12.9 Basin-Type Transitions
PASSIVE MARGIN
BASIN (SHELF,
SLOPE, RISE SED.)
a
OCEANIC CRUST
FORELAND
BASIN
b
RELIC OF
REMNANT BASIN
(SHALLOW-MARINE)
FORMER
SHELF
PARTIALLY
CONTI·
NENTAL
SEDIMENTS
641
THRUST SHEETS
(SEDIMENTS OF PASSIVE MARGIN
AND REMNANT BASIN)
SUBDUCTION COMPLEX
(SUTURE ZONE, MtLANGE,
~OPHIOLITES)
Fig. 12.47. Basin
evolution during two
stages of a closing
oeean. a Remnant
basin between passive margin with
wide shelf and subduetion-related basins. b Closed oeeanie
basin and onset of
eollision of two eontinental (or transitionai) plates. Note
various basin-type
transitions; foldmg,
strike-slip, and other
struetural modifieations are omitted; not
to seale. See text for
further explanation.
(Based on various
sourees)
- Superposed basins whieh develop on a suture zone.
- Sueeessor basins eonsisting of ehanging basin
types along a zone of long-persisting "teetonie weakness".
- Resurgent basins In situations where the original
basin style is repeated and maintained along older
teetonie boundaries and trends.
12.9.3 Examples of Polyphase Basins
Of the large number of ease studies earried out on
polyphase basins, only a few ean be mentioned here.
Aneient basin fills present in orogenie belts mostly
display basin transitions. The long-lived intra-eontinental basins diseussed in Seet. 12.4 generally show
a multiphase rift-sag basin development.
Tarim basin, western China. This large basin (560 000
km 2 ) in central Asia is situated between the Tibet plateau
and the Kulun mountains in the south and the Tian Shan
mountains in the north. At present it represents a doublesided continental fore land basin which is overthrust by
both foldbelts. The Tarim basin has a lang polyphase history beginning in the early Paleozoic with an intracontinental period ofrifting and slow subsidence (Li Desheng et
a1. 1996; Xu and Shen 1996). In the Carboniferous and
Permian, the basin experienced several marine ingress ions
and a second phase of extension associated with widespread basalt flows. After the Hercynian orogenesis causing uplift of the surrounding fold belts and the basin center
(inversion), the basin was transformed into a foreland basin
collecting mainly fluvial and lacustrine Triassic and Jurassic
sediments. During high sea level in the Cretaceous and
Paleogene, parts of the basin were again flooded by the sea
and formed an embayment of the Tethys ocean. FinaIly,
Neogene uplift of the entire region and continued
overthrusting of the neighboring foldbelts established the
modem scenario of the basin. Simplified, the basin evolution may be characterized by two principal phases: (I) an
early Paleozoic intracontinental rift and sag basin phase, and
(2) a Hercynian and post-Hercynian intramontane and foreland basin phase. In both periods the continental
d.epositional environment altemated with marine ingressIons.
Salin basin, Myanmar (Burma). This young forearcbackarc basin on land can be regarded as a northem continuation of the modem Sunda arc-Andaman backarc system
farther south (Sect. 12.5). It is located between the oblique
subduction zone of the northem section of the Sunda arc to
the west and a right-lateral transform fault to the east (cf.
Fig. 12.40a; Pivnik et a1. 1998). The style of deformation
indicates that the basin first experienced north-northwestdirected extension in the Miocene followed by Plio-Pleistocene east-northeast-directed transpression. This led to folding, thrust faults, local uplift and inversion ofMiocene normal faults as weIl as significant lateral changes in sediment
thicknesses and unconformities.
Magdalena basin, Colombia. This basin may represent a
number of other basins along the Andes in South Arnerica.
The present-day middle and upper Magedalena basins lie
between the Central and Eastem Cordilleras and began their
PASSIVE MARGIN
BASIN (SHELF,
SLOPE, RISE SED.)
a
OCEANIC CRUST
FORELAND
BASIN
b
RELIC OF
REMNANT BASIN
(SHALLOW-MARINE)
FORMER
SHELF
PARTIALLY
CONTI·
NENTAL
SEDIMENTS
641
THRUST SHEETS
(SEDIMENTS OF PASSIVE MARGIN
AND REMNANT BASIN)
SUBDUCTION COMPLEX
(SUTURE ZONE, MtLANGE,
~OPHIOLITES)
Fig. 12.47. Basin
evolution during two
stages of a closing
oeean. a Remnant
basin between passive margin with
wide shelf and subduetion-related basins. b Closed oeeanie
basin and onset of
eollision of two eontinental (or transitionai) plates. Note
various basin-type
transitions; foldmg,
strike-slip, and other
struetural modifieations are omitted; not
to seale. See text for
further explanation.
(Based on various
sourees)
- Superposed basins whieh develop on a suture zone.
- Sueeessor basins eonsisting of ehanging basin
types along a zone of long-persisting "teetonie weakness".
- Resurgent basins In situations where the original
basin style is repeated and maintained along older
teetonie boundaries and trends.
12.9.3 Examples of Polyphase Basins
Of the large number of ease studies earried out on
polyphase basins, only a few ean be mentioned here.
Aneient basin fills present in orogenie belts mostly
display basin transitions. The long-lived intra-eontinental basins diseussed in Seet. 12.4 generally show
a multiphase rift-sag basin development.
Tarim basin, western China. This large basin (560 000
km 2 ) in central Asia is situated between the Tibet plateau
and the Kulun mountains in the south and the Tian Shan
mountains in the north. At present it represents a doublesided continental fore land basin which is overthrust by
both foldbelts. The Tarim basin has a lang polyphase history beginning in the early Paleozoic with an intracontinental period ofrifting and slow subsidence (Li Desheng et
a1. 1996; Xu and Shen 1996). In the Carboniferous and
Permian, the basin experienced several marine ingress ions
and a second phase of extension associated with widespread basalt flows. After the Hercynian orogenesis causing uplift of the surrounding fold belts and the basin center
(inversion), the basin was transformed into a foreland basin
collecting mainly fluvial and lacustrine Triassic and Jurassic
sediments. During high sea level in the Cretaceous and
Paleogene, parts of the basin were again flooded by the sea
and formed an embayment of the Tethys ocean. FinaIly,
Neogene uplift of the entire region and continued
overthrusting of the neighboring foldbelts established the
modem scenario of the basin. Simplified, the basin evolution may be characterized by two principal phases: (I) an
early Paleozoic intracontinental rift and sag basin phase, and
(2) a Hercynian and post-Hercynian intramontane and foreland basin phase. In both periods the continental
d.epositional environment altemated with marine ingressIons.
Salin basin, Myanmar (Burma). This young forearcbackarc basin on land can be regarded as a northem continuation of the modem Sunda arc-Andaman backarc system
farther south (Sect. 12.5). It is located between the oblique
subduction zone of the northem section of the Sunda arc to
the west and a right-lateral transform fault to the east (cf.
Fig. 12.40a; Pivnik et a1. 1998). The style of deformation
indicates that the basin first experienced north-northwestdirected extension in the Miocene followed by Plio-Pleistocene east-northeast-directed transpression. This led to folding, thrust faults, local uplift and inversion ofMiocene normal faults as weIl as significant lateral changes in sediment
thicknesses and unconformities.
Magdalena basin, Colombia. This basin may represent a
number of other basins along the Andes in South Arnerica.
The present-day middle and upper Magedalena basins lie
between the Central and Eastem Cordilleras and began their