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Faculty of Science and Technology
MASTER’S THESISFaculty of Science and Technology
MASTER’S THESIS
Study program/Specialization:
Petroleum Geosciences EngineeringSpring, 2013
Open
Writer:Dora Luz Marín Restrepo
Faculty supervisor: Nestor Cardozo
External supervisor(s): Camilo Montes, Universidad de Los Andes (Bogota-Colombia)
Faculty supervisor: Nestor Cardozo
External supervisor(s): Camilo Montes, Universidad de Los Andes (Bogota-Colombia)
Title of thesis:
Structural analysis of the Tabaco anticline, Cerrejón mine, Northern Colombia (South America)
Title of thesis:
Structural analysis of the Tabaco anticline, Cerrejón mine, Northern Colombia (South America)
Credits (ECTS): 30Credits (ECTS): 30
Keywords:Strain, curvature, restoration, strike slip fault, throw, 3D model
Pages: 71
Stavanger, June 13, 2013
i
Copyright
by
Dora Luz Marín Restrepo
2013
ii
Structural analysis of the Tabaco anticline, Cerrejón mine, Northern
Colombia (South America)
by
Dora Luz Marín Restrepo
Master Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of Science and Technology
The University of Stavanger
The University of Stavanger
06-2013
iii
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisors Nestor Cardozo and Camilo Montes for their help with
preparation and processing of the data, as well as for their valuable comments, edits and
constructive discussions. Thanks to Dave Quinn at Badleys for his fast and effective answers
about TrapTester, which were crucial to accomplish my goals. I would also like to thank Chris
Townsend for help in the construction of the 3D model, and Lisa Bingham for help with ArcGis.
Finally, thanks to Andreas Habel for IT support. The computers programs TrapTester (Badleys),
3DMove (Midland Valley), Petrel (Schlumberger), Matlab (Mathworks), and OSXStereonet
(Cardozo and Allmendinger, 2013) were used in this thesis.
iv
Abstract
Structural analysis of the Tabaco anticline, Cerrejón mine, Northern Colombia (South
America)
Dora Luz Marín Restrepo
University of Stavanger, 2013
Supervisor: Nestor Cardozo Ph.D.
External Supervisor: Camilo Montes Ph.D.
The Tabaco anticline is located in the Cesar-Ranchería basin of northern Colombia, South
America, close to the transpressional collision between the Caribbean and South American
plates. The anticline is bounded by the Cerrejón thrust to the east, the right lateral strike slip Oca
fault to the north, and the left lateral strike slip Ranchería fault to the south. The anticline is
asymmetric and verges to the SE, with a NW limb dipping in average 26°W, a SE limb dipping
41°E, and a fold axis 217°/7° (trend and plunge). The fold’s vergence is opposite to that of the
Cerrejón thrust. In this thesis, I make a 3D structural model of the Tabaco anticline using a high
resolution dataset from the Cerrejón open coal mine in an area of about 10 km2. This 3D model
contains 17 coal seams and 67 faults. The thesis is divided in three main parts: Construction of a
3D structural model, fault displacement analysis, and restoration of the anticline. Four different
patterns in the contours of fault throw were observed: 1) Low throw in the middle of the fault
and high throw in the areas around, 2) Highest throw at one corner of the fault and not in the
center, 3) Highest throw in the middle of the fault, and 4) In conjugated faults, highest value of
throw at the intersection of the two fault planes. Most of the faults show pattern 3. Patterns 1 and
2 are mostly due to lack of sampling of the entire fault surfaces. Faults show a consistent pattern
of slip in the area. 3D restoration of the anticline using a flexural slip technique suggests a total
v
shortening of 18%. Fault-related strain (from the analysis of fault displacement) and fold-related
strain (from the restoration of the coal seams) are related, with the highest values of fold-related
strain associated with a fault in the core of the anticline, and the faults located in the SW
anticlinal limb. Fold-related strains are also high in the SE, steeply dipping anticlinal limb. The
results of this study show that the anticline was affected by uplift of the Santa Marta massif,
Perijá range deformation, and strike-slip movement of the Oca , Samán and Ranchería faults.
vi
Table of Contents
List of Tables................................................................................................................................viii
List of Figures................................................................................................................................ix
1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................11
2 Geological setting.......................................................................................................................15
2.1 Regional tectonic setting..............................................................................................15
2.2 Cenozoic stratigraphy of the Cesar-Ranchería Basin..................................................18
2.3 The Tabaco Anticline and the Cerrejón mine data.......................................................19
3 Methods.......................................................................................................................................26
3.1 Construction of 3D structural model............................................................................26
3.1.1 Coal seams construction...............................................................................26
3.1.2 Fault network construction..........................................................................28
3.2 Fault displacement analysis.........................................................................................29
3.3 Restoration of the anticline..........................................................................................30
3.4 Curvature......................................................................................................................32
4. Results........................................................................................................................................33
4.1 3D structure of the Tabaco anticline............................................................................33
4.1.1 Fault geometry....................................................................................................33
4.1.2 Curvature...........................................................................................................39
4.2 Fault displacement analysis............................................................................................43
4.2.1 Fault displacement patterns................................................................................43
4.2.2 Fault array summation and strain.......................................................................45
4.3 Restoration......................................................................................................................54
4.3.1 Strain maps.........................................................................................................57
5. Discussion..................................................................................................................................59
5.1 Summary of the main events affecting the Tabaco anticline in a regional context........63
References......................................................................................................................................66
vii
List of Tables
Table 1. Summary of main faults in the area.................................................................................17
viii
List of Figures
Figure 1. Location of the study area in Northern Colombia (South America)..............................12
Figure 2. Geologic map of the northern Cesar-Ranchería Basin in the area of the Tabaco
anticline..............................................................................................................................13
Figure 3. Schematic illustration of an isolated fault.....................................................................14
Figure 4. Generalized Cenozoic stratigraphy of the northern Cesar-Ranchería Basin.................16
Figure 5. Systematic dissection of the Tabaco Anticline in ten horizontal mining levels.............22
Figure 6. Map showing the location of measured bedding data (red lines) in the Tabaco
anticline..............................................................................................................................23
Figure 7. Lower hemisphere stereographic projection of poles to bedding in the Tabaco
anticline..............................................................................................................................24
Figure 8. Lower hemisphere stereographic projection of poles to bedding from reconstructed
coal seams surfaces in the Tabaco anticline.......................................................................24
Figure 9. Down-plunge projection of the Tabaco anticline...........................................................25
Figure 10. Steps in the construction of the coal seam surfaces.....................................................27
Figure 11. Steps in the construction of a fault plane.....................................................................29
Figure 12. a) Map showing the location of the cross sections A-A’, B-B’ and C-C’ b) Three cross
section of the Tabaco anticline after the reconstruction of upper coal seams with parallel
folding................................................................................................................................32
Figure 13. Geologic curvature classification................................................................................33
Figure 14. Faults in the 3D model and their occurrence in each of the coal seams......................39
Figure 15. Distribution of maximum curvature (kmax), minimum curvature (kmin), and geologic
curvature with kt = 0..........................................................................................................42
Figure 16. Fault throw patterns observed in the 3D model...........................................................44
Figure 17. Distribution of fault patterns in coal seam 130............................................................45
Figure 18. Left side: Maps displaying the faults affecting each coal seam, contoured by their
throw attribute. Right side: Plots of individual and cumulative fault throw, and cumulative
ix
fault related strain vs. distance. The initial and the last position of the sampling line are
indicated in the map view. e-o contain two groups of plots, one corresponding to NW-SE
striking faults, and another to NE-SW striking faults..........................................................54
Figure 19. Restoration of the Tabaco anticline using the flexural-slip technique.........................56
Figure 20. Maps of maximum principal elongation (e1)..............................................................58
Figure 21. Stearn and Friedman (1972) model showing the fractures set associated with
folding...................................................................................................................................60
Figure 22. Individual and aggregate fault throw, and fault-related strain vs. distance for coal
seam 123 after the re-interpretation of fault 4......................................................................61
Figure 23. Summary of the main events affecting the Tabaco anticline.......................................66
x
1. Introduction
3D structural models allow the integration of scattered 2D and 3D data (e.g. field mapping, 2D
and 3D seismic, wells) into a common framework, where the data must complement each other
and give rise to an internally consistent model. There are beautiful examples of 3D models,
particularly in areas where the data have very high resolution, large coverage, and are measured
on 2D slices of various orientations (e.g. Yorkshire coal mines data in the UK). Integration of
these data in 3D has given us tremendous insight into the geometry, displacement fields and
growth of faults, particularly in extensional settings (e.g. Rippon 1985; Walsh and Watterson,
1987, 1988; Huggins et al, 1995). Restoration of 3D structural models is a great tool to better
understand the spatial and temporal evolution of geological structures, and in the subsurface
where often only seismic and sparse well data are available, it is the most relevant tool to predict
subseismic features such as fractures. 3D structural models are thus key to represent and
characterize reservoirs. They are the basic framework of hydrocarbon flow models.
Inconsistencies in 3D structural models (e.g. incorrect positioning of the fault network and layer
juxtapositions) have higher impact on fluid flow models than the exact calibration of fluid flow
model parameters (Fisher and Jolley, 2007).
In this thesis, I make a 3D structural model of the Tabaco anticline, using a high resolution
dataset from the Cerrejón open coal mine in La Guajira department, northern Colombia, South
America (Figure 1). The dataset consists of differential GPS measurements of coals seams and
fault traces on 10 horizontal slices (i.e. mining levels) in an area of about 10 km2. These coal
seams delineate the geometry of the anticline in 3D. Additionally, this dataset offers an unique
opportunity to understand faulting and folding in a transpressional setting, in an area bounded by
regional strike-slip faults to the north and south, and a thrust to the east. This study is a
continuation of previous research by Montes et al. (in prep.) who acquired and processed the
GPS data, measured kinematic indicators in the area, and constructed a pseudo-3D model of the
anticline.
11
±
0 30 60 90 12015Km
Caribbean Plate
Southern Cari
bbean Defo
rmed Belt
South American Plate
Santa Marta
CR basin
Perijá
Panamá
Cartagena
Maracaibo Lake
72°00`W73°00`W74°00`W75°00`W76°00`W77°00`W78°00`W79°00`W
74°00`W75°00`W76°00`W77°00`W78°00`W79°00`W
12°00`N
11°00`N
10°00`N
9°00`N
8°00`N
7°00`N
12°00`N
11°00`N
10°00`N
9°00`N
8°00`N
7°00`N
15.28
10.87
16.53
29.17
30.48
22.06
19.69
9.53
6.87
5.253.16
4.92
Tuesday, June 11, 13
Figure 1. Location of the study area in Northern Colombia (South America). The red rectangle is the study area (Figure 2). Black lines are faults. CR = Cesar-Ranchería Basin. Black arrows are GPS velocity vectors relative to stable South America (1991, 1994, 1996, and 1998 CASA campaigns; Trenkamp et al., 2002). Numbers are velocity vectors in mm/yr.
The Tabaco anticline is located in the Cesar-Ranchería Basin of Northern Colombia, South
America, close to the transpressional collision between the Caribbean and South American plates
(Figure 1). The anticline is an asymmetric fold plunging to the southwest (Ruiz, 2006; Palencia,
2007). The asymmetry of the fold is defined by steeply dipping strata (average of 41°E) on its
southeastern flank, and shallowly dipping strata (average of 26°W) on its northwestern flank
(Montes et al., in prep.). The Tabaco anticline is bounded to the southeast by the northwest-
verging, Cerrejón thrust (which is also the boundary between the Cesar-Ranchería Basin and the
Perijá range), to the north by the right-lateral Oca fault, to the south by the left-lateral Ranchería
fault, and to the west by the 5700 m high Santa Marta massif (Figure 2). The trend of the
anticline (N20°E) is oblique to the Oca and Ranchería strike-slip faults, and its vergence is
12
opposite to that of the Cerrejón thrust (Montes et al., 2010). The Tabaco anticline is important for
the geology of the area because it records the deformation of the strike-slip and thrust faults, and
the uplift of the Santa Marta massif and Perijá range.
