Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seismic stratigraphy of a deep water basin in the Brazilian equatorial margin: the eastern portion of Potiguar Basin and Touros High

  • Original
  • Published:
Geo-Marine Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Brazilian Continental Margin (BEM) deep-water regions contain important geological features, although the area is poorly explored beyond the continental shelf-break. The main objective of this study is to seismically characterize syn- and post-rift sequences and certain seamounts that are part of the Fernando de Noronha Ridge (FNR) in deep-water basins and are off of the shore of northeastern Brazil. We used 2D post-stack high-resolution seismic sections to distinguish syn-rift, post-rift, and drift tectono-depositional phases. Three seismic horizons (R1 to R3) could represent, respectively, the following: an acoustic basement top, a rift top, and a highstand system tract (drift). The syn-rift stage is marked by discontinuous parallel reflectors with low amplitude and low frequency, which are offset by normal faults in half-grabens. The post-rift and drift stages are characterized by continuous parallel reflectors with low to high amplitude and frequency. Chaotic seismic reflections within the seamounts indicate their volcanic origins. Volcanic intrusions affected syn-rift, post-rift, and drift sequences and partially confine the deep-water basin deposition. The magmatic event occurred once the preexistent material and the sediment deposited after the seamount rises were partially confined by the continental slope and the seamounts. Seismic stratigraphy interpretation and its correlation with volcanic activities indicate a relative chronological control relating the emplacement of the seamounts to the Early Eocene to Late Miocene. Volcanic episodes seem to have created volcanoclastic deposits marked by a disorganized/chaotic seismic pattern with few continuous reflectors, indicating interbedded magma flows with sedimentary material. This paper provides an initial observation regarding the deep-water basin deposits on syn- and post-rift stages in the NE portion of the BEM.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andrade JFP, Gomes MP, Bezerra FHR, de Castro DL, Vital H (2018) Morphotectonic development of the Ceará Terrace: a marginal ridge on the western side of the Romanche Fracture Zone in the Brazilian equatorial margin. Geo-Mar Lett 38:371–384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-018-0541-y

  • Antobreh AA, Faleide JI, Tsikalas F, Planke S (2009) Rift-shear architecture and tectonic development of the Ghana margin deduced from multichannel seismic reflection and potential field data. Mar Pet Geol 26:345–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2008.04.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aquino da Silva AG, Stattegger K, Schwarzer K, Vital H (2016) Seismic stratigraphy as indicator of late Pleistocene and Holocene sea level changes on the NE Brazilian continental shelf. J S Am Earth Sci 70:188–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2016.05.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbosa GG (2013) Bacia Potiguar- 11a Rodada Brasil

  • Bell B, Butcher H (2002) On the emplacement of sill complexes: evidence from the Faroe-Shetland Basin. Geol Soc Spec Publ 197:307–329. https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.2002.197.01.12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blarez E, Mascle J (1988) Shallow structures and evolution of the Ivory Coast and Ghana transform margin. Mar Pet Geol 5:54–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buarque BV, Barbosa A, Magalhães JRG, et al (2016)  Post-rift volcanic structures of the Pernambuco Plateau, northeastern Brazil. J. S. Am. Earth Sci 70:251–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2016.05.014

  • Buarque BV, Barbosa JA, Oliveira JTC (2017) Carbonate buildups in the Pernambuco Basin, NE Brazil. Acad Bras Ciênc 89:841–857

  • Catuneanu O (2006) Principles of Sequence Stratigraphy. Elsevier, Edmonton

    Google Scholar 

  • (2007) Centro de Hidrografia da Marinha do Brasil (CHM). https://www.mar.mil.br/dhn/chm/box-cartas-nauticas/cartas.html. Accessed 6 May 2017

  • de Almeida NM, Vital H, Gomes MP (2015) Morphology of submarine canyons along the continental margin of the Potiguar Basin, NE Brazil. Mar Pet Geol 68:307–324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2015.08.035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Araripe PT de, Feijó FJ (1994) Bacia Potiguar. In: Boletim de Geociencias da Petrobrás, 1st edn. Rio de Janeiro, pp 127–141

