Post-rifting tectonic patterns along the Gulf Coast retain an inherited fabric reflecting the Triassic rifting. Triassic horsts, grabens, and half-grabens localized and delineated later microbasins.

Mapping of trend offsets indicate that NW-SE linear patterns exist and imply the presence of small-scale "transform" faults within these basins that control the position and size of individual microbasins. It is inferred that many Gulf Coast growth-fault basins are at depths related to basement block faulting and thus fit this definition of microbasins.

Irregular thicknesses of Louann salt have resulted from salt precipitation on a block-faulted basement. The uneven thickness of salt within individual grabens and half-grabens has controlled the distribution and size of the resultant salt structures. Three block diagram models demonstrate this relationship for the South Texas Wilcox, North Louisiana Smackover and the Southeast Texas Salt Dome Basin.

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