Seismic and Gravity Investigation of the Eastern Boundary of the Santo Domingo Basin, Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico
Abstract
New seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection and CMP seismic reflection profiles were recorded by the SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience) program across the eastern boundary of the Santo Domingo basin, Rio Grande rift, New Mexico in 2010 and 2011. In addition, new gravity data were acquired along the seismic lines, in the area of the eastern boundary and in the Santo Domingo basin. A complete Bouguer gravity anomaly map was produced from the new gravity measurements and previously existing gravity data. Two and one half dimensional modeling of approximately east-west Bouguer anomaly profiles was used to estimate basin depth and fault offsets at the eastern boundary of the Santo Domingo basin and to compare with the seismic reflection interpretations. The refraction and wide-angle reflection data were modeled using slope-intercept, 2-D ray trace and wide-angle dipping layer reflection travel times. Typical velocities for the Tertiary layers are approximately 750 m/s, 2000 m/s and 2400 m/s. Deconvolution, bandpass filtering, velocity analysis and CMP stacking were utilized to produce seismic reflection sections for the east-west reflection profiles from 2010 and 2011. The reflection data imaged the La Bajada and San Francisco faults along the eastern boundary of the Santo Domingo basin. These data and available industry reflection data to the east of our field area indicate offsets of greater than 2 km for the La Bajada fault (down to the west) and about 1 km of offset for the San Francisco fault (down to the west). Using constraints from the seismic data on depth to Tertiary and Mesozoic sedimentary units, the gravity modeling suggests a depth to crystalline basement of over 5 km in the Santo Domingo basin.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011AGUFM.T21A2316B
- Keywords:
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- 0900 EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS;
- 0905 EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS / Continental structures;
- 8109 TECTONOPHYSICS / Continental tectonics: extensional