  • de Castro DL, Bezerra FHR, Sousa MOL, Fuck RA (2012) Influence of Neoproterozoic tectonic fabric on the origin of the Potiguar Basin , northeastern Brazil and its links with West Africa based on gravity and magnetic data. J Geodyn 54:29–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jog.2011.09.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding W, Li J, Dong C, Fang Y (2014) Oligocene – Miocene carbonates in the Reed Bank area , South China Sea , and their tectono-sedimentary evolution. Mar Geophys Res 36:149–165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-014-9237-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomes MP, Vital H, Bezerra FHR et al (2014) The interplay between structural inheritance and morphology in the Equatorial Continental Shelf of Brazil. Mar Geol 355:150–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2014.06.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorini M (1977) The tectonic fabric of the Equatorial Atlantic and adjoining continental margins: gulf of Guinea to northeastern Brazil. Columbia University

  • Hjelstuen BO, Andreassen EV (2015) North Atlantic Ocean deep-water processes and depositional environments: a study of the Cenozoic Norway Basin. Mar Pet Geol 59:429–441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2014.09.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Infante-Paez L, Marfurt KJ (2017) Seismic expression and geomorphology of igneous bodies . A Taranaki Basin , New Zealand case study. Interpretation 5:71. https://doi.org/10.1190/int-2016-0244.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jovane L, Figueiredo JJP, Alves DPV et al (2016) Seismostratigraphy of the Ceará Plateau: clues to decipher the Cenozoic evolution of Brazilian equatorial margin. Front Earth Sci 4:14. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2016.00090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magee C, Maharaj SM, Wrona T, Jackson CA-L (2015) Controls on the expression of igneous intrusions in seismic reflection data. Geosphere 11:50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mark NJ, Schofield N, Pugliese S et al (2018) Igneous intrusions in the Faroe Shetland basin and their implications for hydrocarbon exploration; new insights from well and seismic data. Mar Pet Geol 92:733–753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2017.12.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matos RMD (1992) The northeast Brazilian rift system. Tectonics 11:766–791

  • Matos RMD (1999) History of the northeast Brazilian rift system: kinematic implications for the break-up between Brazil and West Africa. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 153 (1):55–73. https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.SP.1999.153.01.04

  • Matos RMD (2000) Tectonic Evolution of the Equatorial South Atlantic The Brazilian and West African Equatorial margins comprise America. In: Atlantic Rifts and Continental Margins. American Geophysical Union, Natal-RN-Brazil, pp 331–354

  • Milani EJ, Brandão JASL, Zalán PV, Gamboa LAP (2000) Petróleo na margem continental Brasileira: Geologia, exploração, resultados e perspectivas. Rev Bras Geof 18:351–396. https://doi.org/10.1590/690S0102-261X2000000300012

  • Mitchum Jr RM, Vail PR, Sangree JB (1977) Seismic stratigraphy and global patterns in depositional sequences In: Payton, C. E. (ed). Seismic Stratigraphy – Applications to Hidrocarbon Exploration. Tulsa, AAPG, 117-133 (Memoir 26). In: Payton CE (ed) Memoir 26. AAGP, Tulsa, pp 117–133

  • Mizusaki AMP, Thomaz Filho A, Milani EJ, Césero P (2002) Mesozoic and Cenozoic igneous activity and its tectonics control in northeastern Brazil. J S Am Earth Sci 15:183–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2018) NOAA. https://www.noaa.gov/

  • Perlingeiro G, Vasconcelos PM, Knesel KM et al (2013) 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and implications for the origin of alkaline volcanism in the NE Brazil. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 249:140–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2012.08.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pessoa Neto O da C (1999) Análise Estratigráfica Integrada da Plataforma Mista (Siliciclástica-Carbonática) do Neogeno da Bacia Portiguar, Nordeste do Brasil. 220

  • Pessoa Neto O d C (2003) Estratigrafia de Sequências da plataforma 711 mista neogênica na Bacia Potiguar, Margem Equatorial Brasileira. 712 Rev Bras Geociênc 33:263–278 

  • Pessoa Neto O d C, Soares UM, Fernandes Da Silva JG et al (2007) Bacia 714 Potiguar. Boletim de Geociencias da Petrobras 15:357–369

