The Late Cretaceous–Cenozoic evolution of the eastern North Sea region is investigated by 3D thermo-mechanical modelling. The model quantifies the integrated effects on basin evolution of large-scale lithospheric processes, rheology, strength heterogeneities, tectonics, eustasy, sedimentation and erosion.
The evolution of the area is influenced by a number of factors: (1) thermal subsidence centred in the central North Sea providing accommodation space for thick sediment deposits; (2) 250-m eustatic fall from the Late Cretaceous to present, which causes exhumation of the North Sea Basin margins; (3) varying sediment supply; (4) isostatic adjustments following erosion and sedimentation; (5) Late Cretaceous–early Cenozoic Alpine compressional phases causing tectonic inversion of the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone (STZ) and other weak zones.
The stress field and the lateral variations in lithospheric strength control lithospheric deformation under compression. The lithosphere is relatively weak in areas where Moho is deep and the upper mantle warm and weak. In these areas the lithosphere is thickened during compression producing surface uplift and erosion (e.g., at the Ringkøbing–Fyn High and in the southern part of Sweden). Observed late Cretaceous–early Cenozoic shallow water depths at the Ringkøbing–Fyn High as well as Cenozoic surface uplift in southern Sweden (the South Swedish Dome (SSD)) are explained by this mechanism.
The STZ is a prominent crustal structural weakness zone. Under compression, this zone is inverted and its surface uplifted and eroded. Contemporaneously, marginal depositional troughs develop. Post-compressional relaxation causes a regional uplift of this zone.
The model predicts sediment distributions and paleo-water depths in accordance with observations. Sediment truncation and exhumation at the North Sea Basin margins are explained by fall in global sea level, isostatic adjustments to exhumation, and uplift of the inverted STZ. This underlines the importance of the mechanisms dealt with in this paper for the evolution of intra-cratonic sedimentary basins. 相似文献
The paper makes some analyses on 11 trace elements in the Milanggouwan stratigraphical section in the Salawusu River valley,
which is regarded as a prototype geology-palaeoclimate record since 150 ka BP. The results show that the content and variation
of trace elements has experienced remarkably regular changes in the pace with coarse and fine sedimentary cycles of palaeo-aeolian
sands to its overlying fluvio-lacustrine facies or/and palaeosols. The trace elements with chemical properties of relatively
active (V, Sr, Cu, Ni, As) and relatively stable (P, Pb, Rb, Mn, Nb, Zr) are a manifestation of the corresponding 27 changeable
cycles between peak and valley values, appearing a multi-fiuctuational process line of relative gathering and migration since
then. The low numerical value distribution of these two types of trace elements in the aeolian sand facies represents erosion
and accumulation under wind force during the cold-dry climate. Whereas their enrichments in both fluvio-lacustrine facies
and palaeosols are related to the valley’s special low-lying physiognomic position between the Ordos Plateau and the Loess
Plateau under the warm and humid climate conditions. The above relatively migrated and gathered change of the trace elements
is the result of 27 climatic cycles of cold-dry and warm-humid, which is probably caused by repeated alternations of winter
monsoon and summer monsoon in the Mu Us Sandy Land influenced by the climate vicissitudes in northern hemisphere during glacial
and interglacial periods since 150 ka BP. 相似文献