apart basin are the brittleness of the shale, and we suggest proper seismic attributes as a useful tool for investigating high fracture intensity in the subsurface for hydrofracturing and horizontal drilling within the shale.展开更多
Sedimentary sequences with drastic thickening over short distances have been observed in Qiaojia County,Yunnan Province,Southwest China.These are related to a pull-apart basin controlled by the Xiaojiang strike-slip f...Sedimentary sequences with drastic thickening over short distances have been observed in Qiaojia County,Yunnan Province,Southwest China.These are related to a pull-apart basin controlled by the Xiaojiang strike-slip fault.Our field investigations include determining the surface characteristics of the Qiaojia basin which consists of three terrace sequences and a series of alluvial fans.Several drill holes were used to reveal the internal structure of the basin.The results suggest that the basinal sediments are over 300 m thick.From bottom to top,they can be classified into five different units.We inferred that the units of lacustrine sediments are deposited in a paleolake which was formed by a paleo-landslide.Accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating(AMS ^(14)C dating) was used to estimate the ages of the terrace and lacustrine sediments.We use the results to infer that the paleo-lake has existed about 15,000 years and that the Qiaojia basin was uplifted at an average rate of 3.3 mm/a.Furthermore,we then model the evolution process of the basin and interpreted 6 phases of development.展开更多
Pull-apart basins of three scales were found along the Haiyuan fault zone. The largest one is more than 50km long, named Laolongwan basin developed in Miocene. A model was built to calculate the amount of pull-apart o...Pull-apart basins of three scales were found along the Haiyuan fault zone. The largest one is more than 50km long, named Laolongwan basin developed in Miocene. A model was built to calculate the amount of pull-apart of an extensional basin. Parameters used in calculation include thickness and length of deposition and depth of detachment. The results of calculation show that the amount of pull-apart of the Laolongwan Basin is about 30 km. Based on previous studies and calculating by using the average slip rate method, amount of pull-apart of the other two smaller basins are 22 km and 8 km, respectively. Thus, the total displacement of strike-slip along the Haiyuan fault zone is about 60 km, which is close to the offset of the Yellow River from Jingtai to Jingyuan.展开更多
An academic geophysical research as a regional gravity survey was made during 1994 in the Western White Nile to infer the shallow crustal structures in the area. The result of the survey was compiled as a Bouguer anom...An academic geophysical research as a regional gravity survey was made during 1994 in the Western White Nile to infer the shallow crustal structures in the area. The result of the survey was compiled as a Bouguer anomaly map with a contour interval of 2 ×10 -5 m/s 2. It is found that the negative residual anomalies are related to the Upper Cretaceous sediments (Nubian Sandstone Formation) filling all depressions in the Basement complex surface while the positive residual anomalies are attributed to the relatively shallow or outcropping Basement rocks and the steep gravity gradients are resulting from the sharp contacts between the sedimentary infill and the Basement rocks. To define the geological structures in the area, 9 profiles were studied. For each of the profiles, measured and computed Bouguer gravity anomalies, crustal density model, subsurface geology evaluation were performed. A G model computer program was applied in the gravity modeling, which is based on the line integral method of gravity computation. A geological/structural map was proposed showing inferred sedimentary basins, faulting troughs and uplifted Basement block and tectonic trends. The basins are believed to be fault controlled which developed by extensional tectonics (pull apart mechanism). As for the mechanism and cause of faulting, the area is considered as a part of the Central Sudan rift system which had been subjected to several tectonic events since Early Cambrian to Tertiary times which resulted in the formation of several fracture systems associated with block subsidence, rifting and basin formation.展开更多
Trenching is a primary technique on paleoseismology to reveal evidence of surface deformation produced by large earthquakes.A good trenching site requires completeness of geologic recording on paleoseismic events and ...Trenching is a primary technique on paleoseismology to reveal evidence of surface deformation produced by large earthquakes.A good trenching site requires completeness of geologic recording on paleoseismic events and corresponding reliable dating from radiocarbon samples.Based on three-dimension trenching,we show a structure of a small triangular pull-apart basin at the Daqingliangzi section on the Zemuhe fault,then explore interrelation between paleoseismic surface rupturing and evolution of the pull-apart basin,and give a corresponding identification model.Sedimentary boundary of the pull-apart basin is tightly bounded by two branch faults,which produced multiple paleoseismic events with deformation of some large fissures in sequence.Strata are thinner at north of the pull-apart basin,however thicker at south.These above characteristics show that evolution of the pull-apart basin is a continuous sedimentation process accompanying extensional deformation produced by multiple paleoseismic events.Small pull-apart basins are favorable sites for trenching and paleoseismic study on active strike-slip faults.展开更多
文摘Pull-apart basins are faulting and folding zones with high intensity of fractures that strongly affect the production in unconventional shale gas. While most observations of pull-apart basins were from surface mapping or laboratory experiments, we investigated a nascent pull-apart basin in the subsurface. We characterized a nascent pull-apart basin along the strike-slip fault within the Woodford Shale by using seismic attributes analyses, including coherence, dip-azimuth, and curvature. The results indicate a 32 km long, N-S striking strike-slip fault that displays a distinct but young pull-apart basin, which is ~1.6 km by 3.2 km in size and is bounded by two quasi-circular faults. The curvature attribute map reveals two quasi-circular folds, which depart from the main strike-slip fault at ~25°, resulting in an elliptical basin. Inside the basin, a series of echelon quasi-circular normal faults step into the bottom of the basin with ~80 m of total subsidence. We propose that the controls of the shape of pull-apart basin are the brittleness of the shale, and we suggest proper seismic attributes as a useful tool for investigating high fracture intensity in the subsurface for hydrofracturing and horizontal drilling within the shale.