Ku
Tpc
Tpm
Tep
Tpc
Tep
Tet
Tet
Kc
72°30'W
72°30'W
72°40'W
72°40'W
72°50'W
72°50'W
11°10'N 11°10'N
11°0'N 11°0'N
±
0 2 4 6 81Km
Oca fault
Cerrrejón
fault
Ranchería fault
Tabaco anticline
Perijá ra
nge
Santa Marta
massif
Tep: Palomino FmTet: Tabaco FmTpc: Cerrejon FmTpm: Manantial FmKu: Cretaceus undiff.Kc: Cogollo Gr.
16
13
14
26
41
Samán fault
Thursday, April 25, 13
Figure 2. Geologic map of the northern Cesar-Ranchería Basin in the area of the Tabaco anticline. Modified from Montes et al. (2010). The red rectangle shows the area of the Cerrejón open coal mine where the GPS data were collected.
This thesis is subdivided in three main topics: Construction of a 3D structural model, fault
displacement analysis, and restoration of the anticline. The 3D model of the anticline was
constructed using the traces of coal seams and faults on horizontal mining levels, giving a total
of 17 coal seams and 67 faults. The faults were divided into four structural domains as suggested
by Palencia (2007). The 3D model was used to calculate the displacement field on faults. An
important concept is that the faults should show a reasonable variation in displacement, with zero
displacement at the fault tipline and maximum displacement at the center of the fault surface
(Kim and Sanderson, 2005; Figure 3).
13
Dis
plac
emen
t (D
)Tip
Point
Tip Point
Dmax
Hei
ght (
H)
Length (L)
DmaxHanging wall
Footwall
Sunday, April 21, 13
Figure 3. Schematic illustration of an ideal, isolated fault. Displacement is maximum at the center of the fault and decreases outwards to be zero at the fault tipline (modified from Fossen, 2012).
Using TrapTester (Badleys), the throw was calculated on each fault. Four different patterns in the
contours of fault throw were found: 1) Low throw in the middle of the fault and high throw in the
areas around, 2) Highest throw at one corner of the fault and not in the center, 3) the most
common pattern, highest throw in the middle of the fault, and 4) In conjugated faults, highest
throw at the intersection of the two fault planes.
Pattern 1 can be explained by the fault linkage model (Peacock and Sanderson, 1991; Cartwright
et al., 1995), in which the faults grow as isolated faults at early stages and then link to produce
larger faults. In this case, the area of low throw is indicating the zone of fault linkage. A possible
explanation for pattern 2 is that the fault is actually larger, but there are not enough data to
14
resolve the complete fault plane. Pattern 3 is the consistent pattern of fault displacement of
Figure 3. In pattern 4, the two conjugate faults add to a larger displacement.
Profiles of fault displacement versus distance were also constructed to visualize the 3D
distribution of fault displacement in the anticline, and to make inferences about fault-related
strain (i.e. the gradient of fault displacement) in the area. The faults with highest value of throw
are fault 59 (an E-W fault located in the core of the anticline), and fault 45 (the Samán fault). The
faults that show the highest values of strain are located in the SW limb of the anticline and have a
strike NE-SW.
Finally a restoration of the Tabaco anticline was performed using a flexural-slip technique. This
technique preserves volume in 3-D, line length in the unfolding direction, and orthogonal bed
thickness (Griffiths et al., 2002). The restoration shows that the total shortening of the Tabaco
anticline is 18%. The shortening of coal seam 130 is 6%, 115 is 2%, 105 is 7%, and 100 is 3%.
The maximum fault-related strain for coal seam 130 is 5%, 115 is 3%, 105 is 10 % and 100 is
2.5%. The results of this study show that the anticline was affected by the uplift of the Santa
Marta massif and Perijá range, and the strike slip movements of the Oca, Samán and Ranchería
faults.
2 Geological setting
2.1 Regional tectonic setting
The Tabaco anticline is located in the Cesar-Ranchería basin, northern Colombia, South America,
close to the transpressional collision between the Caribbean and South American plates (Figure
1). The northern part of the Cesar-Ranchería basin is defined by a southeast-dipping monocline
that shows structural continuity with the Santa Marta massif to the west (Figure 2). The
monocline is bounded to the north by the right-lateral Oca fault and to the east by the northwest-
vergent Cerrejón thrust (Montes et al., 2010) which limits the Perijá range (Kellogg, 1984;
Figure 2). Faults and folds in the footwall of the Cerrejón thrust are only affecting Cenozoic
15
rocks (Figure 4), these structures include the left-lateral Ranchería fault and the Tabaco anticline
(Montes et al., 2010). Table 1 shows a summary of the main faults in the area. Sánchez and
Mann (2012) describe 3 major periods of shortening for the Cesar-Ranchería Basin that include:
an event in the Paleocene- early Eocene, an Oligocene- early Miocene event, and a last period in
the Pliocene-Pleistocene.
Legend
Sandstone
Shale
Claystone
Limestone
Coal
Siltstone
Early
Pal
eoce
ne
Mid
dle
to L
ate
Pale
ocen
eLa
te P
aleo
cene
to E
arly
Eoc
ene
Early
Eo
cene
Upp
er C
erre
jón
Fm
S100
S102
S95S90
S105
S106
S110
S115
S120
S123S125
S130
S135
S145
S150
S155
S160S170
S175
3
Man
antia
lC
erre
jón
59
61
57
Taba
coPa
lmito
FormationAge
Ma
Lithology
55
20 m
Tuesday, May 21, 2013Figure 4. Generalized Cenozoic stratigraphy of the northern Cesar-Ranchería Basin and detail of the Upper Cerrejón Formation where the coal seams (S) analyzed in this study are located. Identification numbers on the coal seams are the same as those of the 3D model (modify from Bayona et al., 2011).
16
Table 1. Summary of main faults in the area
Name of Fault Type Displacement Age
Oca Right lateral strike slip
Feo-Codecido (1972): 15 to 20 kmTchanz et al. (1974): 65 km
Montes et al. (2010): 75-100 KmKellogg (1984): 90 km
Pindell et al. (1998): 100 km
Middle to Late Miocene (Konn in Shagam, 1984
Cerrejón Reverse Total throw between 16-26 km (Kellogg and Bonini, 1982)
Early Eocene and Late Oligocene (Montes et
al., 2010)
Ranchería Left lateral strike slip
5 km (Sánchez, 2008; Montes et al., 2010)
No information available
The western boundary of the area is the Santa Marta massif (Figure 2), an isolated, triangular
basement block with a maximum elevation of 5700 meters above sea level. Cardona et al. (2008)
estimated exhumation rates for the Santa Marta massif of 0.7 km/Ma between 65-48 Ma, 0.16
km/Ma until the Late Oligocene, and 0.33 km/Ma in the middle-late Miocene.
The eastern limit of the Cesar-Ranchería basin is the northwest-vergent Cerrejón thrust with an
average dip of 9-12° towards the SE in the surface (Montes et al., 2010). This fault is the western
boundary of the Perijá range (Figure 2). The Perijá range consists of Mesozoic and Palaeozoic
igneous and sedimentary rocks with a maximum elevation of 3650 meters above sea level
(Kellogg, 1984). Four deformation phases have been described in the area starting in the Early
Eocene (53 Ma) and Middle Eocene (45 Ma), intensifying during the Late Oligocene with thrust
sheet emplacement and unroofing of 3–4 km (Kellogg, 1984), and ending between the Late
Miocene to recent. Four post-Jurassic, thrust detachment levels have been proposed in the Sierra
de Perijá: at the base and top of the Upper Cretaceous shales of the Colón Formation, at the
shales of the Guaimaros Member of the Cretaceous Apón Formation, at the shale and sandstone
with high mica content of the Lisure Formation; and an intrabasement detachment level (Duerto
et al., 2006).
17
2.2 Cenozoic stratigraphy of the Cesar-Ranchería Basin
A Late Cretaceous to Eocene sedimentary succession is preserved in the area (Figure 4). The
Early Paleocene Manantial Formation is composed of glauconitic shales and sandy limestones
(Bayona et al., 2011). The upper Manantial Formation include calcareous sandstone and
biomicrite beds, followed by a thick succession of dark-coloured mudstone and siltstone beds
with plant remains and signs of bioturbation. Towards the top, calcareous and fossiliferous
sandstone beds interbedded with laminated mudstone and siltstone beds and local conglomerates
occur. Bayona et al. (2011) described a change in thickness of this unit eastward from 600 m at
the west of the basin, to 180 m in a well close to the Ranchería fault.
The Cerrejón Formation is a 1 km thick coal-bearing unit that consists of very fine to fine
grained argillaceous sandstones, dark colored sandy siltstones and interbedded mudstones, shales
and coal seams (Bayona et al., 2011). Jaramillo et al. (2007) established an age of Middle-to-Late
Paleocene for this formation. The Cerrejón Formation is a deltaic sequence that were deposited
in less than 2 My (Bayona et al., 2007; Jaramillo et al., 2007). Almost all the coal seams that
were modeled in this thesis are located in the upper part of the Cerrejón Formation (S 100-175,
Figure 4), only coal seams 90 and 95 are located in the lower part of the Formation. Provenance
analyses in the Paleocene Manantial and Cerrejón Formations in the northernmost part of the
Cesar-Ranchería valley indicate that these Formations were supplied from the Santa Marta
massif (Cardona et al., 2010; Bayona et al., 2007), indicating uplift of the massif from the
Paleocene.
The Late Paleocene-Early Eocene Tabaco Formation is a 75 m thick unit that includes variedly
colored, massive mudstone beds interbedded with cross-bedded conglomeratic sandstone beds
(Bayona et al., 2011; Cardona et al., 2010). Montes et al. (2010) interpret the Tabaco Formation
as syntectonic strata based on thickness changes and field relations with the Cerrejón Formation.
They suggested that mild deformation took place in the Cesar-Ranchería basin during the
accumulation of this Formation. Provenance analyses in these syntectonic strata indicate a source
of the Santa Marta massif (Cardona et al., 2010), but also point to tectonic activity of the Perijá
18
range (Bayona et al., 2007). Finally, the Palmito Formation (Early Eocene) is composed of light-
colored, massive mudstones (Bayona et al., 2011). Beck (1921) estimated a thickness of 60 m for
this Formation.
2.3 The Tabaco Anticline and the Cerrejón mine data
The Tabaco anticline is an asymmetric fold plunging to the southwest (Ruiz, 2006; Palencia,
2007). The asymmetry of the fold is defined by steeply dipping strata (average of 41°E) on its
southeastern flank, and shallowly dipping strata (average of 26°W) on its northwestern flank
(Montes et al., in prep.). The anticline affects Cenozoic rocks, including the Upper Cerrejón
Formation where the coal seams analyzed in this study are (Figure 4).
I use in this thesis a dataset collected in the Cerrejón open coal mine (red square in Figure 2) by
several geologists working in the mine. The data are the result of routine in-pit mapping of the
intersection of dipping coal seams and horizontal mining levels (Montes et al., in prep.). Each
coal seam intersection was followed with differential GPS. Attributes such as the name of the
seam, elevation, roof and floor lithologies, dip angle, and apparent thickness along the dip
direction were recorded. Structural features such as faults, minor folds, bedding, kinematic
indicators (minor folds and slickensides) were also recorded. All this information was stored in a
GIS database (Montes et al., in prep.). The coal seams and fault traces in the GIS project were
cleaned and interpreted (Montes et al., in prep.). This “clean” database is the initial information
for this thesis.
The GIS project contains the traces of 19 coal seams in 10 horizontal mining levels, and more
than 1000 fault traces (i.e. fault intersections with the mining levels). The stratigraphic position
of the coal seams is shown in Figure 4. The faults are classified by their level of confidence as
observed, interpolated or inferred. Figure 5 shows the 10 mining levels. Of the 19 mapped coal
seams, 17 were used in the construction of the 3D model. Coal seams 90 and 175 (Figure 4) were
not used because there are not enough data to reconstruct them. A limitation of the dataset is that
19
as the layers become younger, the data coverage becomes less in the core of the anticline.
Younger coal seams are only mapped in the limbs of the anticline.
!
