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Geometry and kinematics of the Middle to Late Miocene salt tectonics, central Egyptian Red Sea margin

Research Authors
Moamen Ali, Hemin Koyi, William Bosworth, Marco Ligi, Philip J Ball, Alessandro Decarlis
Research Abstract

The Red Sea basin includes a thick Middle to Late Miocene evaporitic succession that underwent halokinesis and caused intensive reshaping of the seafloor and the development of salt-tectonic structures. However, the geometry and kinematics of these structures are still poorly understood. This study uses 2D and 3D seismic surveys and well data of the northern Egyptian Red Sea to systematically describe the distribution and morphology of salt structures, discuss their initiation, and construct a kinematic model for their origin. Our results indicate that the massive salt layer developed into five major NW-SE to NNE-SSW trending salt walls, characterized by relatively irregular crests and moderately dipping flanks. In addition, several symmetrical and asymmetrical folds and two categories of normal faults (subsalt and suprasalt) have been recognized. Based on our observations, salt mobilization in the study area …

Research Date
Research Department
Research Journal
Journal of Structural Geology
Research Member
Research Publisher
Elsevier
Research Rank
Q1
Research Vol
176
Research Website
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191814123001724
Research Year
2023
Research Pages
104955