Basin Analysis is an up-to-date overview of the essential processes of the formation and evolution of sedimentary basins, and their implications for the development of hydrocarbon resources. The new edition features:

• A consideration of the fundamental physical state of the lithosphere.
  
• A discussion on the major types of lithospheric deformation relevant to basin development -- stretching and flexure.
  
• A new chapter on the effects of mantle dynamics.
  
• Radically revised chapters on the basin-fill.
  
• A new chapter on the erosional engine for sediment delivery to basins, reflecting the massive and exciting advances in this area in the last decade.
  
• Expansion of the techniques used in approaching problems in basin analysis.
  
• Updated chapters on subsidence analysis and measurements of thermal maturity of organic and non-organic components of the basin-fill.
  
• New material on thermochronological and exposure dating tools.
  
• Inclusion of the important petroleum system concept in the updated section on the application to the petroleum play.

Visit: www.blackwellpublishing.com/allen for practical exercises related to problems in Basin Analysis 2e. To run the programs you will need a copy of Matlab 6 or 7.

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Features

• A consideration of the fundamental physical state of the lithosphere.
  
• A discussion on the major types of lithospheric deformation relevant to basin development -- stretching and flexure.
  
• A new chapter on the effects of mantle dynamics.
  
• Radically revised chapters on the basin-fill.
  
• A new chapter on the erosional engine for sediment delivery to basins, reflecting the massive and exciting advances in this area in the last decade.
  
• Expansion of the techniques used in approaching problems in basin analysis.
  
• Updated chapters on subsidence analysis and measurements of thermal maturity of organic and non-organic components of the basin-fill.
  
• New material on thermochronological and exposure dating tools.
  
• Inclusion of the important petroleum system concept in the updated section on the application to the petroleum play.

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Contents
PART 1: THE FOUNDATIONS OF SEDIMENTARY BASINS:.

Chapter 1 Basins in their plate tectonic environment.

Summary.

1.1 Compositional zonation of the Earth.

1.2 Rheological zonation of the Earth.

1.3 Plate motion.

1.4 Classification schemes of sedimentary basins.

Chapter 2 The physical state of the lithosphere.

Summary.

2.1 Stress and strain.

2.2 Heat flow: conduction and convection.

2.3 Gravity and isostasy.

2.4 Rock rheology.

PART 2: THE MECHANICS OF SEDIMENTARY BASIN FORMATION:.

Chapter 3 Basins due to lithospheric stretching.

Summary.

3.1 Introduction to rifts, failed rifts and passive continental margins.

3.2 Geological and geophysical observations in regions of continental extension.

3.3 Introduction to models of continental extension.

3.4 Uniform stretching of the continental lithosphere.

3.5 Modifications to the uniform stretching model.

3.6 A dynamical approach to lithospheric extension.

3.7 Mantle plumes and igneous activity associated with continental extension.

3.8 Estimation of the stretch factor and strain rate history.

Chapter 4 Basins due to flexure.

Summary.

4.1 Basic observations in regions of lithospheric flexure.

4.2 Flexure of the lithosphere: geometry of the deflection.

4.3 Flexural rigidity of the oceanic and continental lithosphere.

4.4 Lithospheric buckling.

4.5 The dynamics of orogenic wedges.

4.6 The modelling of foreland basins.

Chapter 5 Effects of mantle dynamics.

Summary.

5.1 Fundamentals and observations.

5.2 Dynamic topography.

Chapter 6 Basins associated with strike-slip deformation.

Summary.

6.1 Overview.

6.2 The structural pattern of strike-slip fault systems.

6.3 Basins in strike-slip zones.

PART 3 THE SEDIMENTARY BASIN-FILL:.

Chapter 7 The sediment routing system.

Summary.

7.1 Introduction.

7.2 Weathering.

7.3 Terrestrial sediment and solute yields.

7.4 Measurements of erosion rates.

7.5 The functioning of sediment routing systems.

Chapter 8 Basin stratigraphy.

Summary.

8.1 A primer on process stratigraphy.

8.2 Stratigraphic cycles: definition and recognition.

8.3 Driving mechanisms for stratigraphic patterns.

8.4 Numerical simulation of stratigraphy.

8.5 Depositional systems.

8.6 Relation of depositional style to basin setting.

Chapter 9 Subsidence and thermal history.

Summary.

9.1 Introduction to `geohistory analysis'.

9.2 Porosity loss during basin subsidence.

9.3 Subsidence history and backstripping.

9.4 Introduction to thermal history.

9.5 Theory: the Arrhenius equation and maturation indices.

9.6 Factors influencing temperatures and palaeotemperatures in sedimentary basins.

9.7 Measurements of thermal maturity in sedimentary basins.

9.8 Application of thermal maturity measurements.

9.9 Geothermal and palaeogeothermal signatures of basin types.

PART 4 APPLICATION TO PETROLEUM PLAY ASSESSMENT:.

Chapter 10 The petroleum play.

Summary.

10.1 From basin analysis to play concept.

10.2 The petroleum system and play concept.

10.3 The petroleum charge system.

10.4 The reservoir.

10.5 The regional topseal.

10.6 The trap.

References.

Index