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115
145
150
106
110
120
100
123
155
10510
2
130
125
135
95
90
160
152
11013
5
130
105
145
145
123
130
105
135
125
115
123
105
125
115
115
105
115
115
145
120
106
123
155
105
130
110
123
105
95
120
105
110
125
135
135145
123
106
123
125
106
130
130
125
106
150
105
125
115
115
12311
5
145
102
130
120
120
115
150
130
135
110
110
145
110
12013
5
102
115
160
105
115
123
120
155
123
130
123
123
125
123
105
100
125
105
145
105
135
13513
0
115
95
155
115
115
102
145
125
120
110
135
125
125
102
150
150
100
123
130
100
125
115
115
110
123
130
106
110
120
100
130
145
130
135
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 0
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
145
100
123 135
106
115
130
120
125
95
150
160
105
102 11
0
155
170
113
152
150
155
130
105
135
135
120
110
145
150
105
102
145
105
145
145
130
106
150
123
106
155
130
120
115
135
155
150
155
115
135
135
123
105
130
95
135
102
100
102
130
110
130
115
102
125
100
135
120
106
145
115
130
145
145
110
150
135
115
145152
150
110
125
123
125
135
100
125
120
123
120
150
135
125
115
115
150
155
110
105
155
125
160
110
115
150
102
123
115
110
106
110
110
115
130
150
135
145
120
105
130
102
123
123
115
105
106
115
130
150123
105
110
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 10
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
Wednesday, June 12, 13 130
125120
150
106
123
135
155
105
95
115
110
100
102
145
160
90
170
152
106
130
135
102
135
130
130
125
125
123
120
135
100
155
110
123
105
115
150
150
160
95
115
135
100
130
145
125
115
155
95
115
123
155
145
115
120
95
150
120
100
155
115
160
145
110
115
152
115
110
145
120
110
100
135
135
145
102
130
102
130
125
130
130
150
135
130
130
120
123
155
155
150
105
123
135
125
110
145
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 20
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
123
120 130
110
135
105
155
95
125
115
102
106
160
145
150
170
100
90
152
102
100
105
106
130
145
110
125
100
123
102
145
120
123
123
155
110
102
120
135
95
115
100
155
125
135
110
102
100
135
130
120
106
105
115
110
145
120
145
155
145
155
105
145
115
160
110
135
123
160
110
155
125
123
120
150
115
130
100
102
123
152
102
115
150
125
130
115
130
125
125
145
115
135
105115
100
100
150
105
130
102
145
120
170
145
135
150
135
102
110
95
105
155
145
120
130
135
105
125
125
106
110
115
155
102
130
106
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 30
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
Wednesday, June 12, 13
20
120
160
115
152
150
105
155
100
106
9512
3
135
102
170
145
125
130
110
135
123
125
123
102
105
115
102
145
95
102
102
110
125
125
152
160
105
123
105
155
150
150
145
123
120
123
125
145
145
135
150
102
120
110
130
120120
125
105
123
110
150
105
155
102
110
135
115
145
130
130
150
150
130
120
100
120
135
150
102
125
100
102
102
102
160
106
145
130
130
145
150
102
155
150
150
130
110
102
130
123
135
115
135
102
95
130
102
120
155
102
110
130
110
145
130
100
145
115
100
105
130
105
130
105
123
145
150
152145
106
120
130
160
115
120
106
135
135
125
150
105
102
155
145
115
125
130
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 40
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
150
125123
115
120
110
106
160
175
155
170
105
145
102
130
135
100
95
152
173
106
155
120
125
135
100
130
130
123
106
106
145
160
160
135
106
145
125
170
105
102 110
123
125
155
150
115
105
145
120
125
160
123
100
130
106
105
125
106
160
135
145
135
130
105
120
100
95
120
120
100
12317
5
123
123
123
102
145
130
110
130
175
123
145
145
135
115
115
110
150
115
160
105
135
110
102
135
135
152
145
105
150
155
160
170
120
155
130
170
123
155
120
135
105
150
110
145
100
135
102
170
95
170
102
106
135
135
135106
115
160
155
102
125
123
123
125
170
130
120
105
110
160
102
123
130
135
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 50
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
173
175150
145
135
130
170
125
160
123
120
115
155
105
106
110
90
102
9510
0
152
125
125
123
150
106
135
170
120
105
115
102
115
105
160
115
105
145
160
135
125
145
123
120
120
150
100
120
95
106
160
160
145
95
115
120
125
120
110
175
145
105
170
120
130
106
155
130
115
123 155
110
123
135
115
102
135
135
135
115
102
152
135
130
123
155
130
16090
110
145
130
170
120
95
102
100
102
125
115
170
102
110
110
110
120
160
160
106
150
125
155
130
170
115
155
102
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 60
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
175
150
160
135
120
123
145
173
155
125
170
106
110
130
105
115
102
90
100
95
152
130
115
160
102
123
135
145
130
155
170
105
13513
0
123
160
160
105
145
105
150
110
110
125
105
102
120
130
105
115
102
106
105
135
12512
3
106
155
105
135
105 106
120
110
106
123
135
150
115
130
145
125
130
120
110
120
160
115
175
100
123
145
120
170
160
125
170
115
110
145
106 15
014
5
106
102
90
170
115
145
130
130 13
5
145
123
115
12011
5
145
130
120
150
155
105
170
145
173
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 70
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
Wednesday, June 12, 13
120
160
115
152
150
105
155
100
106
95
123
135
102
170
145
125
130
110
135
123
125
123
102
105
115
102
145
95
102
102
110
125
125
152
160
105
123
105
155
150
150
145
123
120
123
125
145
145
135
150
102
120
110
130
120120
125
105
123
110
150
105
155
102
110
135
115
145
130
130
150
150
130
120
100
120
135
150
102
125
100
102
102
102
160
106
145
130
130
145
150
102
155
150
150
130
110
102
130
123
135
115
135
102
95
130
102
120
155
102
110
130
110
145
130
100
145
115
100
105
130
105
130
105
123
145
150
152145
106
120
130
160
115
120
106
135
135
125
150
105
102
155
145
115
125
130
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 40
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
150
125123
115
120
110
106
160
175
155
170
105
145
102
130
135
100
95
152
173
106
155
120
125
135
100
130
130
123
106
106
145
160
160
135
106
145
125
170
105
102 110
123
125
155
150
115
105
145
120
125
160
123
100
130
106
105
125
106
160
135
145
135
130
105
120
100
95
120
120
100
123
175
123
123
123
102
145
130
110
130
175
123
145
145
135
115
115
110
150
115
160
105
135
110
102
135
135
152
145
105
150
155
160
170
120
155
130
170
123
155
120
135
105
150
110
145
100
135
102
170
95
170
102
106
135
135
135106
115
160
155
102
125
123
123
125
170
130
120105
110
160
102
123
130
135
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 50
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
173
175150
145
135
130
170
125
160
123
120
115
155
105
106
110
90
102
9510
0
152
125
125
123
150
106
135
170
120
105
115
102
115
105
160
115
105
145
160
135
125
145
123
120
120
150
100
120
95
106
160
160
145
95
115
120
125
120
110
175
145
105
170
120
130
106
155
130
115
123 155
110
123
135
115
102
135
135
135
115
102
152
135
130
123
155
130
16090
110
145
130
170
120
95
102
100
102
125
115
170
102
110
110
110
120
160
160
106
150
125
155
130
170
115
155
102
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 60
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
175
150
160
135
120
123
145
173
155
125
170
106
110
130
105
115
102
90
100
95
152
130
115
160
102
123
135
145
130
155
170
105
135
130
123
160
160
105
145
105
150
110
110
125
105
102
120
130
105
115
102
106
105
135
125
123
106
155
105
135
105 106
120
110
106
123
135
150
115
130
145
125
130
120
110
120
160
115
175
100
123
145
120
170
160
125
170
115
110
145
106 15
014
5106
102
90
170
115
145
130
130 13
5
145
123
115
12011
5
145
130
120
150
155
105
170
145
173
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 70
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
Wednesday, June 12, 13
21
150
173
175
145130
155
110
135
170
125 16
0
123120
106
115
105
152
170
123
173
150
130
160
106
135
106
135
130
125
160
105
115
123
145
105
160
135
123
135
13012
3
120
160
106
120
105
105
106
105
123
120
115
145
115
170
105
115
110
115
175
155
130
130
173
175
170
106
130
130
110
160
115
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 80
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
150
135130 14
5
175
125
160
123
110
173
120
170
115
155
106
105
105
145
115
135
173
145
120
125
120
145
130
173
175
173
120
173
115
120
170
110 106
130
105
170
106
125
170
115 145
106
175
150106
125135
135
123
125
160
115
175
170
173
120
155
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
Level 90
DFTABDFLSEDAFSDFSS
Wednesday, June 12, 13
Figure 5. Coal seams (black lines with identification numbers) and fault traces (colored lines) in ten horizontal levels in the Cerrejón mine. Number on level is its elevation a.s.l. in meters. Faults are colored according to the structural domains defined by Palencia (2007). DFTAB : Tabaco fault domain, DFLSE: Southern limb domain, DAFS: Samán antithetic fault domain, DFSS: Samán fault domain.
488 bedding measurements were taken by geologists in the Cerrejón mine (Montes et al., in
prep.). The bedding information is located in all mining levels in both, the core of the anticline to
the north of the modeled coal seams, and in the limbs of the anticline where there are GPS data
(Figure 6). A cylindrical best fit to the data suggests that the anticline is roughly cylindrical, with
a fold axis (trend and plunge) 217/7 (Figure 7). Strike and dip data from the reconstructed coal
seam 3D surfaces (best-fit plane routine of Fernandez, 2005 in 3DMove) suggest also a roughly
cylindrical fold with a fold axis 204/5 (Figure 8).
22
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115
145
150
106
110
12010
0123
155
105102
130
125
135
95 90
160
152110
105
115
120
130
115
150
123
115
135
125
110
105
130
105
135
115
123
120
123
105
155
125
105
105
145
130
110
130
95
115
123
135
125
135
100
145
150
123
130
125
105
100
130
130
115
115
106
102
130
145
115
120
150
115
106
123
110
110
11012
0
135
102
115
115
135
120
155
123
123
145
100
125
105
135
135145
95
155
130
125
115
145
102
110
125
102
150
150
115
130
123
125
115
115
120
123
130
106 11
0
100
130
145
130
135
72°33'30"W
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
72°35'0"W
11°9'0"N 11°9'0"N
11°8'30"N 11°8'30"N
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 400 800200m23
31
54
28
28
14
25
20
71
3450
2138
3417
11
25
6
22
11
24
55
65
15
2237
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Figure 6. Map showing the location of bedding data (red strike and dip symbols) in the Tabaco anticline. Bedding data was measured in all mining levels. The black lines are the coal seams and faults traces in the lowest mining level 0. Numbers on coal seams traces are the coal seams ids. (data from Montes et al., in prep.).
23
Figure 7. Lower hemisphere stereographic projection of poles to bedding in the Tabaco anticline. A cylindrical best fit to the data (red great circle and eigenvectors) suggests a fold axis of 217/7.
Kamb ContoursC.I. = 2.0 Sigma
Equal AreaLower Hemisphere
N = 20947
Thursday, April 25, 13
Figure 8. Lower hemisphere stereographic projection of poles to bedding from the reconstructed coal seams 3D surfaces. A cylindrical best fit to the data (red great circle and eigenvectors) suggests a fold axis of 204/5.
Kamb ContoursC.I. = 2.0 Sigma
Equal AreaLower Hemisphere
N = 488
24
A down-plunge projection of the coal seams along the fold axis 217/7 was performed
(Allmendinger et al., 2012). Since the anticline is not perfectly cylindrical, not all points on a
coal seam surface fall along the same line in the projection (Figure 9). However the down-plunge
projection is still useful to visualize the geometry of the anticline. The projection shows that the
anticline is asymmetric, with a SE vergence, and a rounded hinge. Lower points in the projection
suggesting a west dipping, overturned forelimb, should not be taken into account. They result
from projecting the entire data to the profile plane. Disharmonic folds, for instance in beds
100-105 and 150-155 towards the east, were observed in the anticline (cross section C-C in
Figure 12). Small thickness changes are also observed between the coal seams.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
050100
east mnorth m
up m
−1000 −800 −600 −400 −200 0 200 400 600 800
−800
−600
−400
−200
0
200
400
m
m
a
b
c
Friday, April 26, 13
Figure 9. Down-plunge projection of the Tabaco anticline. a) 3D view of the anticline. b) Down- plunge projection of the anticline. Notice that since the fold axis plunges south (Figure 7), the cross section in b is looking to the south (east is to the left).
