Abstract

There are several Late Oligocene – Neogene onshore halfgrabens in the so called Catalan continental margin (NE Spain) which are related to the NE–SW and NNE–SSW alignments of major basement faults. The extensional activity of these, and other similar faults in the offshore continental margin zones, dominates the structure of the Catalan continental margin. Extensional halfgrabens evolved under the local influence of tectonism and of major paleogeographic, sea-level and paleoclimatic changes. These changes had a major influence on the Neogene sedimentary framework. Of these basins, two of them (the Vallès–Penedes and El Camp half-grabens) display a well-preserved Neogene sedimentary record. They were infilled mainly by Late Oligocene (?) and Early to Late Neogene deposits. The Miocene infill in these half-grabens resulted mainly from sedimentation on Early to Late Miocene alluvial fan systems which became fan deltas when they were affected by late Burdigalian, Langhian and Serravallian marine transgressions and highstand levels. Late Burdigalian to Serravallian terrigenous bay-shelves as well as Langhian coralgal carbonate platforms and Serravallian mixed shelves developed beyond the distal fan delta zones. The analysis of the structure and stratigraphy of these basins has contributed to detailed knowledge of the Miocene evolution of the Catalan continental margin.

Introduction

There are several Late Oligocene–Neogene onshore and offshore half-graben basins in NE Spain, which are bounded by NE-SW and NNE-SSW major extensional faults.