STRUCTURE AND SEDIMENTARY SYSTEMS 57 RIFT-BASIN STRUCTURE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SEDIMENTARY SYSTEMS MARTHA OLIVER WITHJACK AND ROY W. SCHLISCHE Department of Geological Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8066, U.S.A. e-mail:
[email protected];
[email protected] AND PAUL E. OLSEN Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964, U.S.A. e-mail:
[email protected] ABSTRACT: Rift basins are complex features defined by several large-scale structural components including faulted margins, the border faults of the faulted margins, the uplifted flanks of the faulted margins, hinged margins, deep troughs, surrounding platforms, and large- scale transfer zones. Moderate- to small-scale structures also develop within rift basins. These include: basement-involved and detached normal faults; strike-slip and reverse faults; and extensional fault-displacement, fault-propagation, forced, and fault-bend folds. Four factors strongly influence the structural styles of rift basins: the mechanical behavior of the prerift and synrift packages, the tectonic activity before rifting, the obliquity of rifting, and the tectonic activity after rifting. On the basis of these factors, we have defined a standard rift basin and four end-member variations. Most rift basins have attributes of the standard rift basin and/or one or more of the end-member variations. The standard rift basin is characterized by moderately to steeply dipping basement-involved normal faults that strike roughly perpendicular to the direction of maximum extension. Type 1 rift basins, with salt or thick shale in the prerift and/or synrift packages, are characterized by extensional forced folds above basement-involved normal faults and detached normal faults with associated fault-bend folds.