• journal_title：Geology
• Contributor：Jianhua Feng ; R. T. Buffler ; M. A. Kominz
• Publisher：Geological Society of America
• Date：1994-
• Format：text/html
• Language：en
• Identifier：10.1130/0091-7613(1994)022<0359:LOIOLM>2.3.CO;2
• journal_abbrev：Geology
• issn：0091-7613
• volume：22
• issue：4
• firstpage：359

The deep part of the Gulf of Mexico basin, which is underlain by oceanic crust, has generally been regarded as a tectonically stable part of the basin since its formation by sea-floor spreading and thermal subsidence during the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. Subsequent subsidence is believed to have been caused mainly by thermal cooling and sediment loading. A backstripping study, however, has revealed a tectonic event in the western deep basin with tectonic-loading effect today. One possible explanation is Laramide fold-thrust loading along the western flank of the basin during ∼66-40 Ma.