화학공학소재연구정보센터
Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, Vol.44, No.2, 282-298, 1996
Structure of the central Canadian Cordilleran thrust-and-fold belt, Athabasca-Brazeau area, Alberta: A large, complex intercutaneous wedge
In the central Canadian Cordilleran foreland thrust-and-fold belt, three types of first order decollements are identified within or along the border of the present orogenic wedge: one basal decollement, three internal decollements and one upper decollement. These decollements outline three major structural compartments in the orogenic prism termed Upper Panel, Middle Wedge and Lower Wedge. The Upper Panel is an extensive SW-directed fault (backthrust) panel, gliding on the upper decollement within the Wapiabi Formation. It is imbricated and forms several fault panels separated by NE-dipping backthrusts. Within the orogenic wedge, at least three internal decollements are recognized. Each corresponds to an extensive flat between two ramps which link it to other internal decollements, the basal decollement or the upper decollement. Many fault imbricates emanate from the basal and internal decollements to form duplexes within the orogenic prism. The most extensive of these duplexes (Middle Wedge) occurs between the Upper Panel. and the Lower Wedge. It extends for more than 60 km across the strike of the Foothills within the Upper Cretaceous Alberta Group. During deformation, the Middle Wedge appears to have formed at the leading edge of the Foothills with the Lower Wedge developing farther toward the hinterland. The Middle Wedge propagated progressively eastward across the foreland basin, at the same stratigraphic level (Alberta Group), beneath the upper decollement. At the same time the Lower Wedge propagated eastward forming a duplex in Paleozoic to Lower Cretaceous strata beneath the Middle Wedge.