Oceanic ridge off-axis deep structure in the Mansah region (Sumail massif,Oman ophiolite)

Large scale structural mapping of the Oman ophiolite indicates that the Mansah area (Sumail massif) was a ridge off-axis region at the time the ophiolite was detached. This paper presents a detailed structural mapping of the region. We show that, as opposed to other off-axis areas, it contains plunging lineations, correlated with a thick Moho transition zone and chromite pods, indicative of a mantle diapir. However this diapir has a discontinuous structure, it is bounded by shear zones and types of diabases that are not found elsewhere in Oman; it also has a broken crust, strongly affected by hydrothermal alteration. This suggests that Mansah fossilized an off-axis diapir intruding a cooling lithosphere. It may be a good candidate to be the root of an off-axis seamount such as those found in the East Pacific, and may bring new insights into this particular volcanism which we are only beginning to explore.     

Shear sense inversion in the Hilti mantle section (Oman ophiolite) and active mantle uprise

Structural analyses in the well-exposed Hilti mantle section in the Oman ophiolite suggest a model of forceful horizontal flow in the uppermost mantle at the edge of a diapir below a oceanic spreading center. Detailed structural mapping, focussed on high-T deformation (i.e., asthenospheric flow), revealed a gently undulated flat structure with a uniform east-west flow direction. When it is related to the N–S to NNW–SSE trending, vertical sheeted dike complex located to the east, this mantle flow is parallel to the spreading direction. Because the Moho is so flat lying, a large dunite occurrence at the south-western region is possibly ascribed to the Moho Transition Zone. Kinematic analysis shows that the shear direction generally changes from top-to-the west in the upper level, to top-to-the east in the lower level with respect to the Moho. This shear sense inversion is explained by a model of forceful flow due to an active mantle uprise and it is not compatible with a passive mantle uprise. In the plan section, the boundary of the shear sense inversion is subparallel to the flow direction and subperpendicular to the spreading axis. In cross section, the boundary appears to occur at various depths in the range of 200 m to 500 m. It shows that the active mantle uprise in the diapir center resulted in a channelled horizontal flow.     

The high temperature reaction zone of the Oman ophiolite: new field data,microthermometry of fluid inclusions,PIXE analyses and oxygen isotopic ratios

Marine Geophysical Research - The present study is focused on the so-called High Temprature Reaction Zone of the Oman ophiolite, a thin zone located between the roots of the sheeted dyke complex...     

The Wuqbah peridotite, central Oman Ophiolite: Petrological characteristics of the mantle in a fossil overlapping ridge setting

The Wuqbah peridotites (Wuqbah massif, central Oman Ophiolite) constitute the mantle part of a complete ophiolitic sequence and their field deformation geometry is thought to reflect mantle dynamics in a fossil overlapping ridge settings (Girardeau et al., 2002). These peridotites comprise dominantly residual harzburgites and dunites. Nearly 70% of the harzburgites are clinopyroxene-free, and the rest contains less than 1%. The mineral chemistry of olivine, pyroxenes and spinel, and whole rock major and rare-earth element data, indicate that the Wuqbah peridotites are all strongly refractory and that they record a major percolation event, marked by strong enrichments in incompatible elements. At the massif scale, the Central Zone contains rocks with the most refractory features (20% melt extraction), as expected in an area of mantle upwelling. In the overlapping ridge senario, it corresponds to the overlap zone whose formation is discussed.     

Differential rotations in the Oman Ophiolite: paleomagnetic evidence from the southern massifs

New paleomagnetic data from 11 sites in layered gabbros and lava flows from the Oman Ophiolite indicate stable, early remagnetizations and suggest that the southern portion of the ophiolite (the Wadi Tayin, Sumail, Nakhl-Rustaq and Haylayn massifs) is relatively unrotated since detachment near the paleoridge. The gabbros possess a magnetization carried by a combination of primary and secondary magnetites derived from hydrothermal alteration. Evidence from positive tilt tests, constancy of remanence directions in differing magnetic mineralogies and agreement with previous paleomagnetic data, however, suggests that this remagnetization was acquired early – analogous to the remagnetization of the V₂ volcanic series. Thus, the evidence implies that the southern portion of the ophiolite has been primarily translated from the paleoridge since the time of V₂ remagnetization, and 120° of clockwise rotation affecting the northern Oman Ophiolite is internal to the ophiolite, rather than a combination of internal and global rotation as previously hypothesized. Given this evidence, we propose a simplified model of a rapid, active microplate rotation of a portion of the ophiolite resulting from spreading at an EPR-type propagating ridge at a high angle to the previous spreading direction. Paleomagnetic data from this and previous studies can be well explained by a rapidly rotating microplate, similar to the kinematic evolution documented for the Juan Fernandez microplate in the modern setting.     

