SOME DEFORMATION EFFECTS IN A CLASTIC OVERBURDEN RESULTING FROM SALT MOBILITY

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Abstract
In a basin containing an evaporite sequence that includes salt rock, should the salt become mobile and deform plastically, it will produce important structural effects in overlying sediments. These effects may include folding, faulting, slumping, and in some cases where dissolution of the salt also occurs, collapse structures. The movement of the salt/overburden system during plastic deformation of the salt may be syndepositional, in which case rim syncline sedimentation will take place at the surface. The form taken by the rim syncline deposits will be related to the stage of development of the salt structures with which they are associated.An understanding of the mechanisms involved is important, particularly in a basin containing hydrocarbons. Also, study of the behaviour at depth of sediments which are subject to deformational stress may assist in solving structural problems on the Larger, regional scale. Selected examples of various effects seen in the North Sea Zechstein salt basin are discussed and illustrated with recently‐acquired seismic data.