Interpretation of salt-cored frontal structures in the Southern Pyrenees guided by analog modeling, surface and subsurface data

AbstractSouthern Pyrenean frontal thrusts are usually blind or partially covered by syn- and post-tectonic sediments of the Ebro Foreland hampering their interpretation. We have investigated the geometry and evolution of the Suria Anticline, a frontal structure of the Southern Pyrenees, which is characterized by the presence of multiple buried and blind thrusts displaying a complex triangle zone and several fishtail structures at depth. To characterize the geometry and structural evolution, a combination of surface geology, subsurface data interpretation, and analog modeling have been integrated into a unique 3D geologic model. The surface geology of this area depicts a rather simple structure, characterized by a north-directed backthrust and a gentle anticline, both striking west–southwest/east–northeast. In contrast, geophysical data indicate that the subsurface structure is more complex, exhibiting several northward- and southward-directed thrusts and folds detaching on the Pyrenean foreland Eocene eva...