Morphology and Late Quaternary sedimentation in the Gulf of Oman Basin

The morphology of the Gulf of Oman Basin, a 3,400 m deep oceanic basin between Oman and southern Pakistan and southern Iran, ranges from a convergent margin (Makran margin) along the north side, a passive type (Oman margin) along the south side, translation types along the basin's west (Zendan Fault-Oman Line) and east (Murray Ridge) sides and a narrow continental rise and a wide abyssal plain in the centre of the basin. Sediment input into the basin during the Late Quaternary has been mainly from the north as a result of the uplift of the Coast Makran Mountains in the Late Miocene-Pliocene. Today most of this detritrus is deposited on the shelf and upper continental slope and perched basins behind the fold/fault ridges on the lower slope. The presence of fans and channels on the continental rise on the north side of the basin indicate, however, that continental derived debris was, and possibly is, being transported to the deep-sea by turbidity currents via gaps in the ridges on the lower slope. In addition to land derived terrigenous sediments, the basin deposits also contain biogenic (organic matter and calcium carbonate), eolian detritus and hydrates and authigenic carbonates from the tectonic dewatering of the Makran accretionary wedge. The eolian sediment is carried into the Gulf of Oman Basin from Arabia and the Mesopotamia Valley by the northwesterly Shamal winds. This type of detritus was particularly abundant during the glacial arid periods 21,000–20,000 and 11,000 (Younger Dryas) years ago when exposure of the Persian (Arabian) Gulf increased the area of dust entrainment and shifted the position of the source of the eolian sediments closer to the basin.     

Geochemistry and palaeo-oceanography of metalliferous and pelagic sediments from the Late Cretaceous Oman ophiolite

Metalliferous and pelagic sediments are exposed within and above the extrusive successions of the Upper Cretaceous Oman ophiolite which, on the basis of mostly geochemical evidence, is believed to have formed in an incipient marginal basin setting located above a NE-dipping subduction zone. The ophiolitic extrusives document various volcano-tectonic settings which include the axial zones of a spreading ridge, fault-controlled seamounts and off-axis volcanic edifices. Most of the Fe, Mn and trace metal-enriched sediments studied are interpreted as precipitates formed by oxidation of solutions derived from high-temperature sulphide-precipitating vents. The trace element content (e.g. REE and Sr) was largely scavenged from seawater. The sediments are similar to the dispersed metalliferous sediments on the flanks of modern spreading ridges, and the ‘basal’ sediments of DSDP wells and of other ophiolite complexes (e.g. Troodos, Cyprus).Distinctive mound structures located low in the lavas are attributed to percolation of sulphide-rich solutions into already deposited metalliferous oxide sediments. The resulting iron-silica rock was probably originally precipitated as ferruginous silicates.Major massive sulphides formed off-axis at the base of intermediate-basic edifices of volcanic arc affinities. Fe, Mn and trace metal enrichment in the sediment cover of a flat-topped seamount of axial lavas is interpreted as a dispersion halo around the largest massive sulphide orebody which is situated 5 km away (Lasail). Small massive sulphide bodies are common in the axial lavas particularly along major seafloor fault zones. The metalliferous sediments, locally precipitated near these vents, are ferromanganiferous, but trace metal-depleted.The metalliferous and pelagic sediment cover of the extrusive successions, generally, documents waning hydrothermal input after volcanism ended in the area.A model is discussed in which the ophiolite was created at a spreading axis above a subduction zone dipping away from the Arabian continental margin. With progressive subduction this crust approached the margin. Initially, calcareous sediment accumulated above the calcite compensation depth (CCD), but then non-calcareous radiolarites were deposited as the ophiolitic crust approached the continental margin where the CCD was higher and marginal upwelling possibly enhanced productivity. As the edge of the Arabian continental margin entered the trench, the over-riding ophiolite was regionally uplifted allowing short-lived chalk accumulation above the CCD. This was followed by volcaniclastic deposition related to the tectonic emplacement.     

