Present-day stress and neotectonic provinces of the Baram Delta and deep-water fold-thrust belt

Abstract

We present the first present-day stress orientation measurements across a delta and deepwater, delta toe fold-thrust belt. Stress and neotectonic data for NW Borneo reveal three discrete neotectonic provinces: an inverted, inner shelf province (where present-day maximum horizontal stress, σH, is oriented margin-normal); an extensional, delta top province (σH is margin-parallel), and a compressional, delta toe province (σH is margin-normal). We interpret the delta top and delta toe data to reflect that compression in the fold-thrust belt is coupled to delta top extension and that the inverted, inner shelf province reflects the location of this system on an active margin. © 2009 Geological Society of London.