Using outcrop data and analog models to aid seismic interpretation in fold and thrust belts

Abstract

Seismic data in fold and thrust belts (FTBs), especially in onshore areas, are often difficult to interpret due to poor imaging of complex structures. Outcrops, either in the same area as the seismic or in FTBs with similar stratigraphy, provide direct and essentially unfiltered views of structures that can form in this structural style. In addition, physical and mathematical analog models can provide insights on the development of compressional structures and the parameters that most strongly influence their shape. The task of seismic interpretation in FTBs can be aided substantially by using well-exposed outcrops and analog models of compressional structures as templates.