Abstract
The Pearl River Mouth basin (PRMB) is a marginal sedimentary basin of the South China Sea. It trends NE and is divided into three segments from west to east by two NW-trending faults. Changing dramatically in structures along and across strike, the PRMB is a good example to analyze main factors that might control the process of a continental rift basin’s extension. Through five series of analogue experiments, we investigate the role of different factors, such as pre-existing discontinuities of crust, rheological profiles of lithosphere, kinematics of extension and presence of magmatic bodies and strong crustal portions (rigid massifs) on the development of basin’s structures. After being compared with the architecture of the natural prototype, the results of the analogue models were compared with the architecture of the natural prototype and used to infer the role of the different factors controlling the formation and evolution of the PRMB. The main conclusions are as follows. (1) Affected by pre-Cenozoic structures, the PRMB was controlled by crosscut NE- and NW-trending initial faults, and the NW-trending Yitong’ansha (一统暗沙) fault may be a through-going fault along dip and offset the NE-trending rift and faults, while the Enpingdong (恩平东) fault might exist only in the middle and south. (2) The NW-trending faults may orient WNW to be sinistrally transtensional under SE to nearly NS extension. (3) The thickness ratio of brittle over ductile crust in Baiyun (白云) sag is less than normal, suggesting an initially hot and weak lithosphere. (4) The magma must have taken part in the rifting process from early stage, it may occur initially upon or slightly south of the divergent boundary in the middle segment. The flow of magma toward rift boundary faults caused extra vertical subsidence above the initial magma reservoir without creating a large extensional fault. (5) The rigid massif contributed to the strain partition along and across basin strike.
Similar content being viewed by others
References Cited
Bonini, M., Souriot, T., Boccaletti, M., et al., 1997. Successive Orthogonal and Oblique Extension Episodes in a Rift Zone: Laboratory Experiments with Application to the Ethiopian Rift. Tectonics, 16(2): 347–362
Chen, C. M., Shi, H. S., Xu, S. C., et al., 2003. The Condition of Oil and Gas Reservoir Formation in the East of Pearl River Mouth Basin. Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese)
Clift, P., Lin, J., Barckhausen, U., 2002. Evidence of Low Flexural Rigidity and Low Viscosity Lower Continental Crust during Continental Break-up in the South China Sea. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 19(8): 951–970
Corti, G., Bonini, M., Conticelli, S., et al., 2003. Analogue Modelling of Continental Extension: A Review Focused on the Relations between the Patterns of Deformation and the Presence of Magma. Earth-Science Reviews, 63(34): 169–247
Corti, G., Bonini, M., Mazzarini, F., et al., 2002. Magma-Induced Strain Localization in Centrifuge Models of Transfer Zones. Tectonophysics, 348(4): 205–218
Corti, G., Bonini, M., Sokoutis, D., et al., 2004. Continental Rift Architecture and Patterns of Magma Migration: A Dynamic Analysis Based on Centrifuge Models. Tectonics, 23(2): TC2012. doi: 10.1029/2003TC001561
Davy, P., Cobbold, P. R., 1991. Experiments on Shortening of a 4-Layer Model of the Continental Lithosphere. Tectonophysics, 188(1–2): 1–25
Ebinger, C. J., Sleep, N. H., 1998. Cenozoic Magmatism throughout East Africa Resulting from Impact of a Single Plume. Nature, 395(6704): 788–791
Hill, R. I., 1991. Starting Plumes and Continental Break-up. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 104(2–4): 398–416
Huang, C. J., Zhou, D., Sun, Z., et al., 2005. Deep Crustal Structure of Baiyun Sag, Northern South China Sea Revealed from Deep Seismic Reflection Profile. Chinese Science Bulletin, 50(11): 1131–1138
Li, P. L., Wang, W. P., 1989. Tectonic Structures and Evolution of the Pearl River Mouth Basin. China Offshore Oil and Gas (Geology), 3(1): 11–18 (in Chinese)
Li, P. L., 1994. Structural Features and Oil-Gas Accumulation in Pearl River Mouth Basin. Guangdong Geology, 9(4): 21–28 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
McClay, K. R., Dooley, T., Whitehouse, P., et al., 2002. 4-D Evolution of Rift Systems: Insights from Scaled Physical Models. AAPG Bulletin, 86: 935–960
Myra, K., McClay, K. R., 1997. Analogue Modelling of Multiphase Rift Systems. Tectonophysics, 273(3–4): 239–270
Ru, K., Pigott, J. D., 1986. Episodic Rifting and Subsidence in the South China Sea. AAPG Bulletin, 70: 1136–1155
Ru, K., Zhou, D., Chen, H. Z., 1994. Basin Evolution and Hydrocarbon Potential of the Northern South China Sea. Oceanology of China Seas, 2: 361–372
Sun, Z., Pang, X., Zhong, Z. H., et al., 2005. Dynamics of Tertiary Tectonic Evolution in Baiyun Sag, Zhujiangkou Basin. Earth Science Frontiers, 12(4): 489–498 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
Sun, Z., Zhou, D., Zhong, Z. H., et al., 2006. Research on the Dynamics of the South China Sea Opening: Evidence from Analogue Modeling. Science in China (Series D), 49(10): 1053–1069
Sun, Z., Zhou, D., Pang, X., et al., 2008. Dynamics Analysis of the Baiyun Sag in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, North of South China Sea. Acta Geologica Sinica, 82(1): 73–83
Sun, Z., Zhou, D., Wu, S. M., et al., 2009. Patterns and Dynamics of Rifting on Passive Continental Margin from Shelf to Slope of the Northern South China Sea: Evidence from 3D Analogue Modeling. Journal of Earth Science, 20(1): 136–146
Tommasi, A., Vauchez, A., 2001. Continental Rifting Parallel to Ancient Collisional Belts: An Effect of the Mechanical Anisotropy of the Lithospheric Mantle. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 185(1–2): 199–210
Tron, V., Brun, J. P., 1991. Experiments on Oblique Rifting in Brittle-Ductile Systems. Tectonophysics, 188(1–2): 71–84
Withjack, M. O., Jamison, W. R., 1986. Deformation Produced by Oblique Rifting. Tectonophysics, 126: 99–124
Wang, W., Dang, W., 2000. Gravity and Magnetic Data Processing in China Offshore and the Adjacent Area. Internal Research Report of the CNOOC (in Chinese)
Wu, X. J., Zhou, D., Pang, X., et al., 2005. The Geophysical Field and Deep Structures of Baiyun Sag. Journal of Tropical Oceanology, 24(2): 62–69 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
Yang, Z., Besse, J., 1993. Paleomagnetic Study of Permian and Mesozoic Sedimentary Rocks from Northern Thailand Supports the Extrusion Model for Indochina. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 117(3–4): 525–552
Zhou, D., Ru, K., Chen, H. Z., 1995. Kinematics of Cenozoic Extension on the South China Sea Continental Margin and Its Implications for the Tectonic Evolution of the Region. Tectonophysics, 251(1–4): 161–177
Zhou, D., Wang, W. Y., Wang, J. L., et al., 2006. Mesozoic Subduction-Accretion Zone in Northeastern South China Sea Inferred from Geophysical Interpretations. Science in China (Series D), 49(5): 471–482
Zhou, X. M., Li, W. X., 2000. The Origin of the Late Mesozoic Igneous Rocks in Southeastern China: A Combined Model of Lithosphere Subduction and Underplating of Mafic Magma. Progress in Natural Science, 10(3): 240–247 (in Chinese)
Ziegler, P. A., Cloetingh, S., 2004. Dynamic Processes Controlling Evolution of Rifted Basins. Earth-Science Reviews, 64(1–2): 1–50
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This study was supported by the Innovative Group Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-Q05-04), the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Nos. 2009CB219401, 2007CB411704), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 40876026, 40576027), and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS (No. LYQY200704).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sun, Z., Zhou, D., Sun, L. et al. Dynamic analysis on rifting stage of Pearl River Mouth basin through analogue modeling. J. Earth Sci. 21, 439–454 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-010-0106-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-010-0106-0