A Model for the Early Evolution of the Gulf of Mexico Basin

Type Article
Date 1981
Language English
Author(s) Buffler R T, Shaub F J, Huerta R, Ibrahim Abk, Watkins J S
Meeting 26. International Geological Congress, Paris (France), 7 Jul 1980
Source Oceanologica Acta, Special issue (0399-1784) (Gauthier-Villars), 1981
Abstract Seismic data from the deep Gulf of Mexico basin indicate: 1) inferred ocenaic crust in the deep central Gulf (5 to 6 km thick; 6.8 to 7.1 km/sec.) is flanked symmetrically on the north and south by inferred transitional crust (8 to 15 km thick; 6.4 to 6.8 km/sec.); 2) acoustic basement seen on the reflection data in the central Gulf is an irregular reflector and probably represents the top of an oceanic volcanic (basaltic) layer (layer 2); 3) northof the Campeche Escar pment the top of transitional crust is represented by a strong, smooth reflector/unconformity that truncates rift basins and is onlapped by a thick salt and sedimentary section; 4) in the southeastern Gulf transitional crust consists of tilted basement blocks probably representing a thinned and rifted continental crust; lows between the blocks are filled with synrift sediments; 5) thick salt symmetrically flanks the north and south sides of the oceanic crust; 6) seismic stratigraphic analysis suggests that early sediments in the Gulf in areas of transitional crust represent an upward gradation from volcanics and nonmarine sediments including evaporites to shallow marine and then to deep marine; only deep marine sediments occur in the central Gulf overlying oceanic crust.
Full Text
File Pages Size Access
34187.pdf 8 1 MB Open access
Top of the page

How to cite 

Buffler R T, Shaub F J, Huerta R, Ibrahim Abk, Watkins J S (1981). A Model for the Early Evolution of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. Oceanologica Acta, Special issue Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00246/35679/