Salt-Related Faults in the Tazhong Uplift,Tarim Basin

On the basis of the seismic interpretation and the distribution of the Middle and Lower Cambrian halite layer,this paper mainly addresses the deformation features and mechanism of the faulting in the Tazhong uplift,central Tarim basin.Faulting zones in the Tazhong uplift are steep in the upper section and flat in the lower section,with detachment occurring on the top of or within the Middle and Lower Cambrian halite layer although detaching distances vary in different areas,and this is typical of salt-related faulting.In general,development of faulting zones in the Tazhong uplift were jointly influenced by regional tectonic stresses,pre-existing basement faults,and the halite layer of the Middle and Lower Cambrian.The regional stresses with varying orientations and sizes provided driving forces for the fault development;the thickness of the halite layer affected the break behaviors of the halite and suprasalt strata;and the pre-existing basement faulting decided the primary positions of the faulting.