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Maria Sdrolias Dietmar Muller Carmen Gaina

A Geodynamic Framework for Petroleum Exploration in the SW Pacific. Maria Sdrolias Dietmar Muller Carmen Gaina Division of Geology & Geophysics, School of Geosciences University of Sydney. Back-arc Basins. Why study back-arcs?.

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Maria Sdrolias Dietmar Muller Carmen Gaina

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  1. A Geodynamic Framework for Petroleum Exploration in the SW Pacific Maria Sdrolias Dietmar Muller Carmen Gaina Division of Geology & Geophysics, School of Geosciences University of Sydney

  2. Back-arc Basins

  3. Why study back-arcs? • They are a poorly understood component of the plate tectonic theory • Counter-intuitive that there is extension in a convergent margin setting • Spatial and temporal pattern of back-arc basin formation is enigmatic • Back-arc basins are associated with a diverse suite of mineral deposits

  4. Where?

  5. SW Pacific

  6. SW Pacific

  7. Outcomes • Episodicity of back-arc formation: Back-arc basin formation from 45 Ma to the present with a break from 25 Ma to 8 Ma. • Why is there an anomalous amount of intra-plate volcanism in the SW Pacific at ~20 Ma? Could this be a surface representation of processes occurring at the transition zone? • Why is there such complex spreading in the back-arc basins of the SW Pacific? Is this related to a thermal anomaly?

  8. Episodic backarc basin formation (Facenna et al. 2001, EPSL)

  9. Petroleum Exploration • Our model predicts the timing and location of extensional and compressional tectonics within oceanic and continental lithosphere • fault structures • sedimentation • subsidence and uplift • thermal anomalies • Influx of volcanogenic sedimentation in sedimentary basins can be predicted and dated

  10. Conclusion • Need an understand of fundamental processes at convergent margin settings • Need to interpret these regions to extract necessary observational information • SW Pacific provides an example: long history of convergence and opening and the present convergent margin is well studied • Important for potential hydrocarbon targets and mineral exploration

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