| A new polygonal fault system has been identified in the Lower Congo Basin. This highly faulted interval (HFI), 700+/-50 m thick, is characterized by small extensional faults displaying a polygonal pattern in plan view. This kind of fracturing is attributed to volumetric contraction of sediments during early stages of compaction at shallow burial depth. 3-D seismic data permitted the visualization of the progressive deformation of furrows during burial, leading to real fractures, visible on seismic sections at about 78 m below seafloor. We propose a new geometrical model for volumetrical contraction of mud-dominated sediments. Compaction starts at the water-sediment interface by horizontal contraction, creating furrows perpendicular to the present day... |
