M.Sc.

Geology SEM II, MGELCC 6

TOPIC: SEDIMENTARY BASINS AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION

Atul Aditya Pandey

Phone 9430253960, email :[email protected]

A sedimentary basin is structurally controlled morpho-tectonic depression capable of receiving and
preserving sediments with a geological history not withstanding erosion and non deposition from
time to time. A sedimentary basin represents a unit of geological structure which received
sedimentary succession unique to it during a given span of time.

A sedimentary basin is characterised by:

1. a distinct sediment fill

2. single or multiple depositional environment and cycle
3. distinct tectonic framework and basin architecture which define the basin type
4. single or several phases of tectonic and/or thermogenic subsidence
5. One or more tectono-sedimentation episodes defining single or polyhistory basins.
6. Geological history indicated by sedimentation cycles of the basin fill vis-a-vis tectonic events
,subsidence/uplift and erosion.
7. Stratigraphic sequences related to tectonic episodes
8. Thermal history : thermo-tectonic events.

The style of evolution of a basin depends on the tectonic realm where it is located. It is therefore
possible to group basins in genetic classes each characterized by its typical structural style ,sediment
fill and evolutionary history depending on tectonic regimen to which it belongs. Thus, each plate
tectonic setup is characterized by genetically related groups of basins whose structural styles
depend on inter plate and intra plate movements typical of the setup in which they occur. The
mechanism of the basin formation and its development therefore vary according to the tectonic
processes of the setup.

Thus basins are classified and grouped under three plate tectonic processes:

1. Divergent

2. convergent

3. Transform setting

Characterized by extensional, compressional and horizontal stress related ( strike slip )settings
respectively.

Basins evolve with the plate movements and one type of basin may change into another type or
abort and remain as a fossil basin depending on the stages of plate evolution. Thus post sediment
life span of basins may vary.
RIFT BASINS: Intra continental rifting leading to a break up of continent and spreading of ocean
generally takes place along the ancient orogenic belts and palaeo-sutures due to crustal extension
and thining as a result of the rise of volcanic plume from upper mantle or uparching of mantle(
active rifting) depending on the convecting asthenosphere.

Pericratonic rifts are located at the continental margins as shelfal horst/ graben complex after
successful intra continental rifting and spreading of proto oceanic troughs.

Intra cratonic rifts develop within the continental crust forming rift valleys eg Gondwana basins.
These basins are commonly associated with bimodal volcanism.

Failed rifts are aborted arm of the triple –junction rift system. After sucssesful rifting along the other
arms leading to separation of continents and creation of proto oceanic troughs. Aulacogens are
former failed rifts at high angles to continental margin which have been reactivated during
convergent tectonics so that they are at high angles to the orogenic belts.

The basins adjacent to the emerging mid oceanic ridges are Active Ocean basins .

INTRA CONTINENTAL BASINS

Sag basins are formed by sagging of continental crusts due to crustal distension by far field
deviatorial stress .mechanism of crustal distension is controversial. Subsidence could be caused by:

1.Increase in crustal density by Eclogite phase transformation.

2.Pre break up crustal distension by impingement of thermal plume

3.Thermal metamorphism of lower crust

4.mechanical subsidence by isistaticcompensation due to igneous intrusion.

5.Tectonic reactivation of older structure

6.Thermal subsidence

7.Partial melting of lower crust

8.Changes in Intra plate stress

9.Thermal subsidence caused by isostasically uncompensated excess mass of cooling igneous

intrusions.

10.Subsidence caused by tectonic events at adjacent plate margins.

Rift related sag basins may be asymmetric with boundry faults developing interior fracture basins.
Interior fracture basins are aborted rifts in continental set up after initial stages of development. Sag
basins develop by pre break up distension of continental crust may develop into interior fracture
basin before rift failure.
FORELAND BASINS

Foreland basins are formed in collision setup by Continent-Continent, Arc-Arc and Arc-Continent
collision. A peripheral foreland basin is formed as the elastic lithosphere of the approaching
continent flexes under the dynamic load of the frontal thrust belt of the overriding continent.

