Evolução dos sistemas de falhas de borda do Rifte Potiguar com base em curvas de crescimento de falhas

The discussion about rift evolution in the Brazilian Equatorial margin during the South America-Africa breakup in the Jurassic/Cretaceous has been focused in many researches. But rift evolution based on development and growth of faults has not been well explored. In this sense, we investigated the Cretaceous Potiguar Basin in the Equatorial margin of Brazil to understand the geometry of major faults and the influence of crustal heterogeneity and preexisting structural fabric in the evolution of the basin internal architecture. Previous studies pointed out that the rift is an asymmetrical half-graben elongated along the NE-SW direction. We used 2D seismic, well logs and 3D gravity modeling to analyze four major border fault segments and determine their maximum displacement (Dmax) and length (L) ratio in the Potiguar Rift. We constrained the 3D gravity modeling with well data and the interpretation of seismic sections. The difference of the fault displacement measured in the gravity model is in the order of 10% compared to seismic and well data. The fault-growth curves allowed us to divide the faulted rift border into four main fault segments, which provide roughly similar Dmax/L ratios. Fault-growth curves suggest that a regional uniform tectonic mechanism influenced growth of the rift fault segments. The variation of the displacements along the fault segments indicates that the fault segments were formed independently during rift initiation and were linked by hard and soft linkages. The latter formed relay ramps. In the interconnection zones the Dmax/L ratios are highest due to interference of fault segment motions. We divided the evolution of the Potiguar Rift into five stages based on these ratios and correlated them with the major tectonic stages of the breakup between South America and Africa in Early Cretaceous.

Evolução dos sistemas de falhas de borda do Rifte Potiguar com base em curvas de crescimento de falhas

The discussion about rift evolution in the Brazilian Equatorial margin during the South America-Africa breakup in the Jurassic/Cretaceous has been focused in many researches. But rift evolution based on development and growth of faults has not been well explored. In this sense, we investigated the Cretaceous Potiguar Basin in the Equatorial margin of Brazil to understand the geometry of major faults and the influence of crustal heterogeneity and preexisting structural fabric in the evolution of the basin internal architecture. Previous studies pointed out that the rift is an asymmetrical half-graben elongated along the NE-SW direction. We used 2D seismic, well logs and 3D gravity modeling to analyze four major border fault segments and determine their maximum displacement (Dmax) and length (L) ratio in the Potiguar Rift. We constrained the 3D gravity modeling with well data and the interpretation of seismic sections. The difference of the fault displacement measured in the gravity model is in the order of 10% compared to seismic and well data. The fault-growth curves allowed us to divide the faulted rift border into four main fault segments, which provide roughly similar Dmax/L ratios. Fault-growth curves suggest that a regional uniform tectonic mechanism influenced growth of the rift fault segments. The variation of the displacements along the fault segments indicates that the fault segments were formed independently during rift initiation and were linked by hard and soft linkages. The latter formed relay ramps. In the interconnection zones the Dmax/L ratios are highest due to interference of fault segment motions. We divided the evolution of the Potiguar Rift into five stages based on these ratios and correlated them with the major tectonic stages of the breakup between South America and Africa in Early Cretaceous.