Characteristics and genesis of the polygonal fault system in southern slope of the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

Han, Jianfa; Ji-gao, Leng; Wang, Yingmin

doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2015.11.022

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…PFs are layer-bound deformation structures mainly formed in shallow soft sediments of marine settings such as passive continental margins (Tewksbury et al, 2014;Seebeck et al, 2015;Turrini et al, 2017;Hoffmann et al, 2019;Velayatham et al, 2021), some intracratonic sedimentary basins and foreland basins (Cartwright, 2011;Morgan et al, 2015;Li et al, 2020; Figure 1). Some PFs have also been observed in lacustrine environment (Cartwright et al, 2004;He et al, 2010;Han et al, 2016). Most PFs were found in strata of fine-grained sediments (e.g., mudstone, shale, claystone, or carbonate chalk), younger than Middle Cretaceous period (Table 2; Hansen et al, 2004;Andresen and Huuse, 2011;Tewksbury et al, 2014;Yang et al, 2017;Alrefaee et al, 2018).…”

Section: Sedimentary-tectonic Setting Of Polygonal Fault Developmentmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The 'low coefficients of residual friction' mechanism was proposed by Goulty (2002), and it was proposed that the nucleated PFs can continue to grow by low coefficients of friction, creating compaction and repeated slip of sediments with increasing overburden stress (Goulty, 2008;Han et al, 2016). The mechanism of low friction coefficients along faults can only explain the formation of PFs after initial slip, but cannot account for fault nucleation (Goulty, 2002;Goulty and Swarbrick, 2005).…”

Section: Genesis Mechanisms Of Polygonal Faults (Pfs)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…'Shear failure', also known as 'volumetric contraction', is regarded to be caused by a decrease in horizontal stress due to mineral-specific dissolution associated mostly with opal A-opal CT-quartz transitions during sediment diagenesis (Davies and Ireland, 2011;Laurent et al, 2012;Li et al, 2020). This mechanism has been widely adopted to explain the formation of PFs (Cartwright, 2011;Ding et al, 2013), such as in the Sanzhao Sag in East China, Vøring Basin Offshore Norway and Great South Basin in New Zealand (Han et al, 2016;Li et al, 2020). However, the shear failure mechanism is not applicable for the PF formation in areas without biogenic silica and smectite, such as in the chalk layer of Cretaceous Khoman Formation near Farafra Oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt (Tewksbury et al, 2014).…”

Section: Genesis Mechanisms Of Polygonal Faults (Pfs)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They have neither dominant strike nor dominant tendency, existing as networks of minor normal faults (Watterson et al, 2000;Alrefaee et al, 2018; Figure 2). The throws of PFs developed in most of the PF areas are smaller than 50 m, such as in the Lower Congo Basin (10-20 m, Morgan et al, 2015), in the Hammerfest Basin (5-20 m, Morgan et al, 2015), in the Qiongdongnan Basin (10-40 m, Han et al, 2016), and in the Near Farafra Oasis, Egypt (2-3 m, Tewksbury et al, 2014). In addition, some PFs with larger throw of >100 m have also been found such as in the Faroe-Shetland Basin (Bureau et al, 2013).…”

Section: General Geometry and Location Of The Polygonal Faultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Review of the Global Polygonal Faults: Are They Playing a Big Role in Fluid Migration?

