Backstripping is an important and widely used method for basin subsidence analysis. Little attention has been paid on the uncertainty of its results. In this paper, we address this issue based on a study of the Baiyun Sag in the Pearl River Mouth Basin. We demonstrated through theoretical analysis and sensitivity tests that the uncertainty in the non-recovery of the basement depth will pass on to all the results of backstripping, but the uncertainty in age only affects the estimations of sedimentary and subsidence rates. Formation lithology influences the selection of porosity and density parameters. The porosity-depth curves of sandstone and shale vary from area to area. Largest uncertainty comes from paleo-water depth, whose error is 100% inherited by the calculated tectonic subsidence. In the slope area, paleo-water depth and lithology vary significantly with locations. Thus, it is essential to use the paleo-water depth and lithology parameters that are variable with locations. The uncertainty in the source data and inappropriate parameters may lead to erroneous results. Caution should be taken when reading published backstripping results. The quality of parameterization needs to be examined before adopting the results.
XIE Hui
,
ZHOU Di
,
CHEN Guang-hao
,
LI Peng-chun
,
PANG Xiong
,
LI Yuan-ping
,
ZHAO Mei-song
. Uncertainty and parameterization in backstripping of basin subsidence analysis[J]. Journal of Tropical Oceanography, 2014
, 33(5)
: 50
-59
.
DOI: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2014.05.007
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