366 CHAPTER 9

AZ3
SE1
SA1
SO1
AZ3 Anzing 3
CU1 Cuarny 1
CH1 Chapelle 1
SA1 Savigny 1
SE1 Servion 1
SO1 Sorens 1
0 10 20 30 40
DS
DS Dead Sea
RA1 Rancho 1, Los Angeles Basin
RA1
CU1
WE
TR
SCH
Rift
Foreland basin
Strikeslip
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
CH1
LA2
SA1
SA1 Sandhausen 1
LA2 Landau 2
SCH Schafisheim
TR Trimbach
WE Weiach
Time (Ma)
(a)
D
e
p
t
h

(
m
)
1
(b)
0.1
0.01
1 10 10
2
10
3
Duration of subsidence (Myr)
Strikeslip
basins
Early
Late
Synrift
Postrift Rifts and
failed rifts
B
a
c
k
s
t
r
i
p
p
e
d

t
e
c
t
o
n
i
c

s
u
b
s
i
d
e
n
c
e

r
a
t
e

(
m
m

y
r

1
)
Passive margin
Cratonic basins
Foreland
basins
Fig. 9.11 Comparison of the typical subsidence histories of
foreland basins, rift and strikeslip basins, using decompacted
subsidence curves (a). Thick solid curves are boreholes in the
exural North Alpine foreland basin of Switzerland and south-
ern Germany. Thin solid curves are the Tertiary rift phase of
boreholes in the Rhine rift and its southerly continuation in
northern Switzerland. The Swiss boreholes (TR, WE and
SCH) have experienced Neogene uplift. Dash-dot lines are
two strikeslip basins; (b) Plot of duration of subsidence versus
typical tectonic subsidence rate, allowing foreland basins, rift,
failed rift, passive margin and strikeslip basins to be
discriminated.

In many basins more than one subsidence mechanism

may operate. This may be particularly the case in the
retro-foreland regions of major oceancontinent conver-
gence zones. In these regions exural subsidence due to
loading in retro fold and thrust belts may be added to by
dynamic subsidence associated with subduction of cold
oceanic slabs. Allen et al. (2000), for example, recognized
two convex-up exural events superimposed on a very
long-term, linear to slightly concave-up subsidence curve
in the Mesozoic of the Colorado Plateau area, USA. The
addition of an in-plane stress related to continental col-
lision to the postrift history of stretched basins may also
be recognized by anomalous increases in subsidence
rate. This combination of mechanisms has been invoked,
for example, in the Late Cenozoic history of the North
Sea failed rift (van Wees and Cloetingh 1996).
9.4 INTRODUCTION TO THERMAL
HISTORY
Subsidence in sedimentary basins causes material initially
deposited at low temperatures and pressures to be sub-
jected to higher temperatures and pressures. Sediments
may pass through diagenetic, then metamorphic re-
gimes and may contain indices of their new pressure
temperature conditions. Thermal indices are generally
obtained from either dispersed organic matter, tempera-
ture-dependent chronometers such as apatite ssion
tracks or from mineralogical trends. A great deal of effort
has been spent in attempting to nd an analytical tech-
nique capable of unambiguously describing thermal
maturity, and an equal amount of effort attempting to
correlate the resulting proliferation of indicators.
Numerical values of the organic geochemical para-
meters are dependent on time, thermal energy, and type
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