--> Abstract: Relation Between Holocene and Tertiary Normal Faults: A Comparison of Shallow and Deep Seismic, Gravity and Images Across the Baton Rouge Fault System, Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast, Louisiana, USA, by Juan Lorenzo, Carrie Cazes, Clay Westbrook, Byron Miller, Richard P. McCullogh, Allen Lowrie, and Ivor Van Heerden; #90032 (2004)
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Relation Between Holocene and Tertiary Normal Faults: A Comparison of Shallow and Deep Seismic, Gravity and Images Across the Baton Rouge Previous HitFaultNext Hit System, Northern Gulf of Mexico Coast, Louisiana, USA

Juan Lorenzo1, Carrie Cazes1, Clay Westbrook1, Byron Miller1, Richard P. McCullogh1, Allen Lowrie2, Ivor Van Heerden3
1 Dept. Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
2 Consultant
3 Louisiana State University, Hurricane Center

The Baton Rouge Previous HitfaultNext Hit is part of a regional east-west trending, down-to-the-south active Previous HitfaultNext Hit zone known as the Baton Rouge - Tepetate Previous HitFaultNext Hit System. This Previous HitfaultNext Hit system traverses eastern Texas, western Louisiana (Tepetate System), eastern-to-central portions of south Louisiana (Baton Rouge System), passes eastward of the Pearl River and serves as the northern limit of St. Louis Bay, Mississippi.

At depth, this Previous HitfaultNext Hit system exhibits late Eocene to Oligocene synextensional growth strata. Pronounced surface expression of the Baton Rouge Previous HitfaultNext Hit indicates Holocene Previous HitfaultNext Hit movement.

Hydrocarbon productive fields occur along the Baton Rouge Previous HitfaultNext Hit in rollover structures downthrown to the Previous HitfaultNext Hit. Shallow oil accumulations and hydrogeology data suggest that the Previous HitfaultNext Hit zone once may have permitted migration of hydrocarbons updip and across the Previous HitfaultNext Hit zone.

New models for soft-sediment deformation may be applied advantageously to explain the location of hydrocarbon fields adjacent to overlapping normal Previous HitfaultNext Hit zones. A 100-meter wide Previous HitfaultNext Hit zone is interpreted from 100 Hertz, high-resolution, seismic data. Together with forced folds that are expected from competent rock models, a complex sediment distribution pattern is predicted. It can be interpreted using:

  • new gravity data (+/- .01 milligal),
  • digital elevation models (LiDAR, +/- 0.3 m; Light Distance and Ranging)
  • borehole data (0-30 meters depth)

Overlapping normal Previous HitfaultTop zones divert local stream flow and concentrate local-scale sediment fluxes.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90032©2004 GCAGS 54th Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas, October 10-12, 2004