Salt tectonism and the evolution of the Sigsbee Scarp,Gulf of Mexico

A sequence of thirteen seismic reflection profiles across the Sigsbee Scarp suggests that it is the surface expression of the most recent of a regular sequence of parallel salt ridges. The ridges are intruded vertically and in sequence, basinward from an extensive and deeply buried salt layer. The process is self-propagating, due to an inherent instability resulting from the low density of the salt and its reduced viscosity at increased temperatures.