Based on the dataset above, detailed field mapping, and kinematic indicators; Palencia (2007)
divides the anticline into four structural domains (Figure 5). 1) The Tabaco fault domain
(DFTAB), characterized by a main SE dipping reverse fault (Tabaco fault) and a series of SE
dipping, right-stepping in echelon reverse faults, the average dip of these faults is around 54°. 2)
The Samán fault domain (DFSS) (left-lateral strike slip fault), characterized by short faults with
high dip angles and striking NNW-SSE. 3) The Samán fault antithetic domain (DAFS),
characterized by short segment faults with an average dip of 55° S-SW and NE with almost no
25
associated folding. And 4) The southeast limb domain (DFLSE), characterized by short segment
faults with an average dip of 60° NE and SW. Additionally, the kinematic indicators (in the core
of the anticline) suggest a tectonic transport direction to the northwest (between 310° and 330°)
consistent with shortening perpendicular to the strike of the Cerrejón thrust, but in a direction
opposite to the vergence of the Tabaco anticline.
3 Methods
3.1 Construction of 3D structural model
To describe and analyze the geometry of the anticline, a 3D structural model was built. The 3D
model was important since it was a way to integrate the data on the different mining levels.
When the coal seams and the fault planes were reconstructed, and the relationship between these
two were checked, it was possible to evaluate the consistency of the model (whether the model
was geologically reasonable or not). The 3D model was made in two steps: 1. Coal seams
construction, and 2. Fault network construction.
3.1.1 Coal seams construction
Since the initial GIS project was the result of cleaning and interpretation of the original GPS data
(Figure 10a, Montes et al., in prep.), the first step in the construction of the 3D model was the
resampling of the coal seams and fault traces to increase the number of vertices on them. This
was done by setting vertices every 2 meters along the traces, using a resampling tool in ArcGIS.
This process did not change the shape of the traces, it just increased the number of vertices on
them (Figure 10b).
26
120 m 120 ma b
120 m c 120 m d
NN
N N
Friday, April 26, 13
Figure 10. Steps in the construction of the coal seam surfaces, in this case coal seam 100. a) Original points. b) Resultant points (light blue) after resampling the original data (dark blue). c) Resultant points (green) after gridding. d) Final coal seam surface with contours. In c and d, the blue lines are the resampled data in b. Notice that the modeled surface closely follows the data.
Second, each coal seam was interpolated in Matlab using a grid fitting routine called gridfit
(D’Errico, 2005). Gridfit fits a surface to scattered or regular 3D data points. It allows the
existence of point replicates in x and y but with different elevation. Gridfit also allows building a
gridded surface directly from the data, rather than interpolating a linear approximation to a
surface from a Delaunay triangulation. A low smoothness was used in this process to closely
follow the traces. Only interpolated areas with control data were exported. The purpose of this
step was to increase the number and regularity of data points in the coal seam, while closely
following the original data (Figure 10c-d). Steps 1 and 2 were performed to guarantee that the
27
coal seams were continuous enough. Near a fault scarp for instance, the coal seam must have
enough resolution and continuity to create lines of intersection (cutoff lines) with the fault.
3.1.2 Fault network construction
The first step was to quality control and edit the fault traces, to make sure they follow the offsets
displayed by the traces of the coal seams. The second and most crucial step was the correlation
of the fault traces on the different mining levels (Figure 11a). This undoubtably was the step with
highest uncertainty and where it was possible to introduce interpretation errors. The traces were
visually correlated level by level in Petrel (Figure 11a). Some of the challenges I faced were:
Fault traces were mapped by different geologists with perhaps different connotations as to what a
fault trace is. Where fault traces of similar strike were very close in a mining level, it was
difficult to identify the correct trace to correlate. Another challenge was that in some areas one
trace in one level looked as it could be correlated with another in a different level, but the strike
of the traces were different, giving an irregular fault plane. The question here was whether to
include or not the fault trace.
Each group of correlated fault traces were triangulated into a fault plane (Figure 11b). Some of
the fault planes were very irregular (Figure 11b). To make a more geologically reasonable plane,
an interpolation of the fault traces with a small degree of smoothing was made using gridfit
(D’Errico, 2005). The result was a more regular fault plane that still followed the fault traces
(Figure 11c). Finally a double check of the fault surfaces was made with the original fault traces
and with the coal seams.
28
80 m 80 m 80 m
80 m 80 m
a b c
d e
Friday, April 26, 2013
Figure 11. Steps in the construction of fault planes. a) Correlation of fault traces on different mining levels. b) Triangulation of fault traces to obtain a fault plane. c) Gridding of fault plane to obtain a more geologically reasonable structure. d) Computation of fault-coal seams intersections. e) Estimation of the throw attribute in the fault planes.
3.2 Fault displacement analysis
Fault displacement analysis was used in this thesis with three main objectives: 1) To check
inconsistencies in the interpretation, 2) to understand the behavior of the fault network in the
anticline in terms of displacement, and 3) to look at the fault displacement gradients or fault-
related strains.
The first step was to calculate in TrapTester the faults-coal seams intersections. This process
generated a series of polygons that represent the hanging wall and footwall cutoffs (Figure 11d).
The input for this step were the fault planes and the coal seams of the 3D structural model. I only
worked in areas with control data, so in the case of the younger coal seams, fault-horizons
intersections were not computed in the core of the anticline (Figure 12).
29
Some of the faults-horizons intersections polygons show anomalies (for example abrupt spikes).
After checking the consistency of the modeled coal seams and fault planes, and if these
irregularities persist, a minor edition of the faults-horizons intersection polygons was performed.
Then the throw attribute was computed on the fault planes (Figure 11e). The throw on the fault
surface is derived from the cutoffs generated in the fault-horizons intersection step. With the 3D
model and the throw information, fault statistics were calculated, including fault orientation
plots, fault displacement profiles, and fault array summation and strain. This was done using the
fault statistics tool of TrapTester.
3.3 Restoration of the anticline
To restore the anticline, the coal seams data and the fault surfaces were imported into 3DMove.
In the case of the coal seams, I reconstructed the part of the anticline without data. This applies
mostly to the younger coal seams without data in the core of the anticline (Figure 12). To avoid
errors in the reconstruction of the surfaces, for instance crossing of surfaces in the core of the
anticline, the area without control data was reconstructed from the older surface assuming
parallel folding or constant stratigraphic thickness across the structure (Figure 12). This
assumption is not completely correct because as we can see in the cross sections in the area with
control data (black dots), the beds are not completely parallel (Figure 12). However, this is a
reasonable approach to represent the core of the anticline in younger levels.
After reconstructing the coals seams, a kinematic restoration of the anticline was performed
using a 3D flexural-slip restoration technique in 3DMove. This technique utilizes a slip method
that preserves volume in 3D, line length in a given unfolding direction, and orthogonal bed
thickness (Griffiths et al., 2002). The technique only deals with the coal seams and does not take
into account the slip on the fault surfaces (that would be very hard to do with so many fault
surfaces). My aim is to compare the kinematics and strain of this “unfolding” restoration with
those obtained in the fault displacement analysis of the previous section.
30
72°33'30"W
72°33'30"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'0"W
72°34'30"W
72°34'30"W
72°35'0"W
11°8'0"N 11°8'0"N
11°7'30"N 11°7'30"N
11°7'0"N 11°7'0"N
±
0 200 400 600100m
A
A´
B
B´
C´
C
Friday, April 26, 13
a
EW
100m
A A’
Friday, April 26, 13
EW
100m
B’B
C C’
100m
EW
control data
100105106110115120123125
130135145150155160170
Monday, June 10, 13
31
EW
100m
B’B
C C’
100m
EW
control data
100105106110115120123125
130135145150155160170
Monday, June 10, 13
Figure 12. a) Map showing the location of cross sections A-A’, B-B’ and C-C’. These cross sections are shown after the reconstruction of the younger coal seams with parallel folding. Black dots in the sections show the areas with data. Sections have no vertical exaggeration. Numbers on legend refer to the coal seams IDs.
3.4 Curvature
The curvature of the coal seams was calculated using differential geometry algorithms by Mynatt
et al, (2007). The Matlab codes for the calculations were taken from Pollard and Fletcher (2005,
their chapter 3). The principal curvatures, kmax and kmin, were calculated, as well as the
geological curvature. The geological curvature is based on the gaussian curvature (kG = kmin *
kmax) and the mean curvature (kM = (kmin+ kmax)/2) (Mynatt et al., 2007). The geologic curvature
defines the shape and orientation of points on the folded surface. The curvature threshold
specifies an absolute curvature value below which calculated principal curvatures are set to zero,
thereby allowing the classification of ‘‘idealized’’ shapes (Bergbauer, 2002). Figure 13 shows the
geologic curvature classification scheme for points on a surface as a function of the Mean and
Gaussian curvatures (Mynatt et al, 2007).
32
By specifying kt, sections of the parabola can be defined ashaving zero curvature for subsequent analyses or calculations.For kt ¼ 0.1 m"1, all locations on the parabola with jkj <0:1 m"1 (R > 8.8 m) are assigned a curvature of zero (light
grey) and treated mathematically as linear. This isolates thesections of the parabola with greater curvature (dark grey andblack) and continues to consider them parabolically curved.Making a greater approximation and setting kt ¼ 0.5 m"1 as-signs sections of the parabola with jkj < 0:5m"1 (R > 1.9 m)curvature values of zero. With this approximation all lightand dark grey sections are treated as linear. For a surface, thisprocess can be used to define points as synformal, antiformaland planar.
In order to approximate geologic surfaces as perfect saddles(Fig. 2), a similar algorithm is applied. Recall that saddleshave principal curvatures kmin and kmax of opposite signs,and a perfect saddle would have kmin ¼ "kmax, or kM ¼ 0.The principal curvature values will never be of equal magni-tude for geologic surfaces, but may be close enough to warrantthis approximation. Idealized perfect saddles can therefore bespecified at points where the sum jkmin þ kmaxj falls below kt.
3. Description of an anticlinal surface usingdifferential geometry
3.1. Description of field area and creation ofsurface model
Sheep Mountain anticline is a doubly plunging asymmetricfold located near Greybull, Wyoming (Forster et al., 1996;
Fig. 3. Application of the curvature threshold kt to the parabola y ¼ x2. Lightgrey sections of the curve are treated as linear when kt ¼ 0:1 m"1 and darkgrey are treated as linear when kt ¼ 0:5 m"1. In both cases the black sectionretains its curvature values.
Fig. 2. Geologic curvature classification. The geologic curvature of a point on a surface can be determined from the Gaussian (kG) and mean kM curvatures at thepoint. The color code is used throughout the paper. Modified from Roberts (2001) and Bergbauer (2002).
1259I. Mynatt et al. / Journal of Structural Geology 29 (2007) 1256e1266
Figure 13. Geologic curvature classification. The geologic curvature of a point on a surface can be determined from the gaussian (kG) and mean kM curvatures. The color code is used in the curvature calculation (Mynatt et al., 2007).
4. Results
4.1 3D structure of the Tabaco anticline
4.1.1 Fault geometry:
Figure 14 shows the faults in the 3D structural model. A total of 67 faults labeled 1 to 67, were
interpreted in 17 coal seams. Most of the faults are reverse, except fault 45 (Samán fault), which
is as a left lateral strike-slip fault (Palencia, 2007). Only faults displacing more than one coal
seam are present in the 3D model. Rose diagrams of fault orientations are also included in Figure
14.
33
The four fault domains mapped by Palencia (2007) in the field, were identified in the 3D model
(Figure 14). The four domains are: 1) The Tabaco fault domain (DFTAB) which is present in the
anticline’s S-SW limb. In the 3D model, the faults belonging to this domain are long (300-400 m
along strike) reverse faults with a strike NE-SW (except for fault 59 that has an E-W strike). 2)
The domain of the SE limb (DFLSE). The faults belonging to this domain are mainly short (100
to 150 m along strike), except for fault 1 (340 m along strike). Their strike is NW-SE and
approximately E-W to the south of the anticline. Between coal seams 120 and 145, some of the
faults show a conjugated pattern. 3) The antithetic Samán fault domain (DAFS). The faults
belonging to this domain are very short segments (60 m along strike) close to the Samán fault.
