Process / pipelineBasin evolution analysis

Basin Subsidence Analysis

Basin subsidence analysis is the quantitative study of how sedimentary basins deepen over geological time, driven by tectonics, isostasy, and load. Formalized by McKenzie (1978) and Sclater and Christie (1980), this method reveals the mechanical causes of basin development, predicts subsurface temperature and pressure histories, and constrains petroleum generation. Analysis integrates well stratigraphy, seismic geometry, gravity data, and thermal models to reconstruct basin evolution.

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Sources

  1. Sclater, J. G., & Christie, P. A. F. (1980). Continental stretching: An explanation of the post-mid-Cretaceous subsidence of the Central North Sea Basin. Journal of Geophysical Research, 85(B7), 3711–3739. DOI: 10.1029/JB085iB07p03711
  2. Allen, P. A., & Allen, J. R. (1995). Geology of Deltas. Ellis Horwood Limited. link
  3. McKenzie, D. (1978). Some remarks on the development of sedimentary basins. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 40(1), 25–32. DOI: 10.1016/0012-821X(78)90071-7

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Referenced by

ScholarGateBasin Subsidence Analysis (Basin Subsidence Analysis). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/geoscience/basin-subsidence-analysis