The relationship among environmental variables,jellyfish and non‐gelatinous zooplankton: A case study in the north of the Gulf of Oman

Processes underlying the temporal and spatial variations observed in the distribution of jellyfish and non‐gelatinous zooplankton in the Gulf of Oman are not well understood. This information gap is clearly a major issue in controlling the harmful blooms of jellyfish and non‐gelatinous zooplankton. Samples of jellyfish and non‐gelatinous zooplankton were collected from six stations in Chabahar Bay and three stations in Pozm Bay within four seasons. At each station, environmental variables were also recorded from bottom and surface water. A total of 83 individuals of medusae representing four species of Scyphozoa (i.e., Cyanea nozakii, Chrysaora sp., Pelagia noctiluca, Catostylus tagi) and species of Hydrozoa (i.e., Diphyes sp., Rhacostoma sp., Aequorea spp.) were observed in the study area. A total of 70,727.25 individuals/m^?3 of non‐gelatinous zooplankton dominated by copepods and cladocerans were collected in nine stations within the four seasons. The results of a RELATE analysis yielded no significant association between species composition for jellyfish and non‐gelatinous zooplankton. Among environmental variables, water transparency, nitrite concentration, water depth and temperature were better associated with the total variation in jellyfish species composition than with that of non‐gelatinous zooplankton. Dissolved oxygen, pH, and phosphate concentration were significant environmental variables associated with the variation in the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of non‐gelatinous zooplankton assemblages. Although some jellyfish species (i.e., Rhacostoma sp., Pelagia noctiluca, Catostylus tagi) occur independently of non‐gelatinous zooplankton assemblages, other jellyfish (i.e., Chrysaora sp., Aequorea spp., Cyanea nozakii, Diphyes sp.) are strongly correlated with non‐gelatinous zooplankton assemblages.     

Influence of the Moho surface distribution on the oil and gas basins in China seas and adjacent areas

Owing to the strategic significance of national oil and gas resources, their exploration and production must be prioritized in China. Oil and gas resources are closely related to deep crustal structures, and Moho characteristics influence oil and gas distribution. Therefore, it is important to study the relationship between the variation of the Moho surface depth undulation and hydrocarbon basins for the future prediction of their locations. The Moho depth in the study area can be inverted using the Moho depth control information, the Moho gravity anomaly, and the variable density distribution calculated by the infinite plate. Based on these results, the influences of Moho characteristics on petroleum basins were studied. We found that the Moho surface depth undulation deviation and crustal thickness undulation deviation in the hydrocarbon-rich basins are large, and the horizontal gradient deviation of the Moho surface shows a positive linear relationship with oil and gas resources in the basin. The oil-bearing mechanism of the Moho basin is further discussed herein. The Moho uplift area and the slope zone correspond to the distribution of oil and gas fields. The tensile stress produced by the Moho uplift can form tensile fractures or cause tensile fractures on the surface, further developing into a fault or depression basin that receives deposits. The organic matter can become oil and natural gas under suitable chemical and structural conditions. Under the action of groundwater or other dynamic forces, oil and natural gas are gradually transported to the uplift or the buried hill in the depression zone, and oil and gas fields are formed under the condition of good caprock. The research results can provide new insights into the relationship between deep structures and oil and gas basins as well as assist in the strategic planning of oil and gas exploration activities.     

A summary of the geology and oil habitat of the Eastern Flank Hydrocarbon Province of South Oman

The Eastern Flank Hydrocarbon Province borders the southeastern edge of the South Oman Salt Basin in the southern part of Oman. An intensive exploration programme by PDO over the past seven years has led to the discovery of almost 2 × 10⁹ m³ of oil with current production of some 15000 m³/d from six fields.In stark contrast to other oil habitats of the Arabian Peninsula, the main play involves rock units and geological events ranging in age from Late Precambrian to Quaternary Times, while trap development and charging are closely related to syn-tectonic salt dissolution.The principal reservoirs and seals are poorly consolidated, Palaeozoic clastics which drape, due to salt dissolution, over residual ‘cores’ principally composed of either Lower Palaeozoic sandstones (Haima Group), or Late Proterozoic carbonates (Huqf Group), or some combination of these. Oils have been geochemically correlated with algal source rocks of the Huqf Eastern Flank. Structures are considered to have been ‘charged’ from Late Mesozoic times onwards in conjunction with progressive subsurface salt removal and the onset of maturation of local source rocks. The effectiveness of ‘charging’ along the retreating salt edge is indicated by the small percentage of dry wells.Major oil zones are found in both anticlinal and truncation traps which are commonly developed around sandstone (Haima Group) cores. Oils show a wide range of characteristics but are typically heavy, early expulsion crudes, high sulphur with little associated gas. Bacterial transformation is not uncommon.Producing reservoirs mainly occur at relatively shallow depths (600–1200 m). Primary recovery factors of around 7% reflect the high density and viscosity of the Eastern Flank crudes and have initiated interest in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques. Two such pilot projects, involving steam and polymer flooding, are due to commence in 1984 and, if successful, will substantially increase the reserve base of these fields.     

