The structure of the South-Central-Pyrenean fold and thrust belt as constrained by subsurface data
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1344/GeologicaActa2018.16.4.7Keywords:
Pyrenees, seismic data, cut-off and branch lineAbstract
The interpretation of the available seismic lines of the South-Central-Pyrenean fold and thrust belt, conveniently tied with the exploration wells, define the main structural features of this realm of the Pyrenees. In particular, they define the geometry and areal extension of the autochthonous foreland underneath the sole thrust. The mapping of
several selected structural lines brings constraints for the structural interpretation of the South-Central Pyrenees, including the cut-off lines between selected stratigraphic horizons of the autochthonous foreland and the branch line between basement-involved thrust sheets and the sole thrust. The thrust salient which characterizes at surface the geometry of the South-Pyrenean fold and thrust belt contrasts with the linear trend of these structural lines at subsurface. This salient has been the result of a secondary progressive curvature developed since Middle Eocene times by thrust displacement gradients during verthrusting of the South-Pyrenean thrust sheets above a Paleogene autochthonous sequence. Displacement gradients resulted from the uneven distribution of weak salt layers, mostly the Triassic and the Upper Eocene ones. The minimum amount of South-directed displacement from early Middle
Eocene times to Late Oligocene is 52km, which would be significantly higher if internal shortening by folding and cleavage/fracture development as well as hanging-wall erosion is added.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2018 Geologica Acta

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright
Geologica Acta is the property of the UB, GEO3BCN, IDAEA and UAB. Geologica Acta must be cited for any partial or full reproduction. Papers are distributed under the Attribution-Share Alike Creative Commons License. This license allows anyone to reproduce and disseminate the content of the journal and even make derivative works crediting authorship and provenance and distributing possible derivative works under the same or an equivalent license.
Author Rights
Authors retain the copyright on their papers and are authorized to post them on their own web pages or institutional repositories. The copyright was retained by the journal from the year 2003 until 2009. In all cases, the complete citation and a link to the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) of the article must be included.
The authors can use excerpts or reproduce illustrations of their papers in other works without prior permission from Geologica Acta provided the source of the paper including the complete citation is fully acknowledged.