Identifier

etd-08042004-200816

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geology and Geophysics

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

In south Louisiana, parallel to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, are belts of east-to-west trending, listric-normal faults with associated contemporaneous sedimentation and fault movement. The Tepetate-Baton Rouge Fault system in south-central Louisiana contains individual fault segments which are arcuate and overlap each other in map view, as seen on LiDAR data. Gravity survey data, with a sample spacing of 20 to 50 m, was collected across normal fault scarps. Structural ramps may form in the area between overlapping normal fault segments creating an east-to-west gradient. This gradient change may divert streams and provide areas for coarse-grained sediments to accumulate. Results from modeling of gravity imply that: (1) the lateral density contrast from juxtaposed sands and shales across the fault does not produce significant gravity anomalies, (2) thick (50 to 75 m), asymmetric bodies with density contrasts of at least .1 g/cc, thicken toward the fault, and produce significant density contrasts within 100 m of the surface, and (3) symmetric gravity anomalies and associated topographic anomalies may be infilled, buried, remnant sand channels lying within 100 m of the surface.

Date

2004

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Juan M Lorenzo

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.582

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