Influence of pre-existing salt diapirs on 3D folding patterns

Abstract The 3D detachment folding instability gives rise to a wide variety of fold shapes (e.g. from dome shape structures to long en-echelon or straight anticlines) as a result of interactions between growing fold segments. The 3D growth of these folds, as well as the wavelength and lateral propagation of folds, is controlled by the physical parameters of a detachment layer and its overburden. However, the existence of initial heterogeneities, such as pre-existing salt plugs within the sedimentary cover, might affect fold development as well. We use numerical modeling to investigate how the fold pattern is affected by pre-existing salt structures. High-resolution 3D folding simulations (w…

Pattern formation in 3-D numerical models of down-built diapirs initiated by a Rayleigh–Taylor instability

Influence of surface processes and initial topography on lateral fold growth and fold linkage mode

Elongation of randomly distributed fold segments and their potential linkage are important for hydrocarbon exploration because it can greatly influence the morphology of the reservoir and both migration and accumulation of hydrocarbons in antiformal traps. Here we study the effects of surface processes and the presence of a topographic slope on the different linkage modes that can occur, and how these parameters affect the required horizontal offset for perturbations to link. The proposed numerical model represents a sedimentary cover detached over a much weaker basal decollement layer. The upper surface is modified by mass redistribution, which is achieved by a combination of fluvial and h…

Analytical and Numerical Investigation of 3D Multilayer Detachment Folding

Multilayer detachment folding, in which a sequence of sedimentary layers is compressed above a weaker salt layer, is a common mode of deformation in thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belts. Here, we investigate the dynamics of multilayer detachment folding with three different viscosities: lower detachment or salt layer, overlying weak layers and competent layers. A semi-analytical solution, based on thick plate analysis of multilayer systems, is used to create mechanical phase diagrams of folding dominant wavelength and growth rate as a function of material parameters. The validity of the phase diagrams is tested and confirmed beyond the nucleation stages of folding by performing several 2D and…

Influences of surface processes on fold growth during 3-D detachment folding

In order to understand the interactions between surface processes and multilayer folding systems, we here present fully coupled three-dimensional numerical simulations. The mechanical model represents a sedimentary cover with internal weak layers, detached over a much weaker basal layer representing salt or evaporites. Applying compression in one direction results in a series of three-dimensional buckle folds, of which the topographic expression consists of anticlines and synclines. This topography is modified through time by mass redistribution, which is achieved by a combination of fluvial and hillslope erosion, as well as deposition, and which can in return influence the subsequent defor…

Fold interaction and wavelength selection in 3D models of multilayer detachment folding

Abstract Many fold-and-thrust belts are dominated by folding and exhibit a fairly regular fold-spacing. Yet, in map-view, the aspect ratio of doubly-plunging anticlines varies considerably from very elongated, and sometimes slightly curved, cylindrical folds to nearly circular, dome-like structures. In addition, the fold spacing often varies significantly around an average value. So far, it remains unclear whether these features are consistent with a folding instability. Therefore, we here study the dynamics of multilayer detachment folding, process by which shortening can be accommodated in thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belts. We start by analysing the physics of this process by using both …