Contribution of gravity gliding in salt-bearing rift basins – A newexperimental setup for simulating salt tectonics under the influenceof sub-salt extension and tilting

Abstract. Basin-scale salt flow and the evolution of salt structures in rift basin is mainly driven by sub- and supra-salt faulting and sedimentary loading. Crustal extension is often accompanied and followed by thermal subsidence leading to tilting of the graben flanks, which might induce an additional basinward directed driver for salt tectonics. We designed a new experimental analog apparatus capable of integrating the processes of sub-salt graben extension and tilting of the flanks, such that the overlapping effects on the deformation of a viscous substratum and the brittle overburden can be simulated. The presented experimental study was performed to demonstrate the main functionality of the experimental procedure and setup demonstrating the main differences in structural evolution between conditions of pure extension, pure tilting and extension combined with tilting. Digital image correlation of top view stereoscopic images was applied to reveal the 3D displacement and strain patterns. Results of these experiments suggest that in salt basins affected by sub-salt extension and flank inclination, the salt flow and downward movement of overburden affects the entire flanks of the basin. Supra-salt extension occurring close to the graben centre is overprinted by the downward movement, i.e. amount of extension is reduced or extensional faults zones are shortened. At the basin margins, thin-skinned extensional fault developed, which resemble fault zones observed on basin flanks offset from the central graben zone.