Changes

Offshore beneath GOM waters, evacuation of salt structures is oldest in the north and is progressively younger toward the south. However, there are Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous salt-cored structures along the Sigsbee Escarpment. Pliocene and Pleistocene depositional loading has displaced salt basinward and differentially loaded detached salt sills into salt-cored massifs and salt-cored diapirs.

Offshore beneath GOM waters, evacuation of salt structures is oldest in the north and is progressively younger toward the south. However, there are Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous salt-cored structures along the Sigsbee Escarpment. Pliocene and Pleistocene depositional loading has displaced salt basinward and differentially loaded detached salt sills into salt-cored massifs and salt-cored diapirs.

The salt-withdrawal synclines formed by sediment loading result in bathymetric lows that serve as sediment transport pathways down the slope.<ref name=ch04r22>Bouma, A., H., 1982, Intraslope basins in northwest Gulf of Mexico: a key to ancient submarine canyons and fans: AAPG Memoir 34, p. 567–581.</ref> The presentday sea-floor bathymetry of the northern Gulf of Mexico slope reflects this transport-pathway lineation of salt-withdrawal synclines bordered by salt-cored anticlines (see [[:file:sedimentary-basin-analysis_fig4-41.png|Figure 1]]). The distribution of the sediment-thick synclines and salt-core anticlines persists through time, resulting in predictability of sediment transport avenues, depositional areas of potential reservoir sands, and conduits from deeply buried [[source rock]]s upward to the hydrocarbon traps (see [[:file:sedimentary-basin-analysis_fig4-54.png|Figures 2]] and [[:file:sedimentary-basin-analysis_fig4-55.png|3]]).

The salt-withdrawal synclines formed by sediment loading result in bathymetric lows that serve as sediment transport pathways down the slope.<ref name=ch04r22>Bouma, A., H., 1982, [http://archives.datapages.com/data/specpubs/history2/data/a110/a110/0001/0550/0567.htm Intraslope basins in northwest Gulf of Mexico: a key to ancient submarine canyons and fans], in Watkins, J. S. and C. L. Drake, Studies in Continental Margin Geology: AAPG Memoir 34, p. 567–581.</ref> The presentday sea-floor bathymetry of the northern Gulf of Mexico slope reflects this transport-pathway lineation of salt-withdrawal synclines bordered by salt-cored anticlines (see [[:file:sedimentary-basin-analysis_fig4-41.png|Figure 1]]). The distribution of the sediment-thick synclines and salt-core anticlines persists through time, resulting in predictability of sediment transport avenues, depositional areas of potential reservoir sands, and conduits from deeply buried [[source rock]]s upward to the hydrocarbon traps (see [[:file:sedimentary-basin-analysis_fig4-54.png|Figures 2]] and [[:file:sedimentary-basin-analysis_fig4-55.png|3]]).

McGuinness and Hossack<ref name=ch04r66>McGuinness, D., B., Hossack, J., R., 1993, The development of allochthonous salt sheets as controlled by the rates of extension, sedimentation, and salt supply: Proceedings, Gulf Coast Section SEPM 14th Annual Research conference, p. 127–139.</ref> present an excellent discussion of palinspastic reconstruction of the stratigraphic record disrupted by salt tectonics. Jackson et al.<ref name=ch04r48>Jackson, M., P., A., Roberts, D., G., Snelson, J., S., eds., 1995, Salt Tectonics: AAPG Memoir 65, 454 p.</ref> and Simmons et al.<ref name=ch04r90>Simmons, G., R., Bryant, W., R., Lee, G., Fiduk, C., 1996, Regional distribution of salt and basin architecture in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, in Jones, J., O., Freed, R., L., eds., Structural Framework of the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Gulf Coast Assoc. of Geological Societies Special Publication, p. 93–94.</ref> present a good discussion of salt distribution and tectonics.

McGuinness and Hossack<ref name=ch04r66>McGuinness, D., B., Hossack, J., R., 1993, The development of allochthonous salt sheets as controlled by the rates of extension, sedimentation, and salt supply: Proceedings, Gulf Coast Section SEPM 14th Annual Research conference, p. 127–139.</ref> present an excellent discussion of palinspastic reconstruction of the stratigraphic record disrupted by salt tectonics. Jackson et al.<ref name=ch04r48>Jackson, M., P., A., Roberts, D., G., Snelson, J., S., eds., 1995, Salt Tectonics: AAPG Memoir 65, 454 p.</ref> and Simmons et al.<ref name=ch04r90>Simmons, G., R., Bryant, W., R., Lee, G., Fiduk, C., 1996, Regional distribution of salt and basin architecture in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, in Jones, J., O., Freed, R., L., eds., Structural Framework of the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Gulf Coast Assoc. of Geological Societies Special Publication, p. 93–94.</ref> present a good discussion of salt distribution and tectonics.