RISE – the Role and Influence of Salt in the Evolution of fold and thrust belts

Abstract: The scope of this project (RISE – the Role and Influence of Salt in the structural Evolution of fold and thrust belts) is quantifying the deformation of rocksalt and its influence on the structural evolution of fold and thrust belts. To achieve our goals, we will focus on the Romanian Carpathians and Transylvanian Basin. First, we will create and analyse high-resolution 3D models of fold structures in world-class outcrops in salt mines, reproduce the evolution of these salt structures by means of scaled analogue modelling and collect samples for microstructural analysis. This is the first integrated study combining such techniques in Romania and one of the few worldwide. The results of the microstructural analysis will be compared with the different structural settings exposed in mines and in rock salt layers with different strains and different rheological contrasts, as determined from fold morphologies. This, coupled with scaled analogue modelling experiments, will provide crucial insights into the deformation history, mechanical properties, paleo-stress, recrystallization and will provide improved quantitative models of rheology and evolution of the different salt structures in Romania and worldwide.

Project objectives: The main research questions of this study are: What is the kinematic evolution of the salt structures in Romania? Can a combination of regional, mesoscale and microstructural analysis be used to understand the kinematics and structural style of the diapirs in Romania and worldwide?
The objectives of this research project are 1) the characterisation of salt microstructure, composition, fabric and kinematics and 2) linking them to the analogue models and 3D reconstructed models of salt mines and outcrops in Romania. These objectives are highly relevant for understanding salt deformation worldwide and understanding the link between the salt fabric, composition and fold behaviour, especially now, with the renewed interest in salt tectonics worldwide.

List of publications:

• Schléder, Z., Lăpădat, I.A., Trandafir, G., Fernandez, O., Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A., Filipescu, S., Krézsek, C., Rădoiaș, M.A. and Vasiliu, M., 2023, Structural inheritance and style within the Getic Depression, South Carpathians, Romania. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 106068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2022.106068
• Bercea, R.I., Balc, R., Tămaș, A., Filipescu, S., Tămaș, D.M., Guillong, M., Szekely, S.F., Lukacs, R. 2023. Insights into the palaeoenvironments, structure and stratigraphy of the lower Miocene of the Eastern Carpathians Bend Zone, Romania. Geological Quarterly, 67(2), 25-50. http://doi.org/10.7306/gq.1673

List of conference presentations:

• Tămaș, D. M., Adamuszek, M., Tămaș, A., Barabasch, J., and Urai, J. L., 2023, The role and control of impurities in the deformation of salt (Ocnele Mari salt mine, Romania). Tectonics Studies Group Conference, Leeds, UK.
• Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A. 2022, Importance of salt in energy transition: can machine learning help us to better constrain the geometries of salt bodies? “Ion Popescu-Voitești” Annual Scientific Session, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
• Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A., Schléder, Z. and Krézsek, C. 2022, Coupling machine learning and subsurface data to define the geometry of a salt diapir: Eastern Carpathian Bend Zone. Seismic Encounters I – Budapest, Sept. 2022.
• Copoț, B., Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A., Krézsek, C., Schleder, Z., Lapadat, A. and Filipescu S., 2022, Effects of multiple detachments in thin-skinned fold and thrust belts: insights from analogue modelling. EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-11360
• Tămaș, D.M., Tămaș, A., Barabasch, J., Rowan, M.G., Schleder, Z., Krézsek, C. and Urai, J.L., 2022, Do diapirs ever lose their heads? Insights from the Romanian Eastern Carpathians. EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-4498