Characteristics of Salt Structures and Its Evolution in Kuqa Depression,Tarim Basin

Salt structures widely developed in Kuqa Foreland Basin.However,their deforming styles and developing mechanism are still not clearly known so far.In this paper,we describe the different structure styles from four different places in Kuqa depression by field investigation.They are the salt diapir in Tubei area,the faulted fold in the suprasalt layer in Kelasu area,the thrust sheet in Quele area and the faulted fold in Xiqiu area.On the basis of the outcrop geological data and seismic data,four geological profiles are finished.By the method of balanced cross section,we restore the evolution history of the four different places and probe into the mechanism of salt structures deformation.The results show that the salt structures in Tubei area begin to develop only during the forming of the Jidike Formation,while salt structures in other three places start to develop after depositing of Kuqa Formation.The mechanism of salt structures development in Kuqa foreland basin is a differential load of sediments during mountain-building and compression of South Tianshan area.