东海莫霍面起伏与地壳减薄特征初步分析

收集、整理大量由地震剖面提供的沉积层厚度资料,得到东海沉积层等厚图。对完全布格重力异常进行沉积层重力效应改正后,得到剩余重力异常,利用地震资料揭示的莫霍面深度值来约束界面反演得到东海莫霍面埋深。结果表明,东海陆架盆地莫霍面深度在25～28 km之间平缓变化,地壳厚度为14～26 km,西厚东薄;冲绳海槽盆地莫霍面深度为16～26 km,地壳厚度为12～22 km,北厚南薄。东海陆架盆地东部与冲绳海槽盆地南部地壳减薄明显,拉张因子分别达到2.6和3。初步分析认为冲绳海槽地壳以过渡壳为主,并未形成洋壳。     

Seismic phases from the Moho and its implication on the ultraslow spreading ridge

The Moho interface provides critical evidence for crustal thickness and the mode of oceanic crust accretion. The seismic Moho interface has not been identified yet at the magma-rich segments （46°-52°E） of the ultra- slow spreading Southwestern Indian Ridge （SWIR）. This paper firstly deduces the characteristics and do- mains of seismic phases based on a theoretical oceanic crust model. Then, topographic correction is carried out for the OBS record sections along Profile Y3Y4 using the latest OBS data acquired from the detailed 3D seismic survey at the SWIR in 2010. Seismic phases are identified and analyzed, especially for the reflected and refracted seismic phases from the Moho. A 2D crustal model is finally established using the ray tracing and travel-time simulation method. The presence of reflected seismic phases at Segment 28 shows that the crustal rocks have been separated from the mantle by cooling and the Moho interface has already formed at zero age. The 2D seismic velocity structure across the axis of Segment 28 indicates that detachment faults play a key role during the processes of asymmetric oceanic crust accretion.     

Isolation, distribution and evaluation of cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of cultivable actinobacteria from the Oman Sea sediments

Screening bioactive natural products from bacteria is a determinative step in the drug discovery programs. The present study aim to isolate actinobacteria from the Oman Sea sediments for determining the effects of different culture media and treatments on the yield of the isolation process, and measure the DPPH radical scavenging and Artemia cytotoxic activity of culture extracts of the actinobacterial isolates. A total of 290 actinobacterial isolates were collected from 14 sediment samples. Heat treatment(40.68%) and M_4 medium(29.31%) exhibited the maximum isolation rates of actinobacteria. Streptomyces isolates were dominantly distributed in all of the investigated stations according to 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. The distribution pattern of Streptomyces followed a depth-dependent frequency trend, whereas the members of rare genera including Micromonospora, Nocardia Actinoplanes, Nocardiopsis, Saccharopolyspora and Crossiella were distributed in deeper stations. Approximately,25% of the examined isolates could scavenge 90% of 10~(–4) mol/L DPPH solutions at 1 250 μg/mL final concentration of their ethyl acetate culture extracts. Furthermore, the most potent extracts could scavenge DPPH radicals with IC50 ranges from 356.8 to 566.4 μg/mL. Brine shrimp cytotoxicity tests showed that 38.88% of the examined culture extracts exhibited LC_(50) lower than 1 000 μg/mL against the Artemia cells. Moreover, the most potent culture extracts exhibited LC_(50) range from 335.4 to 534.4 μg/mL. Phylogenetic analysis by 16 S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the OS 005, OS 263 and OS 157 closely related to Streptomyces djakartensis, Streptomyces olivaceus and Nocardiopsis dassonvillei respectively. These results suggested the widespread distribution of the antioxidant and cytotoxic producing actinobacteria in the Oman Sea sediments, which could be considered as promising candidates for the discovery of microbial bioactive compounds.     