基金funded by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China(2013CB733200)the State Key Program of National Natural Science of China(41572302)
文摘Sedimentary sequences with drastic thickening over short distances have been observed in Qiaojia County,Yunnan Province,Southwest China.These are related to a pull-apart basin controlled by the Xiaojiang strike-slip fault.Our field investigations include determining the surface characteristics of the Qiaojia basin which consists of three terrace sequences and a series of alluvial fans.Several drill holes were used to reveal the internal structure of the basin.The results suggest that the basinal sediments are over 300 m thick.From bottom to top,they can be classified into five different units.We inferred that the units of lacustrine sediments are deposited in a paleolake which was formed by a paleo-landslide.Accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating(AMS ^(14)C dating) was used to estimate the ages of the terrace and lacustrine sediments.We use the results to infer that the paleo-lake has existed about 15,000 years and that the Qiaojia basin was uplifted at an average rate of 3.3 mm/a.Furthermore,we then model the evolution process of the basin and interpreted 6 phases of development.
文摘Pull-apart basins of three scales were found along the Haiyuan fault zone. The largest one is more than 50km long, named Laolongwan basin developed in Miocene. A model was built to calculate the amount of pull-apart of an extensional basin. Parameters used in calculation include thickness and length of deposition and depth of detachment. The results of calculation show that the amount of pull-apart of the Laolongwan Basin is about 30 km. Based on previous studies and calculating by using the average slip rate method, amount of pull-apart of the other two smaller basins are 22 km and 8 km, respectively. Thus, the total displacement of strike-slip along the Haiyuan fault zone is about 60 km, which is close to the offset of the Yellow River from Jingtai to Jingyuan.
文摘An academic geophysical research as a regional gravity survey was made during 1994 in the Western White Nile to infer the shallow crustal structures in the area. The result of the survey was compiled as a Bouguer anomaly map with a contour interval of 2 ×10 -5 m/s 2. It is found that the negative residual anomalies are related to the Upper Cretaceous sediments (Nubian Sandstone Formation) filling all depressions in the Basement complex surface while the positive residual anomalies are attributed to the relatively shallow or outcropping Basement rocks and the steep gravity gradients are resulting from the sharp contacts between the sedimentary infill and the Basement rocks. To define the geological structures in the area, 9 profiles were studied. For each of the profiles, measured and computed Bouguer gravity anomalies, crustal density model, subsurface geology evaluation were performed. A G model computer program was applied in the gravity modeling, which is based on the line integral method of gravity computation. A geological/structural map was proposed showing inferred sedimentary basins, faulting troughs and uplifted Basement block and tectonic trends. The basins are believed to be fault controlled which developed by extensional tectonics (pull apart mechanism). As for the mechanism and cause of faulting, the area is considered as a part of the Central Sudan rift system which had been subjected to several tectonic events since Early Cambrian to Tertiary times which resulted in the formation of several fracture systems associated with block subsidence, rifting and basin formation.
基金supported by Special Foundation of China Earthquake Administration(Grant No.200808016)National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2004CB418401)
文摘Trenching is a primary technique on paleoseismology to reveal evidence of surface deformation produced by large earthquakes.A good trenching site requires completeness of geologic recording on paleoseismic events and corresponding reliable dating from radiocarbon samples.Based on three-dimension trenching,we show a structure of a small triangular pull-apart basin at the Daqingliangzi section on the Zemuhe fault,then explore interrelation between paleoseismic surface rupturing and evolution of the pull-apart basin,and give a corresponding identification model.Sedimentary boundary of the pull-apart basin is tightly bounded by two branch faults,which produced multiple paleoseismic events with deformation of some large fissures in sequence.Strata are thinner at north of the pull-apart basin,however thicker at south.These above characteristics show that evolution of the pull-apart basin is a continuous sedimentation process accompanying extensional deformation produced by multiple paleoseismic events.Small pull-apart basins are favorable sites for trenching and paleoseismic study on active strike-slip faults.
