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Episodic rifting of continental marginal basins and tectonic events since 10 Ma in the South China Sea

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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Integrated study on the tectonic, basin filling and thermal evolution of the Tertiary basins on the northern margin of the South China Sea has indicated that the rift continental margin on the northern South China Sea is not a passive margin and that the western margin is characteristic of the transformextension. Episodic rifting and the thermal events since 10 Ma in the area have been documented by the integrated analysis of dynamic process. It has been clarified that the tectono-thermal events have exerted a significant influence on basin features and hydrocarbon accumulation, and particularly, the westward collision of the Lusong Island Arc, the generation of densely spaced faults in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, the rapid subsidence, high heat flow and large-scale over pressure and thermal-fluid breakthrough in the Yinggehai and the Qiongdongnan basins have proved to be the important factors determining the formation of oil and gas in these basins.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. China University of Geosciences, 430074, Wuhan, China

    Sitian Li & Shigong Yang

  2. China University of Geosciences, 100083, Beijing, China

    Changsong Lin

  3. China Offshore Oil Nanhai East Corp., 524057, Zhanjiang, China

    Qiming Zhang

  4. China Offshore Oil Donghai Corp., 074000, Gaobeidian, China

    Peikan Wu

Authors
  1. Sitian Li
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  2. Changsong Lin
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  3. Qiming Zhang
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  4. Shigong Yang
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  5. Peikan Wu
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Li, S., Lin, C., Zhang, Q. et al. Episodic rifting of continental marginal basins and tectonic events since 10 Ma in the South China Sea. Chin.Sci.Bull. 44, 10–23 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03182877

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03182877

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