Matrilineal evidence for genetic structure and Late Pleistocene demographic expansion of the Ornate goby Istigobius ornatus (Teleostei: Gobiidae) in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea

The Persian Gulf and Oman Sea are characterized by an interesting paleoclimatic history and different ecological settings, and offer a unique study area to investigate the genetic structure of marine organisms including fishes. The Ornate goby Istigobius ornatus is widely distributed throughout the tropical Indo‐West Pacific including the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. Here, we present the population structure, genetic diversity, and demographic history of four populations of I. ornatus from the latter two regions using the D‐loop marker of mitochondrial DNA. The results reveal a shallow genealogy, a star‐like haplotype network, significance of neutrality tests, and unimodal mismatch distribution. This is concordant with a recent demographic expansion of I. ornatus in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea at about 63,000–14,000 years ago, which appears to be related to Late Pleistocene sea level fall and rise. The results of the pairwise Fst estimates imply high gene flow along the coast of the Persian Gulf, which is probably due to larval dispersion, whereas the Oman Sea population clearly differs from all Persian Gulf populations. The AMOVA result indicates that 7.74% of the variation is related to differences among ecoregions, while inter‐ and intra‐population differences explained ?3.20% and 95.47% of the variation, respectively. The haplotype network depicts two groups of haplotypes, most of them were specific to the Persian Gulf. No further evidence for geographic lineage substructuring was evident. The Mantel test result indicates that isolation by distance is not the main mechanism that promoted the genetic differentiation among the studied populations of I. ornatus. We suggest that cumulative effects of ecological and geographic barriers such as salinity, oceanographic conditions, and the presence of the Strait of Hormuz have shaped the genetic structure of I. ornatus in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.     

Estimating original thickness and extent of the Semail Ophiolite in the eastern Oman Mountains by paleothermal indicators

The Oman Mountains preserve Permo-Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of the Arabian passive margin that were overridden during Late Cretaceous time by deep-water sediments of the Hawasina units and by the Semail Ophiolite, a portion of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic crust and upper mantle. Passive margin sequences are exposed in the Jabal Akhdar Culmination (JAC) and in the Jabal Salakh Range at the Oman Mountains thrust front. Samples of these sequences were investigated by X-ray diffraction of the clay size fraction to evaluate the thermal evolution of the subophiolite rocks and estimate the thickness and extent of the obducted ophiolites.The sedimentary succession from the northern flank of the JAC shows a clay mineral assemblage characterized by long-range ordered mixed layer I-S with an illite content between 85% and 92% and the occurrence of pyrophyllite and/or paragonite, suggesting maximum paleotemperatures between 150° and 200 °C in deep diagenetic conditions. On the southern flank of the JAC, temperature dependent clay minerals indicate maximum paleotemperatures, ranging between 120° and 150 °C, indicating a reduced ophiolite thickness towards the south. Ooid strain analyses of the subophiolite rocks from the northern flank of JAC show a component of flattening and stretching in the z-x plane as a result of plastic deformation and pressure solution. On the southern flank, such ductile deformation is absent, suggesting a brittle rheology for the subophiolite carbonates and a reduced overburden. 1D thermal modeling reveals that the sub-ophiolite units of the JAC were overthrust by 4.5 km-thick Semail Ophiolite and Hawasina units during the Coniacian, and exhumed since the Campanian. The subophiolite rocks of the Jabal Salakh Range were buried under 1.35 km of synobduction clastics and overthrust by 2 km-thick Hawasina units, suggesting a decrease of the thickness of allochthonous units from NE to SW, consistent with strain analysis and their direction of emplacement.     

南桑威奇俯冲带大地水准面异常及其地幔对流特征分析

以南桑威奇俯冲带为例,根据EGM2008超高阶地球重力场模型、卫星重力数据为基础,利用移去-恢复原理计算了研究区大地水准面,实现了研究区不同场源深度大地水准面异常信息的分离,根据Runcorn模型计算了研究区小尺度地幔对流应力场,并结合天然地震空间展布和前人研究成果,对俯冲带结构特征与地幔对流模式进行了探讨。结果表明:南桑威奇俯冲带具有俯冲倾角较大、地震震级较低、弧前侵蚀明显等典型的马里亚纳型俯冲带特征,俯冲带南北部俯冲深度存在明显差异,中段偏北俯冲深度可达500 km;受到软流圈与上地幔上部物质密度差异的控制,东斯科舍海脊下存在沿海脊轴向南流动强地幔流;俯冲带结构与小尺度地幔对流应力场具有很强的相关性。本研究对于搞清南桑威奇俯冲带深部构造特征,理解俯冲运动、地幔对流方向及其动力控制机制提供了新的研究思路和方法。     

