Abstract The Northern Depression of the South Yellow Sea Basin underwent two episodes of tectonic inversion from the latest Eocene to Oligocene and in the Pliocene, respectively. During the inversion, the structural depression controlled previously by extensional faults was subjected to compression and erosion. Structural interpretation on 2D marine seismic data suggests that the structural styles associated with inversion are predominantly reactivated NNW-trending faults, fault-related folds, newly-formed reverse faults and unconformities. Here we used structural restoration technique to illustrate the sequential development of these inversion structures and to estimate the amount of deformation. To explore the mechanism of the basin inversion, the finite element modeling was employed to reproduce the inversion deformation in the Northern Depression. The deformation features predicted by modeling are well consistent with our structural observations. Based on a combination of these results and regional tectonic history, we propose that the inversion deformation in the South Yellow Sea Basin was predominantly driven by the enhanced dextral strike-slip motion along the Tan-Lu Fault. The interactions between the Eurasian plate and the Pacific realm resulted in the varying dextral movement along the Tan-Lu Fault, and the Cenozoic tectonic inversion in the South Yellow Sea Basin was a tectonic response to these processes.

中文翻译：

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东亚南黄海盆地北部坳陷新生代构造反转：构造样式及驱动机制

摘要 南黄海盆地北部坳陷分别经历了始新世至渐新世和上新世两期构造反转。在反转过程中，先前由伸展断层控制的构造凹陷受到压缩和侵蚀。二维海洋地震数据的结构解释表明，与反演相关的结构类型主要是重新激活的 NNW 向断层、与断层相关的褶皱、新形成的反向断层和不整合面。在这里，我们使用结构恢复技术来说明这些反转结构的顺序发展并估计变形量。为探究盆地反转机制，有限元建模被用来再现北洼地的反演变形。通过建模预测的变形特征与我们的结构观察非常一致。基于这些结果和区域构造历史的结合，我们认为南黄海盆地的反转变形主要是由沿郯庐断裂的增强的右旋走滑运动驱动的。欧亚板块与太平洋界的相互作用导致沿郯庐断裂发生多变的右旋运动，南黄海盆地新生代构造反转是对这些过程的构造响应。我们认为南黄海盆地的反转变形主要是由沿郯庐断裂的增强的右旋走滑运动驱动的。欧亚板块与太平洋界的相互作用导致沿郯庐断裂发生多变的右旋运动，南黄海盆地新生代构造反转是对这些过程的构造响应。我们认为南黄海盆地的反转变形主要是由沿郯庐断裂的增强的右旋走滑运动驱动的。欧亚板块与太平洋界的相互作用导致沿郯庐断裂发生多变的右旋运动，南黄海盆地新生代构造反转是对这些过程的构造响应。