et al. 2022

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Polygonal faults (PFs) have been widely found in over 100 sedimentary basins worldwide, mainly in marine setting on continental margins and intracratonic sedimentary basins. PFs are characterized by layer-bound minor normal faults arranged in polygonal patterns and multi-direction strikes, most of which were developed in fine-grained sediments rich in claystone. The genesis mechanisms of PFs have been recognized as non-tectonic, mainly including shear failure, syneresis, density inversion, low coefficients of friction and gravity sliding theory. Previous studies often regarded PFs as conduits playing a role in favouring fluid migration, which were also regarded as fluid source expelled during PF generation. However, some researchers proposed that the PF-bearing layer is generally impermeable and may act as a seal. To better understand the role of PFs in fluid migration and their contrition to the shallower hydrocarbon accumulation, a geophysical review of global PFs case studies is conducted in this paper. A comprehensive analysis is carried out based on abundant case studies, with key parameters analyzed including the PFs characteristics (e.g., buried depth, lithology, size, etc.), formation mechanisms of PFs, tectonic-sedimentary setting, and the spatial relationship of PFs, nearby major fluid migration pathways and high amplitude anomalies. The compilation of global PF case studies of shows that hydrocarbon fluids from the deep is more likely to migrate upward through normal big faults, gas chimneys or unconformities surface around PFs. In most cases, PFs play limited roles in fluid migration, such as in South China Sea where hydrocarbon accumulations have been observed under the PFs and the PF-bearing layer may act as a seal trapping the free gas underneath. Generally, the role of PFs in fluid migration should be determined through a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of PFs, surrounding amplitude anomalies, hydrocarbon distribution, and even the sealing ability of PFs which needs further study. It is more likely that the PFs play a limited role in vertical fluid migration and related shallower hydrocarbon accumulation and distribution.

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Section: Sedimentary-tectonic Setting Of Polygonal Fault Developmentmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Genesis Mechanisms Of Polygonal Faults (Pfs)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Genesis Mechanisms Of Polygonal Faults (Pfs)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: General Geometry and Location Of The Polygonal Faultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A Review of the Global Polygonal Faults: Are They Playing a Big Role in Fluid Migration?

et al. 2022

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“…This lateral variability is unimportant for the sediment flux calculation, as each seismic line is considered separately. A seismic velocity of 1.54 m/ms has been used in the 2D seismic profile time‐to‐depth conversion (1500 m/s in Gong et al, ; 2000 m/s in Han, Leng, & Wang, ; P‐wave velocities are 1.7–4.5 km/s in the sedimentary layer in Qiu et al, ; Zhao et al, ).…”

Section: Seismic Databasementioning

confidence: 99%

Clinoform growth and sediment flux into late Cenozoic Qiongdongnan shelf margin, South China Sea

et al. 2019

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The South China Sea continental margin in the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB) area has incrementally prograded since 10.5 Ma generating a margin sediment prism more than 4km‐thick and 150–200 km wide above the well‐dated T40 stratigraphic surface. Core and well log data, as well as clinoform morphology and growth patterns along 28 2D seismic reflection lines, illustrate the evolving architecture and margin morphology; through five main seismic‐stratigraphic surfaces (T40, T30, T27, T20 and T0) frame 15 clinothems in the southwest that reduce over some 200 km to 8 clinoforms in the northeast. The overall margin geometry shows a remarkable change from sigmoidal, strongly progradational and aggradational in the west to weakly progradational in the east. Vertical sediment accumulation rate increased significantly across the entire margin after 2.4 Ma, with a marked increase in mud content in the succession. Furthermore, an estimate of sediment flux across successive clinoforms on each of the three selected seismic cross sections indicate an overall decrease in sediment discharge west to east, away from the Red River depocenter, as well as a decrease in the percentage of total discharge crossing the shelf break in this same direction. The QDNB Late Cenozoic continental margin growth, with its overall increased sediment flux, responded to the climate‐induced, gradual cooling and falling global sea level during this icehouse period.

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Differences of polygonal faults related to upper Miocene channels: a case study from the Beijiao sag of Qiongdongnan basin, South China Sea

Zhao

et al. 2022

J. Ocean. Limnol.

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Characteristics and genesis of the polygonal fault system in southern slope of the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

Cited by 19 publications

References 19 publications

A Review of the Global Polygonal Faults: Are They Playing a Big Role in Fluid Migration?

A Review of the Global Polygonal Faults: Are They Playing a Big Role in Fluid Migration?

Clinoform growth and sediment flux into late Cenozoic Qiongdongnan shelf margin, South China Sea

Differences of polygonal faults related to upper Miocene channels: a case study from the Beijiao sag of Qiongdongnan basin, South China Sea

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