华南海陆过渡带的地壳结构与壳内低速层

壳内低速层与地质构造背景的联系已逐渐引起人们的重视。华南沿海众多的地震测深剖面揭示出地壳不同深度上存在着壳内低速层。根据海陆联合深地震探测取得的数据,通过射线追踪和走时模拟方法,获得了沿OBS-2001测线海陆过渡带的地壳结构。根据低速层的走时间断特性辨识了海区地壳中部低速层。剖面中壳内低速层分布在新塘经南澳岛至南澳岛东南约150.0 km的陆架区,尖灭于东沙隆起,其顶面深度为10.0—18.0 km,速度为5.5—5.9 km.s-1,与上、下岩层的速度差均为0.5 km.s-1,其空间展布较为稳定,厚度为3.0—4.0 km,推断其为华南沿海陆上低速层的延伸,含水矿物脱水和部分熔融可能是引起该区壳内低速层弹性波速下降的主要因素。该区壳内低速层的研究对于深入认识岩石圈结构及动力学作用过程具有重要的地质地球物理意义。     

尼日利亚南部大陆边缘重力场特征及解释

利用中国-尼日利亚国际合作航次获得的船载重力数据,分析了尼日利亚南部大陆边缘的自由空间重力异常和布格重力异常特征,并通过两条从陆架—陆坡—陆隆一直延伸到深海盆地的重力剖面拟合出地壳密度结构。研究结果表明,地壳厚度总体上从陆架、陆坡至深海平原呈现阶梯状减薄的趋势,东侧的减薄幅度大于西侧,东侧从24 km减小到10 km,西侧从21 km减小到14 km。     

渤海辽北地区走滑转换构造发育特征及其对圈闭样式的控制作用

基于渤海辽北地区钻井资料和三维地震资料精细解释,对走滑断裂发育特征开展精细研究,并进一步完成对走滑转换构造的宏观判识和精细刻画,总结走滑转换构造对圈闭样式的差异控制作用。研究结果表明：①辽北地区断裂体系整体表现出强烈的右旋走滑性质,在走滑断裂叠接带、弯曲、尾端等构造位置,因构造应力调整而发育大量走滑转换构造;②依据走滑转换带的力学性质划分为增压型和释压型2大类,每一大类依据断裂空间展布关系进一步细化为单支弯曲型和双支叠复型,其中,单支弯曲型表现为单条走滑断层平面呈现“S”型变形,双支叠复型则表现为右旋左阶或右旋右阶;③增压型和释压型走滑转换构造控制发育的圈闭类型分别以断背斜和断块构造圈闭为主,增压型走滑转换构造控制的圈闭相对于释压型具有更大的勘探潜力。该研究丰富了走滑转换构造体系,填补了辽北地区走滑转换构造研究的空白,对渤海海域郯庐走滑断裂带油气勘探具有一定的借鉴指导意义。     

The structural styles and formation mechanism of salt structures in the Southern Precaspian Basin: Insights from seismic data and analog modeling

Using the seismic profiles and analog modeling, this paper addresses the salt structures in the M and B blocks in the Southern Precaspian Basin. The salt structural features, the formation mechanism and the controlling factors of structural deformation are investigated and discussed systematically. The interpretation of the seismic profiles shows that typical salt-related structures include salt wall, (flip-flop) salt diapir, salt roller, salt pillow (dome), salt weld, salt withdrawal minibasin and drag structure (or drape fold). In addition, model results demonstrate that the gravity spreading driven by progradation and aggradation is probably the primary factor in controlling the formation of the salt structures in the research area. Due to the differential loading driven by progradation, passive salt diapir developed near the progradational front followed by the formation of intrasalt withdrawal minibasin bounded by two salt diapirs, and secondary reactive triangle salt diapir or salt pillow might form within the intrasalt withdrawal minibasin. Model results also indicate that the pattern of the subsalt basement has important influence on the formation and evolution of salt structures. Salt diapirs primarily developed along the margin of the subsalt uplift basement, where high shear deformation was induced by differential sedimentary loading between the uplift area and the slope area.