THE GULF OF LION - SUBSIDENCE OF A YOUNG CONTINENTAL-MARGIN

Journal article

The origin of the subsidence of Atlantic-type continental margins is of much interest to geology and geophysics. The main problem at these margins is in explaining the substantial thicknesses of mainly shallow-water sediments which accumulate soon after rifting and plate separation. We have now used biostratigraphic data from commercial wells to study the subsidence history of a young Atlantic-type continental margin. Backstripping the sediment load reveals that the margin has been subsiding at nearly mid-ocean ridge rates. Geological data indicate that lithospheric stretching alone cannot account for this amount of subsidence and other processes must be involved. © 1980 Nature Publishing Group.

Authors: Steckler, M; Watts, A

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: NATURE
• Volume: 287
• Issue: 5781
• Pages: 425-429
• Publication date: 1980-01-01
• DOI: 10.1038/287425a0
• ISSN: 0028-0836
• Language: English