These faults get longer as their distance to the Samán fault increases (for instance fault 63 is 340
m along strike, Figure 14 coal seam 123). The strike of the faults in this domain is NW-SE. 4)
The Samán fault domain (DFSS) which consists of the Samán fault and a couple of very short
faults (50 m along strike). In the original database (Figure 5) there were more fault traces
belonging to this domain. However, these faults offset just one coal seam and therefore were not
included in the 3D model.
Coal seam 95 is affected by 4 main faults with a main orientation NW-SE (Figure 14). These
faults are located in the eastern limb of the anticline, and belong to the fault domains DFLSE,
DFTAB, and DAFS. Coal seam 100 is affected by 7 main faults with a main orientation NW-SE
(Figure 14). These faults are mainly located in the eastern limb of the anticline. In addition, fault
59 crosses almost the whole seam in an E-W direction (Figure 14). The faults affecting this coal
seam belong to the domains DFLSE, DFTAB, and DAFS.
Coal seam 102 is affected by 6 main faults with a main orientation NW-SE (Figure 14). Almost
all the faults that offset this coal seam are the same as those of the lower coal seam 100, except
fault 60 which has a different strike NE-SW, and it is located in the SW part of the anticline.
Additionally fault 45 (the Samán fault) was identified in this coal seam. The faults affecting this
coal seam belong to the domains DFLSE, DFTAB, DAFS and DFSS. Coal seam 105 is affected
34
by 7 main faults with two main orientations, NW-SE which are located in the NE limb of the
anticline, and NE-SW which are located to the south of the anticline. The faults in the south with
a strike NE-SW belong to the domain DFTAB, and those striking NW-SE belong to the domains
DFLSE, DAFS and DFSS.
Coal seam 106 is affected by 6 main faults with orientations similar to those in the lower seam
105. The NW-SE striking faults are located in the NE limb of the anticline, and the NE-SW
striking faults are located to the south of the anticline. In this coal seam (and the seams above),
there are no data from the core of the anticline, so there is no control for the faults affecting this
part of the anticline. Therefore it is not possible to know the behavior of faults such as fault 59 in
younger coal seams. The faults in the south with a strike NE-SW belong to the domain DFTAB,
and those in the NE limb with a strike NW-SE belong to to the domains DFLSE, DAFS and
DFSS.
Coal seams 110 and 115 are affected by 15 and 16 main faults respectively, with strike NW-SE in
the NE limb, NE-SW in the south, and a new fault, fault 1, striking E-W. In these coal seams, the
number of faults with strike NE-SW increases. The faults in the south with strike NE-SW belong
to the domain DFTAB and the faults in the NE with strike NW-SE belong to to the domains
DFLSE, DAFS and DFSS. Fault 1 (E-W) also belongs to the domain DFLSE.
Coal seam 120 is affected by 22 faults with strike NW-SE in the NE limb, NE-SW in the south,
and fault 1, striking E-W. In this coal seam, a conjugated pattern of the faults in the eastern limb
was recognized. This conjugated pattern include two orientation of thrust faults and it was very
clear in coal seams 120 to 145. The faults that show the conjugated pattern belong to the DFLSE
domain. The other 3 domains were also recognized here.
Coal seams 123, 125, 130, 135 and 145 are affected by 25, 29, 29, 28 and 25 faults respectively,
with strike NW-SE in the NE, NE-SW in the SW, and E-W in the SE. One characteristic of these
coal seams is that they have a series of E-W faults in the southern part of the anticline.
35
Additionally the conjugated pattern in the east limb is also present. Both the E-W faults and the
conjugated pattern belong to the DFLSE domain. The other 3 domains were also recognized
here.
In coal seam 150 the number of faults start to decrease. This coal seam is affected by 16 faults
with two main strikes, NW-SE and NE-SW. Faults striking E-W have almost disappeared. In this
coal seam the conjugated pattern was not observed. This is the last coal seam where the 4 faults
domains were observed. Coal seam 155 is affected by 12 faults with two strikes, NW-SE and
NE-SW. In this coal seam, there was not a lot of information available in the north part of the
anticline, so only 2 domains were recognized, DFLSE and DFTAB.
Coal seam 160 is affected by 8 faults with a main strike NW-SE. In this coal seam there are only
faults in the eastern limb that belong to the DFLSE, DAFS and DFSS domains. The last modeled
coal seam, 170, is affected by 4 faults with a main strike NW-SE in the SE. The faults affecting
this coal seam belong to the DFLSE domain.
95
1:10000
N
DAFS
DFTABDFLSE
100
1:10000
N
DFTAB
DAFS
DFLSE59
102
1:10000
N
DFTAB
DAFS
DFSS
DFLSE59
45
N=4 N=7
N=6
105
1:10000
NDAFS
DFTAB
DFSS
DFLSE59
45
N=7
Tuesday, June 11, 13
36
95
1:10000
N
DAFS
DFTABDFLSE
100
1:10000
N
DFTAB
DAFS
DFLSE59
102
1:10000
N
DFTAB
DAFS
DFSS
DFLSE59
45
N=4 N=7
N=6
105
1:10000
NDAFS
DFTAB
DFSS
DFLSE59
45
N=7
Wednesday, June 12, 13
106
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFSDFSS
DFTAB
45
63
37
N=7
110
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS DFSS
DFTAB
45
63
37
115
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFSDFSS
DFTAB
45
63 44
37
1
120
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFSDFSS
DFTAB
45
63
25
44
37
4
2
N=15
N=16 N=22
1
1
Tuesday, June 11, 13
106
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFSDFSS
DFTAB
45
63
37
N=7
110
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS DFSS
DFTAB
45
63
37
115
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFSDFSS
DFTAB
45
63 44
37
1
120
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFSDFSS
DFTAB
45
63
25
44
37
4
2
N=15
N=16 N=22
1
1
Wednesday, June 12, 13
37
123
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS DFSS
DFTAB
45
63
25
44
37
4
2
125
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS
DFSS
DFTAB
45
63
25
44
37
4
2
130
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFSDFSS
DFTAB
45
63
25
44
37
4
2
135
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS DFSS
DFTAB
45
63
17
25
44
37
4
2
N=25 N=29
N=29 N=28
1
11
1
Tuesday, June 11, 13
123
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS DFSS
DFTAB
45
63
25
44
37
4
2
125
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS
DFSS
DFTAB
45
63
25
44
37
4
2
130
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFSDFSS
DFTAB
45
63
25
44
37
4
2
135
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS DFSS
DFTAB
45
63
17
25
44
37
4
2
N=25 N=29
N=29 N=28
1
11
1
Tuesday, June 11, 13 145
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS DFSS
DFTAB
45
17
44
37
2
150
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS
DFSS
DFTAB
45
17
155
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DFTAB
17
160
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DFSS
DAFS
45
17
N=25 N=16
N=12 N=8
Wednesday, June 12, 13
38
145
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS DFSS
DFTAB
45
17
44
37
2
150
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DAFS
DFSS
DFTAB
45
17
155
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DFTAB
17
160
1:10000
N
DFLSE
DFSS
DAFS
45
17
N=25 N=16
N=12 N=8
Wednesday, June 12, 13
170
1:10000
N
DFLSE
N=4
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Figure 14. Faults in the 3D model and their occurrence in each of the coal seams. Faults are labeled with number 1 to 67. Numbers on top of the figures refers to the coal seam (95 is the lowest coal seam). Rose diagrams show the orientation of the faults in each coal seam. N is the number of faults. DFTAB : Tabaco fault domain, DFLSE: Southern limb domain, DAFS: Samán fault antithetic domain, and DFSS: Samán fault domain.
4.1.2 Curvature:
Curvature was calculated in the older, more complete stratigraphic seams (95, 100, 102, 105,
106). Curvature was also calculated in coal seam 130, which has the highest amount of faults.
Figure 15 shows the maximum curvature (kmax, left side), minimum curvature (kmin, middle side)
and geologic curvature (right side).
39
kmax highlights the anticline’s hinge and minor folds hinges. The anticline’s hinge is clearly
visible in coal seam 100 suggesting a fold axis trending 210° (approximately the same as in
Figures 7 and 8). In the other coal seams, the highest values of kmax indicate minor hinges. kmin
mainly highlights synclines but also erosional features (drainage pattern). The principal
curvatures clearly show that the fold is no cylindrical. A folded surface is cylindrical when the
principal curvature parallel to the hinge line is zero (Mynatt et al., 2007).
By using the concept of geologic curvature and implementing a curvature threshold (kt), it is
possible to examine how far a coal seam departs from the cylindrical geometry (Mynatt et al.,
2007). Figure 15 (right side) shows the geologic curvature calculated across the surface with kt =
0. The color code of Figure 13 is used in the coal seams. The geologic curvature calculated
across the surface with kt= 0 shows that no principal curvatures are approximated as zero, so no
cylindrical or planar points appear. As it can be seen, there are no orange, yellow or light blue
colors representing cylindrical synforms, planes or antiforms (Figures 13 and 15 right side).
Areas on the surface are identified as domes, basins, and antiformal and synformal saddles. The
domes (blue) and the antiformal saddle (green) coincide with the anticlinal hinge, and the basin
(dark red) and synformal saddles (dark yellow) coincide with the synclines position or valleys
(Figure 15).
In coal seam 130 there is a clear difference between the size of the basins (dark red) and
synformal saddles (dark yellow), in both limbs. In the western limb the basins are bigger than in
those in the eastern limb (Figure 15 right side). For this coal seam the eastern limb of the
anticline is affected by more faults that the western limb (Figure 14).
40
95
100
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
Kmax
100 m
N
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
Kmin
100 m
N
2
0
-2
-4
Kt=0
100 m
N
Kmax0.08
0.04
0
-0.04
-0.08
100 m
N
Kmin0.08
0.04
0
-0.04
-0.08
100 m
N
Kt=0
2
0
-2
-4100 m
N
Friday, May 24, 2013
95
100
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
Kmax
100 m
N
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
-0.1
-0.2
Kmin
100 m
N
2
0
-2
-4
Kt=0
100 m
N
Kmax0.08
0.04
0
-0.04
-0.08
100 m
N
Kmin0.08
0.04
0
-0.04
-0.08
100 m
N
Kt=0
2
0
-2
-4100 m
N
Friday, May 24, 2013
102
105
-2
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
Kmax
100 m
N
Kmin
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
100 m
N
0
2
Kt=0
-4100 m
N
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
Kmax
100 m
N
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
Kmin
100 m
N
-4
-2
0
2
Kt=0
100 m
N
Friday, May 24, 2013
41
102
105
-2
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
Kmax
100 m
N
Kmin
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
100 m
N
0
2
Kt=0
-4100 m
N
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
Kmax
100 m
N
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
Kmin
100 m
N
-4
-2
0
2
Kt=0
100 m
N
Friday, May 24, 2013
106
125
0.1
0
-0.1
Kmax
100 m
N
Kmin0.1
0
-0.1
100 m
N
Kt=0
-4
-2
0
2
100 m
N
Kmax
0.1
0
-0.1200 m
N
-4
-2
0
2
Kt=0
200 m
N
Kmin
0.1
0
-0.1200 m
N
Friday, May 24, 2013
-0.1
-0
0.1Kmax
200 m
N
-0.1
-0
0.1Kmin
200 m
N
-4
-2
0
2
Kt=0
200
N
130
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Figure 15. Distribution of maximum curvature (kmax), minimum curvature (kmin) and geologic curvature with kt = 0. Curvature was calculated for coal seam 95, 100, 105, 106 and 130.
42
4.2 Fault displacement analysis
4.2.1 Fault displacement patterns
The throw was calculated for all faults in the 3D model. Figure 16 shows four different fault
throw patterns: 1) Low throw in the middle of the fault and high throw in the areas around
(Figure 16a), 2) Highest throw at one corner of the fault and not in the center (Figure 16b), 3) the
most common pattern, highest throw in the middle of the fault (Figure 16c), and 4) In conjugated
faults, the highest value of throw is located at the intersection of the two faults (Figure 16d).
Figure 16a shows a fault plane with low throw in the middle of the fault and high throw in the
areas around. This pattern was observed in two faults of the model. Three possible explanations
for this pattern are: 1) the area of low throw suggests a tip point which indicates that the mapped
fault is actually 2 faults, so the fault plane should be split. 2) The linkage fault model (Peacock
and Sanderson, 1991; Cartwright et al., 1995), in which the faults grew as isolated faults at early
stages and linked to produce additional fault length. In this case the area of low throw is the
region of fault linkage. 3) Outer areas of high displacement result from the intersection of two
faults with different orientations that together add to a larger displacement (Kim and Sanderson,
2005). This third option is discarded because there are no other fault crossing the fault plane.
However, it is difficult to know which of the two first options is generating this fault throw
pattern.
Figure 16b shows the highest throw value in a corner of the fault and not in the center as we
would expect (Figure 3). Two possible explanations for this pattern are: 1) the fault could
actually be larger, but there are not enough data to cover the complete fault plane. 2) there is a
problem in the interpretation of the faults.
Figure 16c shows two fault planes with the area of high throw in the middle of the fault. This is
the most common pattern in the faults of the 3D model. Although this is not exactly the ideal
43
pattern of Figure 4, it is a consistent pattern of fault displacement. Figure 16d shows a pair of
conjugated faults, where the highest value of throw is at the intersection of the two fault planes.
The two faults with different orientations add to a larger displacement.
a b
c d
30
30m
60m
60m
Friday, May 3, 2013
Figure 16. Fault throw patterns observed in the 3D model. The blue-purple color indicates the highest values of throw a) fault plane with low throw in the middle of the fault b) fault plane with highest throw at the corner of the fault c) fault planes with the highest throw in the middle of the fault d) fault throw in conjugated faults.
Figure 17 shows the distribution of the four displacement patterns in coal seam 130. This coal
seam has the highest number of faults, so the distribution of the patterns here reflects very well
the behavior in the anticline. Figure 17 shows that pattern 3 (P3) is the most common pattern,
followed by pattern 2 (P2). Pattern 1 (P1) was observed in two faults in the anticline, and pattern
4 (P4) in conjugated faults.
44
P1
P2
P2
P4
P3
P3
P3 P3
P3
P3P3
P3
P3
P3
P3
P1
P3P3
P3
N
100 m
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Figure 17. Distribution of fault displacement patterns (P1 to P4) in coal seam 130.
4.2.2 Fault array summation and strain
A series of fault displacement versus distance profiles were made for each coal seam in the
anticline. Figures 18a-q contain maps showing the faults affecting each coal seam contoured by
their throw attribute (left side), and plots of individual displacement, fault array displacement
summation, and strain. The throw was measured along sample lines oriented perpendicular to the
average strike of the faults. Sample line spacing (in the horizontal) was 10 m. The location of the
sample grid was adjusted for each coal seam according to the area where the faults were located.
That allows sampling and visualization of specific details in each case. The initial and the last
position of the sampling line are shown in the map views of Figure 18.
45
Figures 18e-o for coal seams 106 to 155 show faults with two main strikes, NW-SE and NE-SW.
For this reason two different plots of fault array summation and calculated strain (labeled 1 and
2) were made. The first one is for the faults with strike NW-SE (in the map view the area
surrounded by the square 1). The second one is for the faults with strike NE-SW (in the map
view the area surrounded by the square 2). In both cases the sample line spacing was 10 m.
The fault displacement versus distance profiles (Figure 18, middle and right side) show the
vertical offsets (throws), the fault array summation, and the strain for the 67 interpreted faults in
the 17 coal seams of the 3D model. The fault that shows a highest apparent throw is fault 59,
which shows a throw of 21 m in coal seam 100, 27 m in coal seam 102, and 35 m in coal seam
105 (Figures 18b, c, and d). It is not possible to know the behavior of fault 59 in younger coal
seams, due to lack of data in the core of the anticline.
Fault 45 (Samán fault) shows also an important amount of displacement (25 to 26 m in coal
seams 105 and 110, Figures 18d and f). However, there is some uncertainty in the calculation of
throw of fault 45 due to lack of data in some coal seams. Other faults that show an important
amount of displacement are fault 63 in coal seam 115 (19 m, Figure 18g), fault 17 in coal seam
155 (18 m, Figure 18o), fault 25 in coal seam 130 (18 m, Figure 18k), fault 44 in coal seam 120
and 123 (17 m, Figures 18h and i), fault 37 in coal seam 120 (17 m, Figure 18h), fault 4 in coal
seams 120 and 123 (17 m, Figures 18h and i), and fault 2 in coal seam 130 (16 m, Figure 18k).
On each coal seam, the aggregate vertical component of displacement (dashed line) was also
calculated. For this analysis it is important to mention that the younger coal seams did not have
any data in the core of the anticline. This can result in underestimation of cumulative throw in
these younger seams. The coal seam with the highest value of cumulative throw (50 m) is 105,
followed by coal seams 130 (44 m), and 125 (43 m) (Figures 18d, 18k and 18j). Coal seam 105 is
affected by a limited number of faults (7 in total), so the high cumulative throw in this coal seam
is due mainly to faults 59 and 45 (Figure 18d). In contrast, coal seams 125 and 130 are the ones
affected by more faults (29 faults in both coal seams), so in these two cases the highest value of
46
the total throw results from the contribution of small throw faults (Figures 18j and 18k). In
younger coal seams than 130, the total throw starts to decrease gradually up-section. Coal seam
135 shows a maximum cumulative throw of 29 m, 145 a maximum of 27 m, 150 a maximum of
15 m, 155 a maximum of 21 m, 160 a maximum of 12 m, and 170 a maximum of 15 m (Figures
18l to 18q).
In some of the coal seams, it is easy to correlate the spikes in the cumulative throw curve with
the different fault domains of Palencia (2007). Between coal seams 120 to 145 (Figures 18h and
m), it is possible to identify 3 clear spikes. The first one corresponds to the cumulative throw
generated by the conjugated faults of the DFLSE domain. The second spike is generated by the
DFLSE domain (the no conjugated faults), but in some cases there are also faults of the DAFS
domain. The third spike is generated by the faults that belong to the DAFS domain. The
magnitude of these spikes changes through the coal seams. In coal seams 120 and 123 the
highest spike is the third one, which includes the DAFS domain, with a throw of 30 m (Figures
18h and 18i). However, in coal seams 125 to 135, the highest spike is the first one, which
belongs to the conjugated faults of the DFLSE domain, with the highest value of throw of 45 m
(Figures 18j and 18k).
The spike generated by the domain DFSS is more difficult to see due to the lack of data in the
coal seams in the most northern part of the anticline. However this pattern is clearly indicated in
coal seam 125 (Figure 18j). The pattern of the DFTAB is mainly shown on the right side of
Figure 18. However, in half of the cases the cumulative throw curve does not resemble a
continuos curve due to the faults being widely spaced. In general, it is not possible to observe
that the displacement in the anticline gradually decreases towards one specific direction, but it
seems to decrease up-section younger coal seams than 130 as indicated before.
Figure 18 also shows the fault-related strain (i.e. horizontal elongation calculated from aggregate
heave of all faults divided by original length of horizon) for each coal seam over the 3D model.
The fault-strain in the modeled coal seams of the anticline varies between 0.0015 in coal seam
47
150, and 0.2 in coal seam 123 (Figures 18n and 18i). Only coal seam 123 shows strain values
higher than 0.1, while coal seam 105 has values of 0.1 (Figures 18i and 18d). Freeman et al.
(2010) based on a large number of published data for strike dimension and maximum
displacement for faults, established that 0.1 represents a realistic upper limit of the longitudinal
strain when it is measured in the displacement direction of a fault. The strain value 0.2 identified
in coal seam 123 (Figure 18i, right side) is higher than the upper limit suggested by Freeman et
al. (2010). This value of 0.2 is generated by fault 4 (Figure 18i, right side). Additionally to the
high value of fault-related strain, fault 4 has the second fault throw pattern: fault plane with
highest throw at the corner of the fault (Figure 16), which is not a consistent pattern of fault
displacement. For those two reasons it was very plausible that there was a problem in the
interpretation of the fault 4. So it was necessary to check the interpretation of fault 4 again. The
re-interpretation of fault 4 will be shown in the discussion chapter.
In Figures 18e-o, the plots for faults with strike NW-SE (middle) show lower strain values than
those for faults with strike NE-SW (right). The only exceptions are coal seams 115 and 155
(Figures 18g and 18o). The right side plots show the faults that belong mainly to the DFTAB
domain, while the middle plots show the faults that belong to the other 3 fault domains.
