9418869 Carter This project will study the evolution of structures in salt and salt/shale mixtures by means of 2D computer simulations. Experimentally-derived rheological relations for the rocksalt and shale will be used to analyses the effects of sedimentation rates, differential loading and basement faulting on the genesis and evolution of salt nappes, allochthonous sheets and salt diapirs. Existing computer code will be modified to include a free surface at the top of the model and multiple sedimentary layers. The results will be valuable in understanding the development of salt structures on all scales and in a wide variety of tectonic situations.
