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Copyright by Nysha Chaderton 2009 - The University of Texas at ...

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esult <strong>of</strong> extension caused <strong>by</strong> flexural loading <strong>of</strong> the crust in response to<br />

encroaching fold belts (Harding and Lowell, 1979; Harding and Tuminas, 1989).<br />

Dickinson (1995) noted th<strong>at</strong> these faults may act to step the basin downward from<br />

the elev<strong>at</strong>ed island arc high as localized extension occurs across the forearc belt.<br />

<strong>The</strong> large Barbados Fault (previously discussed) is an example <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> these<br />

faults.<br />

TIMING AND PROCESSES IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE TOBAGO BASIN<br />

Observ<strong>at</strong>ions from Seismic D<strong>at</strong>a<br />

<strong>The</strong> Tobago Basin is the largest sedimentary accumul<strong>at</strong>ion within the<br />

basins <strong>of</strong> Barbados Accretionary Prism system. Nine horizons were mapped<br />

across the basin, and six fill units were identified. Isochron maps cre<strong>at</strong>ed on these<br />

units show th<strong>at</strong> the basin has evolved from a proto-Tobago Basin th<strong>at</strong> was quite<br />

broad, into segments th<strong>at</strong> are the present-day Tobago Forearc Basin (TFB) and<br />

more eastward piggyback basins <strong>of</strong> the Barbados Ridge. Pre-Eocene-age TFB<br />

sediments (Unit One <strong>of</strong> Figure 4.6 and Figure 4.7a) are thickest in the northeast<br />

parts <strong>of</strong> the present-day basin, whereas Eocene to early-Oligocene-age sediments<br />

(Unit Two <strong>of</strong> Figures 4.6 and 4.7b) were deposited within a more central<br />

depocenter. This l<strong>at</strong>er unit is found south <strong>of</strong> the older depositional center,<br />

suggesting a migr<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> subsidence to the south part <strong>of</strong> the basin. During the<br />

early Oligocene to early Miocene (Unit Three <strong>of</strong> Figures 4.6 and 4.7c), sediments<br />

were deposited across a broad area, extending as far as the present-day zone <strong>of</strong><br />

piggyback basins. <strong>The</strong> thickest sediment deposition <strong>at</strong> th<strong>at</strong> time was in the<br />

southeast part <strong>of</strong> the basin, adjacent to the present-day Inner Forearc Deform<strong>at</strong>ion<br />

Front. Sediments deposited after initi<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> the closure <strong>of</strong> the TFB and the<br />

emergence <strong>of</strong> the Barbados Ridge, were confined to a smaller TFB. Isochron<br />

54

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