0
25
sampling lin
e
number
47
40
50
2
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
0.005
20
0.01
4 8 16
4
12
404750
95
N
6
200m
SE NW
DFTAB
DFTAB and DAFS
Monday, May 27, 13
a
48
0
25
sampling lin
e
number
47
40
50
59
5
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
0.01
20
0.02
4 8 16
10
20
12
100
N
15
25
404247
505859
48
200m
SE NW
DFTAB and DAFS
Monday, May 27, 13
b
0
25
sampling lin
e
number
47
40
60
5
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
25
0.02
5 10 20
15
20
15
4047
60
102
N
0.04
200m
SE NW
10
25
30
35
59
DFTAB and DAFS
59
Wednesday, June 12, 13
c
0
25
sampling lin
e
number
59
47
40
45
60
10
40
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
0.05
20
0.1
5 10 25
30
20
50
105
N
15
4045475159
200m
SE NW
60
51
DFTAB
DFSS and DFTAB
DAFS
Monday, May 27, 13
d
49
0
20
0
25
sampling line
number
sampling lin
e
number
106
47
63
38
603
N
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
2
4
6
8
10
12
Sampling line numberA
ppar
ent t
hrow
(m)
0.005
0.01
0.015
Stra
in5 10 15 20 25
2
4
6
5
7
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.02
0.04
Stra
in
38
6347
4
360
200m
1
2
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DFLSE and DAFSDAFS
DFTAB
Monday, May 27, 13
e110
0
35
sampling lin
e
number
0
35
sampling line
number
47
45
63
38
41
3760
67 1
5 10 15 20 25 30
5
10
15
20
25
30
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.02
0.04
Stra
in
38
63474541
37
5 10 15 20 25 30
2
4
6
8
10
12
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.02
0.04
Stra
in
6067
1
0.06
N
200m
1
2
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DFLSE and DAFS
DAFS and DFSS DFTAB and DFLSE
Wednesday, June 12, 13
f
0
42
sampling lin
e
number
0
60
sampling line
number
115
37
6343
4445
1
60
55
6757
5 10 15 20 4030
5
10
15
20
25
30
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.02
0.04
Stra
in
43
63534544
37
5 15 25
3
5
7
9
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.01
0.02
Stra
in
0.03
25 35
0.06
1
35 45 55
5557
1
6760
N
200m
1
21 2
SE NW NE SW
Mainly DAFS
DFSS
DFTAB and DFLSE
Wednesday, June 12, 13
g
50
120
0
40
sampling lin
e
number
0
65
sampling line
number
45
4463
37
39
3235
2528
43
1
2
4
5 10 15 20
5
10
15
20
25
30
Sampling line numberA
ppar
ent t
hrow
(m)
0.01
Stra
in10 20
8
12
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.02
0.04
Stra
in
0.06
25
0.02
4
30 40 50
24
1
5
0.03
60
16
43
6364
39
44
37
2526283435
49
N
5
200m
1
2
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DAFS
DFLSE
DFTAB and DFLSE
DFLSEconjugated
Monday, May 27, 13
h
0
40
sampling lin
e
number
0
65
sampling line
number
2
4
43
44
1 28
2764
37 39
25
3235
4 12
5
10
15
20
25
30
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
10
8
12
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.1Stra
in
24
0.2
0.005
4
20 30
0.01
16
8 16
0.015
43
6364
39
44
1
27283235
49
25
123
N
63
200m
1
2
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DFLSEconjugated
DAFS
DFLSE
DFTAB
Wednesday, June 12, 13
i
0
32
sampling lin
e
number
0
52
sampling line
number 20
10
20
40
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
10
8
12
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.02Stra
in
0.06
4
20 30
0.01
16
10 30
0.02
30
31
3537
29
32
1
25262728
33
20394344496364
125
N
40 50
20
0.04
24
135
212262
1
2
45
62
13
2221
43
44
37
39
28
2764
2532
35
20
6349
33
200m
1
2
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DFTAB and DFLSEDFLSEconjugated
DAFS
DFLSE and
DAFS
DFSS
Monday, May 27, 13
j
51
0
30
sampling lin
e
number
0
52
sampling line
number
10
20
40
Sampling line numberA
ppar
ent t
hrow
(m)
Stra
in10
8
12
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.02Stra
in
4
20 30
0.01
16
4 20
0.02
3031
3537
29
32
25262728
33
20
394344466364
40
20
0.04
24
135
212223
8 12 16
130
N
2
4
62
5
13
2221
20
2528
2764 32
33
35
3739
63 43
44 49
200m
1
2
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DFTAB and DFLSEDFLSEconjugated
DAFS
DFLSE and
DAFS
Monday, May 27, 13
k
0
25
sampling lin
e
number
0
48
sampling line
number
5
15
25
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
10
8
6
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)
0.02Stra
in
4
20 30
0.01
4 20
0.02
20
40
10
0.04
245212223
8 12 16
135
N
10
31
37
29
32
25262728
3320
394344466364
351
2
2
4
23
5
2221
1720
1 28 25
2764
3739
323533
6343
4449
46
200m
1
2
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DFTAB and DFLSE
DFLSEconjugated
DAFS
DFLSE and
DAFS
Monday, May 27, 13
l
0
28
sampling lin
e
number
0
35
sampling line
number
5
15
25
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
10
8
6
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
4
20 30
0.005
5 20
0.01
2010
0.01
252223
10 15 25
10
2
145
N
313233
20
39434446
27
64
17
26
12
0.005
2
23
22
5
17
20
2764
2632
31 33
3943
44 46
200m
1
2
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DFTAB and DFLSE
DFLSEconjugated
DAFS
DFLSE and
DAFS
Monday, May 27, 13
m
52
0
28
sampling lin
e
number
0
31
sampling line
number
2
4
12
Sampling line numberA
ppar
ent t
hrow
(m)
Stra
in10
3
2
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
20 30
0.001
5 20
0.002
0.01
710
6123
10 15 25
10
1
33394546
2717
4
150
N
6
8
14
5 2515
0.02
0.03
10
7
61
2317
27
33
39
46
45
200m
1
2
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DFTAB
Monday, May 27, 13
n
0
7
sampling lin
e
number0
31sampling line
number
2
4
12
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
10
6
4
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
20 30
0.01
1 4
0.02
1423
2 3 5
10
2
1617
8
6
8
14
5 2515
0.005
155
N
16
18
20
6
23
14
17
16
200m
12
1 2
SE NW NE SW
DFTAB
DFLSE
Monday, May 27, 13
o
0
15
sampling lin
e
number
2
4
12
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
0.002
6
0.004
2 4 8
10
6
8
10
160
N
0.006
161719243036
17
16
19
30
24
36
200m
SE NW
DFLSE
Monday, May 27, 13
p
53
0
15
sampling lin
e
number
2
4
12
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
0.005
6
0.01
2 4 8
10
6
8
16182430
170
N
14
16
24
30
18
200m
SE NW
DFLSE
Monday, May 27, 13
q
Figure 18. Left side contains maps displaying the faults affecting each coal seam contoured by their throw attribute. Right side shows plots of individual and aggregate fault throw, and fault related strain vs. distance. The initial and the last position of the sampling line are indicated in the map view. e-o contain two groups of plots, 1 and 2, corresponding to NW-SE striking faults (1) and NE-SW striking faults (2). DFTAB : Tabaco fault domain, DFLSE: Southern limb domain, DAFS: Samán fault antithetic domain, DFSS: Samán fault domain.
4.3 Restoration
Figure 19 shows the results of the restoration of the anticline using the flexural-slip technique. At
each restoration stage, the uppermost stratigraphic surface was unfolded to a datum (300 m)
while the underlying surfaces were carried as passive objects. The underlying layers were
sequentially unfolded as the restoration proceeded. Since the older beds have more control data,
the restoration was performed only in this part. The coal seams that were included in the
restoration are 130, 115, 105 and 100. Figure 19 shows the incremental restoration of 3 cross
sections through the anticline. When the restoration was done, the strain was captured in the
restored beds (Figure 19a). Strain maps from the unfolding will be explained in the next section.
The coal seams were restored incrementally through four unfolding stages. The total shortening
of the anticline is 18%. The shortening of the restoration of coal seam 130 is 6%, of coal seam
54
115 is 2%, of coal seam 105 is 7%, and of coal seam 100 is 3% (Figure 19). Shortening was
measured across the surface in the maximum shortening direction (127°) normal to the fold axis.
When coal seam 130 was restored, the main fold disappears almost completely. This suggests
that the fold was formed after the deposition of the the Cerrejón Formation. However after the
restoration of coal seam 130, it is still possible to observe some minor folds in coal seams 105
and 100 (Figure 19b left side). The restoration shows that: 1) flexural slip was not the only
deformation mechanism that operated in the anticline. Flexural slip is an important mechanism in
systems consisting of mechanically strong layers and beds of easy slip such as thinly bedded
sandstone-shale sequences (Lisle, 1999). In the older coal seams (95-105) this interbedding
between strong layers and incompetent beds is not observed (Figure 4), and for that reason the
slip between those older beds may not easily happen. 2) Small scale folding occurs in coal seams
100 and 105 located in a sedimentary package surrounded by shale, and claystone (Figure 4).
This material is very ductile and can flow relatively easy. Despite minor folds in coal seams 100,
105 and 115, after the restoration of coal seam 130, the regional dip is towards the west (Figure
19b right side). The same regional dip is observed after the restoration of coal seams 115 and 105
(Figure 19b left side).
100 m
N
A
A´
B
B’
C
C’
Monday, May 27, 13
a
55
Pres
ent D
ay
130
115
105
100
NW
SE
AA
´
130
115
105
100
115
105
100 10
5
100 100
Res
tora
tion
of 1
30
Res
tora
tion
of 1
15
Res
tora
tion
of 1
05
Res
tora
tion
of 1
00
105
Res
tora
tion
of 1
05
115
105
Res
tora
tion
of 1
15
130
115
105
Res
tora
tion
of 1
30
Pres
ent D
ay
130
115
105
NW
SE
BB
´
Pres
ent D
ayN
WSE
CC
´
130
115
130
115
115
Res
tora
tion
of 1
15
Res
tora
tion
of 1
30
200m
200m
200m
200m
200m
200m
200m
200m
200m
200m
200m
200m
Tues
day,
Jun
e 11
, 13
Figure 19. Restoration of the Tabaco anticline using the flexural-slip technique. The cross- b
56
sections have no vertical exaggeration. a) plan view of the horizon 130 with the position of the cross sections. The colors indicate maximum principal elongation e1 (which is explain in the next chapter) b) Left side: Restoration stages in cross section A-A’ showing the present-day geometry, the restoration of coal seam 130, restoration of coal seam 115, restoration of coal seam 105 and restoration of coal seam 100. Note that in the present day section some small change of stratigraphic thickness across the fold can be observed. In the middle of the figure: Restoration stages in cross section B-B’ showing the present-day geometry, restoration of coal seam 130, restoration of coal seam 115 and restoration of coal seam 105. Right side: Restoration stages in cross section C-C’ showing the present-day geometry, the restoration of coal seam 130 and restoration of coal seam 115.
4.3.1 Strain maps
When the restoration was done the strain was captured in the model beds between restoration
steps. The principal strain orientations were calculated using Move (Midland Valley). It is
calculated using the coordinate position from the strained coal seams relative to the position of
unstrained coal seams. The xyz position is given for each principal strain axes e1, e2 and e3.
Figure 20 shows the values of maximum principal elongation e1 for coal seams 130, 115, 105
and 100, which was captured between restoration steps. After the restoration of coal seam 130
the main fold disappears almost completely (Figure 19b), and for that reason the strain captured
in coal seams 130 and 115 (Figures 20a and b) is mainly associated with the bigger scale of
folding, while the strain captured in coal seams 105 and 100 (Figures 20c-d) is mainly associated
with small scale folding. A common characteristic in coal seams 130 and 115 is an area of high
strain values located in the SE limb (Figures 20a and b), which has the steeply dipping strata.
The shallow, W-dipping limb shows relative lower values of strain in coal seams 130 and 115
(Figures 20a and b). Additionally coal seams 130 and 115 show a localized area of high strain in
the SW limb, where faults striking NE-SW are located (arrows in Figures 20a-b).
Coal seams 100 and 105 show an area of high strain with orientation approximately E-W (arrows
in Figures 20c and d). Those areas of high strain in coal seams 100 and 105 may correspond with
the minor folds, which remain after the restoration of coal seam 130 (Figure 19b). Coal seam 105
shows higher values of e1 that the others coal seams. When the restoration was done, it was also
the coal seam with the highest values of shortening (7%). The cross-section A-A’ in figure 19b
57
shows that coal seam 105 is the one with more amount of minor folds, indicating a higher
shortening compared with the others coal seams.
100 m
N
a
130
100 m
N
b
115
105
100 m
N
c
100
100 m
N
d
0
0.04
0.08
0.12
0
0.04
0.08
0.12
0
0.06
0.13
0.19
0
0.03
0.07
0.10
Wednesday, June 12, 13
100 m
N
a
130
100 m
N
b
115
105
100 m
N
c
100
100 m
N
d
0
0.04
0.08
0.12
0
0.04
0.08
0.12
0
0.06
0.13
0.19
0
0.03
0.07
0.10
Wednesday, June 12, 13Figure 20. Maps of maximum principal elongation e1. a) coal seam 130 b) coal seam 115 c)coal seam 105 and d) coal seam 100. The strain was captured between restoration steps.
58
5. Discussion
The 3D model shows a total of 67 faults distributed in 17 coal seams. The amount of faults
affecting the older coal seams are lower (in coal seams 95, 100, 102, and 105 the number of
faults are 4, 7, 6, and 7 respectively) that in intermedium coal seams (in coal seams 125 and 130
there are 29 faults). After coal seam 130, the number of faults decrease. The lower amount of
faults in the lower coal seams can be the result of the incompetence of the rocks surrounding
these coal seams (Figure 4). Furthermore, it seems like the faults are splitting upsection in the
anticline, with the lower beds having few fault branches while the intermedium beds have more
fault branches (Figures 14 and 18). Since the lithology of the upper coal seams is almost the
same as that of the intermedium coal seams, the number of faults in these coal seams (e.g. 160
and 170) can be the same as in the intermedium seams. However, because there are less data in
the upper beds, it is not possible to test this hypothesis.
In the 3D model, it was also possible to observe a series of reverse faults with an E-W direction
at the south nose of the plunging anticline, between coal seams 115 and 145 (Figure 14). A
possible origin for these faults is a N-S compressional event proposed by Kellogg (1984) in the
Sierra de Perijá. This event, which is post-middle Eocene, generated stylolites, folds and reverse
faults with an E-W direction. Kellogg (1984) suggested that this event may be caused by oblique
movement on the Oca fault system.
A conjugated pattern was described in the eastern limb of the anticline, between coal seams 120
to 145. Conjugated fractures are common in folded strata (Stearns, 1968; Cooper et al., 2006).
These conjugates are formed systematically with respect to the fold axis and bedding (Stearns,
1968; Bergbauer and Pollard, 2004) (Figure 21). The conjugated faults described in the Tabaco
anticline may have been generated when the strata of the anticline were folded.
59
Basin of central Australia. Their fold-related fracture-trajectory map shows extension fracture sets that varyin orientation with respect to the fold. These fracturescorrespond to the fracture sets described by Stearnsand Friedman (1972) (Figure 3).
