C. Cainelli et Wu. Mohriak, Some remarks on the evolution of sedimentary basins along the Eastern Brazilian continental margin, EPISODES, 22(3), 1999, pp. 206-216
This work provides a general overview of the tectano-stratigraphic evolutio
n of the Eastern Brazilian Margin, discussing the main phases of subsidence
and sedimentation and in particular, the structural styles and depositiona
l megasequences of selected basins. The Mesozoic sedimentation along the Br
azilian continental margin started with the breakup of Western Gondwana in
the Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous. The rifting of the southern-most parr o
f South America Flare was heralded by the extrusion of flood basalts in the
Parana, Campos and Santos basins. The syn-rift phase is associated with sy
nthetic and antithetic faults forming several half-grabens filled with fluv
ial-deltaic sediments of the Continental Megasequence. The Transitional Meg
asequence is characterized by evaporite deposition from the Santos towards
the Sergipe/Alagoas Basin, and salt movements constitute one of the most im
portant controls on stratigraphic and structural features, being responsibl
e for several exploratory plays in deep wafer regions. The drift Marine Meg
asequence, presently bearing mast of the hydrocarbon production and reserve
s, may be subdivided into a carbonate Restricted Marine Supersequence (Albi
an to Turonian) and a siliciclastic Open Mar-ins Supersequence (Late Cretac
eous to Quaternary). The interpretation of deep water depositional systems
and the rift architecture at the transition from continental to oceanic cru
st constitute the major challenges for petroleum exploration in the next ce
ntury.