  • Pushcharovskii YM (2004) Deep-sea basins of the Atlantic Ocean: the structure, time and mechanisms of their formation. Russ J Earth Sci 6:133–152. https://doi.org/10.2205/2004ES000146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivalenti G, Mazzucchelli M, Girardi V a V et al (2000) Composition and processes of the mantle lithosphere in northeastern Brazil and Fernando de Noronha: evidence from mantle xenoliths. Contrib Mineral Petrol 138:308–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004100050565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scarselli N, Mcclay K, Elders C (2016) Seismic geomorphology of Cretaceous megaslides offshore Namibia (Orange Basin): insights into segmentation and degradation of gravity-driven linked systems. Mar Pet Geol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2016.03.012

  • Schofield N, Holford S, Millett J et al (2015) Regional magma plumbing and emplacement mechanisms of the Faroe-Shetland Sill Complex: implications for magma transport and petroleum systems within sedimentary basins. Basin Res 29:41–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/bre.12164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smallwood JR, Maresh J (2002) The properties, morphology and distribution of igneous sills: modelling, borehole data and 3D seismic from the Faroe-Shetland area. In: Jollley DW, Bell BR (eds) The North Atlantic Igneous Province: Stratigraphy, Tectonic, Volcanic and Magmatic Processes. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, London, pp 271–306

  • Tcherepanov EN, Droxler AW, Lapointe P, Mohn K (2008) Carbonate seismic stratigraphy of the Gulf of Papua mixed depositional system : Neogene stratigraphic signature and eustatic control. Basin Res 185–209. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2117.2008.00364.x

  • Vail PR, Mitchum RM Jr (1977) Seismic stratigraphy and global changes of sea level: Part 1: Overview. In: Payton C (ed) Memoir 26. AAGP, Tulsa, pp 51–52

  • Veeken PCH (2007) Seismic stratigraphy, basin analysis, and reservoir characterization. Elsevier Ltd, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Viana A, Júnior S, Batista J et al (2008) Evolução Da Margem Atlântica Equatorial Do Brasil : Três Fases Distensivas. Geociências 3:427–437

    Google Scholar 

  • Vital H (2014) Chapter 4 The north and northeast Brazilian tropical shelves. Geol Soc Lond Mem 41:35–46. https://doi.org/10.1144/M41.4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vital H, State N, Stattegger K et al (2008) A modern high-energy 753 siliciclastic-carbonate platform: continental shelf adjacent to 754 Northern Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeastern Brazil. In: Recent Advances in Models of Siliciclastic Shallow-marine Stratigraphy. Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), Special Publication 90,175–188

  • Vital H, Gomes MP, Tabosa WF et al (2010) Characterization of the Brazilian continental shelf adjacent to Rio Grande do Norte State, Ne Brazil. Braz J Oceanogr 58:43–54. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-87592010000500005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson JT (1963) A possible origin of the Hawaiian Islands. Can J Phys 41:863–870

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson JT (1965) A new class of faults and their bearing on continental drift. Nature 207:343–347. https://doi.org/10.1038/207343a0

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Brazilian Council and Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for their grants. We also thank the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) for the seismic dataset, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (PPGG/UFRN) for the infrastructure required for the data interpretation, and Schlumberger for the Petrel E&P Software Platform license. We are also grateful to David Iacopini for his constructive comments and to an anonymous reviewer and the editor of this journal for their help in improving the quality of the original manuscript.

Funding

This is a contribution to Project Geohazards and Tectonics (CAPES – IODP grant 88887.123925/2015-00).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Post-Graduate Program in Geodynamics and Geophysics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil

    Júlia C. L. G. Fonseca, Helenice Vital, Yoe A. R. Perez, David L. Castro, André G. Aquino da Silva & Moab P. Gomes

Authors
  1. Júlia C. L. G. Fonseca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Helenice Vital
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yoe A. R. Perez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David L. Castro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. André G. Aquino da Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Moab P. Gomes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Júlia C. L. G. Fonseca.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fonseca, J.C.L.G., Vital, H., Perez, Y.A.R. et al. Seismic stratigraphy of a deep water basin in the Brazilian equatorial margin: the eastern portion of Potiguar Basin and Touros High. Geo-Mar Lett 40, 977–988 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-019-00626-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-019-00626-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation