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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

GCAGS Transactions

Abstract


Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions
Vol. 68 (2018), Pages 357-370

Structural Styles of Eocene Jackson and Oligocene Vicksburg Formations within the Rio Grande and Houston Embayments near the San Marcos Arch, Refugio and Calhoun Counties, South Texas Gulf Coast

Osareni C. Ogiesoba, Angela K. Eluwa

Abstract

This paper presents structural styles associated with Eocene Jackson and Oligocene Vicksburg formations in the vicinity of the San Marcos Arch within the Rio Grande and Houston embayments of the South Texas Gulf Coast. Previous studies that focused on the Rio Grande Embayment documented structural styles that include coast-perpendicular faults, diapiric shale, and subbasins.

Present work involves mapping the structural styles in the Houston Embayment and comparing the deformation pattern in both basins using 3D seismic data from four different surveys. Two of the seismic surveys (surveys #1 and #2) are located in Refugio County in the Rio Grande Embayment. The other two are located in the Houston Embayment—one (survey #3) within Calhoun County, and the other (survey #4) straddling Calhoun and Jackson counties and Matagorda Bay. Methods of investigation consist of seismic interpretation, 3D visualization, and seismic-attribute extraction.

Our investigation shows that although the studied areas within the Rio Grande and Houston embayments are separated by ∼40–55 km (∼25–34 mi), and although both basins have been affected by extensional tectonic forces, deformational patterns of strata on either side of the San Marcos Arch are different. In the Rio Grande Embayment, in addition to coast-parallel synthetic and antithetic faults, structural styles also include a northwest-southeast-trending curvilinear anticline, and prominent coast-orthogonal faults and shale ridges. However, in the Houston Embayment, the dominant structural style consists of coast-parallel synthetic growth faults and shale diapirs.


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