Cenozoic Tectonic Evolution of Major Sedimentary Basins in Central, Northern, and the Gulf of Thailand
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Abstract
In Thailand all major N-S trending Cenozoic basins are inferred to have developed in Late Eocene to early Oligocene as a result of the ‘extrusion’ tectonics of Southeast Asian block along the major NE-SW trending fault zones. These pull-apart basins in Thailand and nearby can be grouped based upon geomorphology, sequence stratigraphy, structural styles, geographical distribution, and geotectonic evolution into 6 segments viz. (1) isolated, basinal Northwest & West Segment, (2) intermontane faulted-bounded northern Segment, (3) large alluvial plaindominated Central Segment, (4) basin-bearing plateau-type Northeastern Segment, (5) isolated, narrow intermontane Southern Segment, and (6) fault-bounded, largely subsided Gulf Segments. Individual segments can be divided into various sub-segments and several small basins.
Stratigraphic evolution of the deposition system of Thailand basins active during Early Tertiary, commenced with initial localized lacustrine and alluvial deposition in the Oligocene. Subsequent stratigraphy is dominated by sedimentation with significant hydrocarbon- and carbonprone units, starting with fluvial and alluvial deposition in the lower unit (<100 to 2,500 m thick) in some basins and switched to transgressive fluvial and marginal marine deposition (<500 to 1,000 m thick) in the middle, and terminated by the overall regressive fluvial and alluvial deposition in the upper unit. The youngest sequence is dominated by alluvial and marginal marine sediments occurring in the Late Miocene to Pliocene.
Both 40Ar - 39Ar and K-Ar geochronological data together with fission - track dating information on rocks collected immediately at or close to these faults, indicate that the faults may have been reactivated episodically since very Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary, and in turn given rise to several episodes of basin development.
Two major fault zones include NW -trending Three-Pagoda and Mae Ping Faults in the north and the conjugate, NE-trending Ranong and Klong Marui Faults in the South. The N-trending faults may have been developed in response to the principal strike-slip movement, and mostly they
are normal with basement-involved listric and antithetic faults.
Four main tectonic episodes for major Cenozoic Basin development in Thailand are recognized. The first episode is the pull-apart and initial transtensional synrifting event (55 - 35) Ma) with the occurrence of rift sediments deposited by continental extension and mantle plume due to a change from continental margin to subduction for the interaction of India and Asia. This episode is marked at the end by the Middle Tertiary unconformity (MTU). The second episode is the quiescent thermal subsidence event (35 - 15 Ma) involving the significant transtensional
component with rapidly basinal subsidence and widening by withdrawal of heat from the back-are region (the Gulf and the Andaman Sea) as well as widespread transpression and extensive delta progradation. Several basins were occupied by several fresh water lakes and marshes during that time, giving rise to carbon/hydrocarbon accumulation. The third episode is characterized by transpression wrenching event (15 - 10 Ma) due to the on-going dextral shear along the major NW-trending fault zones with subsequent basin inversion and folding resulting in a decrease and more uniform subsidence rate and extensive basin highs with concomitant volcanism...
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Copyright © 2008 Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. Parts of an article can be photocopied or reproduced without prior written permission from the author(s), but due acknowledgments should be stated or cited accordingly.
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