Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on September 30, 2021 Tectonics and sedimentation in foreland basins: results from the Integrated Basin Studies project ALAIN MASCLE 1 & CAI PUIGDEFABREGAS 2,3 IIFP School, 228-232 avenue Napoldon Bonaparte, 92852 Rueil-Malmaison Cedex, France (e-mail:
[email protected]) 2Norsk Hydro Research Centre, Bergen, Norway. 3Institut de Ciences de la Terra, (?SIC, Barcelona, Spain. Why foreland basins? to a better understanding of some basic interact- ing tectonic, sedimentary and hydrologic pro- Over the last ten years or so, since the Fribourg cesses (More & Vrolijk 1992; Touret & van meeting in 1985 (Homewood et al. 1986), the Hinte 1992). Additional data have also been attention given by sedimentologists and struc- obtained through the development of analogue tural geologists to the geology of foreland basins and numerical models (Larroque et al. 1992; has been growing continuously, parallel to the Zoetemeijer 1993). The physical parameters increase of co-operative links between scientists controlling the forward propagation of d6colle- from the two disciplines. A number of reasons ments and thrusts (fluid pressure, roughness, lie behind this development. Attempting to sediment thickness, etc.) have been determined understand the growth of an orogen without and tested. The relationships between rapidly paying due attention to the stratigraphic record subsiding piggyback basins and growing ramp of the derived sediments would be unrealistic. It anticlines have also been imaged, although the would, moreover, be equally unrealistic to con- lack of deep-sea well control still prevents accu- struct restored sections across the chain without rate sedimentological studies. More significant considering the constraints imposed by the has been the progress in our understanding of basin-fill architecture, or to describe the basin- the role of fluids and pore pressure in the fill evolution disregarding the development of development of thrust belts.