Retro-arc forland basin are formed by arc –continent collision and occur on the continent side of
compressional arc formed during subduction of oceanic plate.

Intermontane forland basins are formed by basement cored uplifts in forland settings.

Inter-orogenic foreland basin occur between two orogenic belts involvingcollision of three
continents .When two continents collide on either sides of a third continent overriding it,the
common peripheral foreland basin between the two obducting continents becomes the inter
orogenic foreland basin.

ARC – TRENCH BASINS

Fore arc trenches occur at the threshold of the ocean –arc subduction zone.The subsidence
mechanism is controlled by negative buoyancy of the subducting oceanic lithosphere by slab pull
forces and by isostatic tectonic load of the accretionary prism over the subduction zone.

Subsidence mechanism of fore arc basins can be combination of the following:

1.Bulk subsidence of the whole fore arc region due to subduction of older and less buoyant oceanic
lithosphere.

2.Flexural subsidence of forearc substratum under the growing tectonic load of the subduction
complex.

Passive isostatic subsidence of initially thin fore arc crust under the growing sediment load of the
fore arc basin itself.

Intra arc basins are located on the arc platform between volcanic fronts.The subsidence is caused by

1.Plate boundary forces

2.Relative Plate motions

3.Asthenospheric flow

4.Regional Isostasy

5.Magmatic withdrawl

6.Gravitational collapse

Back arc basin occur behind continent margin arc and behind intra oceanic magmatic arcs. They are
produced by rifting between arc massifs during sea floor spreading. Back arc basins are basins
occurring between Remnant and active arcs are called Inter arc basins.
Remnant Ocean basins are shrinking basins caught up between obliquely colliding continental
margins and/or arc trench system,ultimately subducted or drformed within suture belts.

Superposed basins/Piggy back basins are formed on the thrust belts by interaction of thrust sheets
and carried by moving thrusts.

TRANSTENSIONAL BASINS

These basins develop by lithosphere shearing resulting in dislocation or pulling apart of the
lithosphere and hence called PULL APART BASINS. Such basins thus occur along trends of transform
system wherever en echelon fault segments,curving faults or branching faults are arranged in a
releasing orientation with respect to the direction of plate motion .

Equant pull-apart basins between en echelon transform segments or elongate fault wedge between
branching faults are typical developments within simple shear stress system.Thus,such basins occur
between parallel or overlapping strike slip faults or in their releasing bends, fraying ends or between
the main and its conjugate fault systems

TRANSPRESSIONAL BASINS

These basins are formed by downwarping of lithosphere in constraining orientation with respect to
plate motion in transformsegments.These basins thus occur with convergent strike slip faults along
restraining bends with thrust margins that results in flexural subsidence due to tectonic loading.

TRANSROTATIONAL BASINS

These fault bound basins develop between blocks that rotate differentially in a shear zone around a
sub vertical axis in the same direction of principal shear stress.Rotation is clockwise in right simple
shear and anticlockwise in the case of left simle shear.Block rotation on sub vertical or vertical axis
yields prominent triangular or rhomb shaped basins that may be quite extensive in the zones of
distributed shear.
 TECTONIC CLASSIFICATION OF SEDIMENTARY BASINS.
PROCESSES SET UP CLASS TYPE
EXTENSIONAL DIVERGENT RIFT BASINS Pericratonic,Intra
cratonicrifts,Failed
rifts&
Aulacogens,Proto-
oceanic
troughs&Miogeoclinal
prisms,Active &
Dormant Ocean basins

INTRA CONTINENTAL Sag basins,Interior

fracture basins.
COMPRESSIONAL CONVERGENT FORELAND BASINS Peripheral ,Retroarc
Intermontane,Inter
orogenic foreland
basins
ARC TRENCH BASINS Fore arc,Back arc
&Intra arc
basins,remnant ocean
basin&
superposed/piggy back
basins

HORIZONTAL STRESS TRANSFORM TRANSTENSIONAL Pull apart basins

( STRIKE SLIP)
TRANPRESSIONAL Strikeslip related
thrust bound sag
basins

TRANSROTATIONAL Basins formed by block

rotation in transform
shear zones.