Salt Tectonics, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Course Leader: Ian Davison

Four Day Field Course

This course will examine four salt diapirs along coastal sections developed in a Carboniferous extensional basin which has been subsequently affected by late Carboniferous inversion. A visit to a working salt mine is also planned, but access is not guaranteed. The diapirs are exposed in continuous cliff sections which extend for over 2 km with cliffs up to 50m in height (hard hats are required).

The objectives of the field element of the course are to examine the following:

1. Internal deformation of diapirs- trip down the Canadian Salt Pugwash Mine on mainland Nova Scotia.

2. Development of drag zones in different types of overburden.

3. Fault patterns in overburden rocks.

4. Development of unconformities around salt structures.

5. Cap rock development.

Morning and evening lectures will cover the following points:

Physical principles of salt flow.

Deformation patterns of overburden rocks around salt diapirs.

Salt structure control on sedimentation using examples from the Red Sea, Gulf Coast of Mexico, North Sea and the South Atlantic margins.

Formation of diapiric drag zones.

Review of experimental modelling and what this can teach us about salt tectonics.
Criteria for recognising compressional rejuvenation of salt diapirs.

Participants are encouraged to bring seismic data form their own areas of interest for a workshop discussion in the evenings.

Models for cap rock development

Participants would fly to Nova Scotia on Monday. Stay overnight in Halifax with introductory lecture. Drive hired minivans to Cape Breton Island (5 hours). Lodging will be in a hotel attached to the Malt Whisky Distillery near Mabou, which has chalets and twin rooms in the main hotel.

This is a very pleasant part of the world with good infrastructure, good seafood & excellent folk music.