Journal of Petroleum Geology, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 309-324, 1988

©Copyright 2000 Scientific Press, Ltd.

SOME DEFORMATION EFFECTS IN A CLASTIC OVERBURDEN RESULTING FROM SALT MOBILITY

M.K. Jenyon*

* Seismograph Service (England) Limited, Holwood, Keston, Kent, BR2 6HD, UK

Abstract

In a basin containing an evaporite sequence that includes salt rock, should the salt become mobile and deform plastically, it will produce important structural effects in overlying sediments These effects may include folding, faulting, slumping and in some cases where dissolution of the salt also occurs, collapse structures. The movement of the salt/overburden system during plastic deformation of the salt may be syndepositional, in which case rim syncline sedimentation will take place at the surface. The form taken by the rim syncline deposits will be related to the stage of development of the salt structures with which they are associated.