Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene extensional phase in the Golfo San Jorge basin (Argentina): Growth-fault model, paleoseismicity and paleostress analysis

A total of 170 synsedimentary normal faults preserved in the marine Salamanca Formation (Early Paleocene of the Golfo San Jorge basin) were described from exposures of the Northern Flank of the basin. The result of the paleostress analysis of those normal faults indicates an NE-SW (49°) extensional direction during Early Paleocene times. Synsedimentary normal faults and seismites in the unit demonstrate the occurrence of an extensional tectonic event coeval with the deposition of the Salamanca Formation.Available 3D seismic surveys of the subsurface of the basin allowed recognizing asymmetric, fault-bounded Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene depocentres, identifying at least two main tectonic pulses in this extensional phase. The mapping of normal faults from seismic attributes (e.g. time slices) is WNW-ESE (278°–98°), a trend that apart significantly from outcrop results. The major faults in the subsurface that affect the Early Paleocene succession are the result of the extensional reactivation of Lower Cretaceous normal faults, which are mainly related to pre-existing structures in the basement of the basin. The D/L ratio of normal faults in the subsurface give smaller values than those based on theoretical relationships, being considered as sub-displaced normal faults. These low D-L values imply that the length of the major Paleocene faults was reached earlier by inheritance of previous faults. In addition, the subsurface lengths of faults allowed estimating paleoearthquake magnitudes greater to M ≈ 5 from empirical relations, matching with previous results obtained from the analysis of soft-sediment deformational structures preserved in the Salamanca Formation. This study displays at several scales the nature, origin and tectonic products of the Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene extensional phase in the Golfo San Jorge basin.

► We study the Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene extensional phase, Golfo San Jorge basin.
► 170 synsedimentary normal faults were described in the Salamanca Formation.
► Paleostress analysis from mesoscopic faults shows an NE-SW extension direction.
► The upward propagation of previous faults generated sub-displaced normal faults.
► The fault-length of normal faults would be enough to generate earthquakes with M > 5.