HR: 0800h
AN: T51A-0438    [Abstracts]
TI: Computational Approach to Coupled Structural and Thermal Restoration of Salt-Bearing Sedimentary Basins
AU: Wilhelm, H
EM: Helmut.Wilhelm@gpi.uni-karlsruhe.de
AF: Geophysical Institute, University of Karlsruhe, Hertzstr. 16, Karlsruhe, 76187 Germany
AU: * Ismail-Zadeh, A
EM: Alik.Ismail-Zadeh@gpi.uni-karlsruhe.de
AF: Geophysical Institute, University of Karlsruhe, Hertzstr. 16, Karlsruhe, 76187 Germany
AB: The coupled structural and thermal evolution of salt-bearing sedimentary basins is one of the important processes occurring in these basins, because the highly mobile and buoyant salt deforms (sometimes greatly) its sedimentary overburden. Moreover, the temperature and maturity distribution in the basins will be significantly affected by salt tectonics, as salt has a higher thermal conductivity than other sedimentary rocks. The scientific goal of this ongoing project is to develop an innovative computational methodology (based on reasonable physical assumptions) for the thermo-structural restoration of salt-bearing basins in order to understand the interplay between geodynamic, geothermal, and tectonic processes involved in the evolution of the basins. The developed methodology will be applied to the Pricaspian basin (the northern Caspian Sea region), which plays an important role in hydrocarbon explorations and exploitations. We intend to study the present-day geothermal structure of the Pricaspian basin based on the results of available and new geothermal measurements and to restore a thermo-mechanical evolution of the basin. The methodology can be employed to analyze the thermo-structural evolution of other sedimentary basins as well.
DE: 8105 Continental margins and sedimentary basins
DE: 3210 Modeling
DE: 0903 Computational methods, potential fields
SC: Tectonophysics [T]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting