Geometry and kinematics of compressional growth structures and diapirs in the La Popa basin of northeast Mexico: Insights from sequential restoration of a regional cross section and three-dimensional analysis

摘要

Diapirism in the La Popa basin NE Mexico was triggered and sustained by compressional decollement tectonics. Coeval development of contractional structures and diapirs was recorded by growth strata of Late Cretaceous-Tertiary age. A palinspastic reconstruction of a regional cross section, based on the restoration of growth strata related to both diapirs and detachment folds, was carried out. On the basis of this reconstruction and field data, a three-dimensional geometrical study was done to quantify the movement of evaporites within the detachment horizon and two diapirs. The latter allowed determining the tectonodiapiric potential of a structure or set of structures (i.e., the amount of ductile rocks forced to flow in association with the growth of a tectonic structure, which is not accommodated by thickening of the ductile horizon nor by the tectonic structure itself, and is capable of producing diapiric phenomena).