Tectonic control on carbonate and evaporite morphology: A multicomponent seismic analysis

Darran J. Edwards, R. James Brown

This paper constitutes a Ph.D. thesis proposal to be carried out by the first author, the research to be supervised by the second author. It is proposed to study evaporites and carbonates, mainly of Devonian age, using both conventional seismic and multicomponent or elastic-wave data. At present, the main aim is to try to establish whether any relationship exists between tectonism and salt dissolution or reef formation. In order to undertake this we need to develop a better understanding of the underlying basement structure beneath such features. It is anticipated that data processing and modelling of the multicomponent surface seismic lines will perhaps give a better resolution of these particular morphologies and lead to a more confident interpretation than has so far been published. A brief review of previous work relating to the subject of reef formation, salt dissolution and their proposed interaction with basement structure will be given here, together with areas of possible further research.