Fractures in Folds Associated with Strata OverlyingDeep-Seated Thrusts
DeSitter (1956) documented normal faults parallel tofold hinges in several anticlines (Kettleman Hills, Cali-fornia; Quitman oil field, Texas; Sand Draw oil field,Wyoming; La Paz oil field, Maracaibo district, Vene-zuela) and attributed them to tension in the upper arcor crest of a doubly plunging anticline. Normal faultsroughly perpendicular to the fold hinges at the samelocations were attributed to tension resulting from 3-Dclosure (DeSitter, 1956). Engelder et al. (1997) docu-mented similar faults at Elk Basin anticline in the Big-horn Basin of Wyoming. This basement-cored, doubly
plunging, breached anticline has dips in excess of 30jon the forelimb and up to 23j on the backlimb. Theanticline strikes roughly north-northwest and is cutby several normal-oblique, northeast-striking, hinge-perpendicular faults. Fractures strike roughly parallel tothe hinge throughout the fold. Fractures striking roughlyperpendicular to the fold hinge are composed of twobasic types: (1) those with trace lengths extending sev-eral meters and (2) those that terminate at intersec-tions with hinge-parallel fractures.
Three joint sets have been describedwithin FrontierFormation sandstones at Oil Mountain, approximately30 mi (48 km) west of Casper, Wyoming (Henningset al., 1998, 2000).OilMountain is a northwest-striking,doubly plunging, breached anticline. It is unique in thiscategory because it is interpreted to have thrust faultsin the Mesozoic section that are related to deeper base-ment thrusts. A fracture set parallel to the fold hingeat Oil Mountain is interpreted as a preexisting regionalset due to its presence in Frontier Formation pavements
Figure 3. Stearns and Friedman (1972) modelof primary fracture sets associated with folding.In both sets, the intermediate principal stress(s2) is inferred to be normal to bedding, andthe maximum (s1) and minimum (s3) principalstresses are inferred to lie within the beddingplane. The inferred directions of maximum andminimum principal stresses are different foreach fracture set. The lower diagram is a planview of the fracture sets with conjugate shearfractures shown as dashed lines and extensionfractures as solid lines. The two fracture sets aredelineated by shading in the lower diagram,with upper-diagram fractures colored gray andmiddle-diagram fractures colored black. Con-jugate fractures are not shown on the left sideof the plan-view diagram to emphasize orienta-tion in the extension fractures. The two fracturesets are reprinted from Stearns and Friedman(1972) with permission from AAPG.
Cooper et al. 1907
Figure 21 Stearn and Friedman (1972) model, showing the fractures set associated with folding (Cooper et al., 2006).
Four different fault patterns in the contours of fault throw were observed (Figures 16 and 17): 1)
Low throw in the middle of the fault and high throw in the areas around, 2) highest throw at one
corner of the fault and not in the center, 3) the most common pattern, highest throw in the middle
of the fault, and 4) in conjugated faults the highest value of throw is located at the intersection of
the two fault planes. Those throw patterns were not only a useful technique for checking the
quality of the interpretation and construction of the 3D model, but they also help to understand
fault growth patterns and the interaction between faults.
The fault plane with an area of low throw in the middle of the fault can indicate: 1) that the area
of low throw is a tip point, which suggest two instead of one fault, 2) the linkage fault model
(Peacock and Sanderson, 1991; Cartwright et al., 1995; Kim et al., 2000), in which the faults
grew isolated at early stages and then linked to produce a larger fault, and 3) areas of high
displacement due to the intersection of two faults with different orientation (Kim and Sanderson,
2005). After a careful review of the interpretation, options 1 and 3 were discarded, so for the
Tabaco anticline, the most likely alternative is the linkage fault model.
The second pattern is a fault plane with the area of highest throw value in a corner of the fault
and not in the center. This suggests: 1) that the fault plane is not complete because there were not
enough data to cover it. 2) In the case of fault 4, there is a problem in the interpretation because it
is not a consistent pattern of fault displacement. Additionally, the fault-related strain value for
this fault was 0.2, higher than the upper limit of 0.1 suggested by Freeman et al. (2010). When
60
the faults-horizons intersections polygons were re-checked in the 3D model an anomalous high
value in the displacement of this fault was observed, so a re-interpretation of fault 4 was done.
The new values of throw and fault-related strain for fault 4 in coal seam 123 can be seen in
figure 22. The highest value of fault-related strain is 0.09 in this case, which is consistent with
the upper limit suggested by Freeman et al. (2010). With this result it is clear that the fault throw
pattern and fault-related strain values were a very useful tool to validity the fault interpretation.
2
Sampling line number
App
aren
t thr
ow (m
)St
rain
25
0.1
5 10 30
6
4
8
SE NW
24
15 20
Monday, June 10, 13
Figure 22 Individual and aggregate fault throw, and fault-related strain vs. distance for coal seam 123 after the re-interpretation of fault 4.
The third pattern with high throw values in the middle of the fault shows a gradual variation in
throw along strike, which is the expected behavior of a single fault. The last pattern occurs in
conjugated faults. In these cases, the highest value of throw is located at the intersection of the
two fault planes.
61
The fault domain that have the highest values of strain is the DFTAB, showing strain values
(fault-related strain) between 0.5% for coal seam 155, to 9% in coal seam 123 (Figure 18i and
18o). The strike of the faults in this domain is mainly NE-SW, similar to the trend of the Perijá
mountains. This can indicate a propagation of the Perijá deformation towards the west. However
there is one fault in the DFTAB domain that does not have the NE-SW trend. Fault 59 in the
northern part of the DFTAB domain and in lower coal seams, strikes almost E-W (Figure 14,
coal seam 100-105). Two interpretations are possible for the strike of this fault. The first
interpretation is that this fault was generated in the N-S compressional event described above.
The other option is that this part of the anticline is affected by left lateral movement of the
Samán fault, which rotated fault 59 to its current position. This second interpretation is supported
by the shape of the axis of the anticline, which bends close to the area of the Samán fault (Figure
2).
For coal seam 130 the curvature values are showing a difference between the size of the basins
(dark red) and synformal saddles (dark yellow), in both limbs. In the western limb the basins are
bigger than those in the eastern limb (Figure 15). The eastern limb has more faults affecting this
area of the coal seam (Figure 14), so this situation does not allow the development of big basins
in the eastern limb. While the faults affecting the western limb are less but with a higher
displacement, making that the size of the basins and synformal saddles bigger in that part of the
anticline.
The Cerrejón formation is a pre-folding formation, because when the upper coal seam 130 was
restored, the anticline almost vanished. The total shortening of the Tabaco anticline calculated
with the flexural slip technique is 18%. The shortening in the restoration of coal seam 130 is 6%,
of coal seam 115 is 2%, of coal seam 105 is 7%, and of coal seam 100 is 3%. In the restoration
process, a regional dip towards the west was identified. This shows that the depocenter of the
basin at the onset of folding was to the west of the Tabaco anticline .
62
When the shortening calculated with flexural slip is compared with the fault-related strain, it
does not show significant difference (in most cases only 1%). The maximum fault-related strain
for coal seam 130 is 5% (Figure 18 k), for coal seam 115 is 3% (Figure 18 g), for coal seam 105
is 10 % (Figure 18 d), and for coal seam 100 is 2.5% (Figure 158b). Fault-related strain, can be
slightly different that the fold-related strain calculated with flexural slip, because the gradual
accumulation of regional strain leads to fault slip; therefore the fault-related strain is related to
local perturbations superimposed on the regional strain (Dee et al., 2007).
High strain values (e1, Figure 20a and b) are located in the SE limb associated with the steeply
dipping strata in coal seams 130 and 115. Coal seams 100 and 105 show an area of high strain
with orientation E-W (arrows in Figure 20c and d). The strain captured in coal seams 130 is
mainly associated with the bigger scale of folding, while the strain captured in coal seams 105
and 100 (Figures 20c-d) is mainly associated with small scale folding. The high values of strain
in coal seams 130 and 115 shows that the SE limb with steeply dipping strata accommodated the
highest amount of strain in the anticline.
5. 1 Summary of the main events affecting the Tabaco anticline in a regional context
In the Middle-to-Late Paleocene the deposition of the Cerrejón Formation started in the area
(Figure 23a). The depocenter was towards the west of the future position of the Tabaco anticline.
Even though some small thickness changes are identified in the Cerrejón Formation, it is a pre-
folding unit. By that time, the Santa Marta massif had some episodes of uplift (Cardona et al.,
2010).
In the Late Paleocene-Early Eocene, the deposition of the Tabaco Formation started in the basin.
Montes et al. (2010) interpreted this Formation as syntectonic. If so, the Tabaco anticline was
probably formed during this time. The Santa Marta massif continued its uplift (Cardona et al.,
2010). Bayona et al. (2007) and Kellogg (1984) suggested that the tectonic activity of the Perijá
63
range started in the Early-Middle Eocene. The vergence of the faults in the western part of the
Perijá range is towards the west, however the vergence of the Tabaco anticline is towards the
east. One possible explanation can be that the Tabaco anticline was formed by a backthrust of the
west vergent thrust belt of the Perijá range (but there is not evidence of this backthrust). However
in the western limb of the Tabaco anticline, a series of thrust (belonging to the DFTAB domain)
with the same strike and the same vergence as the Perijá thrust belt are observed. So an
alternative interpretation for the formation of the anticline is that it was generated as a
detachment fold, trigged by the uplift of the Santa Marta massif and using the incompetent
Cerrejón formation as a detachment (Figure 23b). In addition, the reverse faults in the western
limb of the anticline could be generated after the anticline was formed and were related with the
propagation of the Perijá mountain front towards the west. This second alternative can explain
the eastern vergence of the anticline and the reverse faults in its western limb (Figure 23c).
However with the information analyzed in this thesis, there is not evidence that the faults of the
western limb are posterior to the main fold event.
The conjugated faults were generated when the beds of the Cerrejón Formation were folded
(Figure 23b). This conjugated pattern include two orientation of thrust faults and can be
reflecting locally developed of bending or buckling (Stearns, 1968 and Bergbauer and Pollard,
2004), so it is related with the folding of the beds.
The Samán fault may be formed in an event posterior to the formation of the Tabaco anticline
and the generation of the faults of the DFTAB domain. This left lateral strike-slip fault generated
a series of small antithetic faults close to its area of influence. Additionally, it bent the axis of the
anticline and some the faults of the DFTAB domain (Figures 2 and 23d). Another event posterior
to the formation of the Tabaco anticline was the generation of the E-W faults generated by a
north-south compression event (Figure 23d).
64
Proto Santa Marta massif
Perijá range
Tabaco anticline
Ocafault
Samánfault
Proto Santa Marta massif
Tabaco anticline
Perijá range
Proto Santa Marta massif
Ku
Tpc
Tet
Tabaco anticline
Proto Santa Marta massif
Tuesday, June 11, 13
a
Proto Santa Marta massif
Perijá range
Tabaco anticline
Ocafault
Samánfault
Proto Santa Marta massif
Tabaco anticline
Perijá range
Proto Santa Marta massif
Ku
Tpc
Tet
Tabaco anticline
Proto Santa Marta massif
Tuesday, June 11, 13
b
Proto Santa Marta massif
Perijá range
Tabaco anticline
Ocafault
Samánfault
Proto Santa Marta massif
Tabaco anticline
Perijá range
Proto Santa Marta massif
Ku
Tpc
Tet
Tabaco anticline
Proto Santa Marta massif
Tuesday, June 11, 13
c
65
Proto Santa Marta massif
Perijá range
Tabaco anticline
Ocafault
Samánfault
Proto Santa Marta massif
Tabaco anticline
Perijá range
Proto Santa Marta massif
Ku
Tpc
Tet
Tabaco anticline
Proto Santa Marta massif
Tuesday, June 11, 13
d
Figure 23 Summary of the main events affecting the Tabaco anticline. a) Middle-to-Late Paleocene deposition of the Cerrejón Formation. b) Late Paleocene-Early Eocene generation of the Tabaco anticline as a detachment fold, Ku: Cretaceous undiff., Tpc: Cerrejón Formation, Tet: Tabaco Formation. c) Reverse faults in the western limb of the anticline are generated and are related with the propagation of the Perijá mountain front towards the west. Perijá range is interpreted here as thin-skin due to the structural cross section from Montes et al. (2010) and Kellogg (1984) d) The Samán strike-slip fault generated antithetic faults in the anticline and bends it. Faults striking E-W are also generated.
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