Types of sedimentary basins | ||
Rift-related basins | ||
Basin type | Geological Origin | Example |
Rift basin | The down-dropped basin formed during rifting because of stretching and thinning of the continental crust | East Africa Rift |
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Passive margin basin | Subsidence along a passive margin, mostly due to long-term accumulation of sediments on the continental shelf | East coast of North America |
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Subduction-related basins | ||
Trench (accretionary wedge) | Downward flexure of the subducting and non-subducting plates (sites of accretionary wedges) | Western edge of Vancouver Island |
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Forearc basin | The area between the accretionary wedge and the magmatic arc, largely caused by the negative buoyancy of the subducting plate pulling down on the overlying continental crust | Georgia Strait |
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Foreland basin | A depression caused by the weight of a large mountain range pushing the adjacent crust below sea level | The sediment filled plain south of the Himalayas |
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Transform-fault basins | ||
Strike-slip basin | A pull-apart block (eg. between two transform faults) that subsides significantly | Various locations on the San Andreas Fault or the Anatolian Fault |
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Steven Earle, Malaspina University-College, June 2004
