Numerical Models of the Geodynamics of Arc-Continent Collision: Insights for Understanding the Formation of Hydrocarbon-Bearing Basins in the Caribbean Margin of Colombia

Authors: Andrés Rodríguez-Corcho (presenter), Sara Morón, Romain Beucher, Rebecca Farrington, Louis Moresi, Camilo Montes, The University of Melbourne

Unraveling the geodynamic mechanisms behind basin formation in the Caribbean margin of Colombia (CMC) is key for understanding the petroleum systems in the region. The genesis of these Oligocene to present basins remains controversial as none of the proposed mechanisms of fore-arc extension, back-arc extension and block-rotation can fully explain the formation of the basins in the CMC. In this project, I use numerical visco-plastic mechanical models to test the hypothesis that the transference of the intra-oceanic arc to the overriding plate causes extension in the continental margin. This modelling will provide potential mechanisms for explaining the formation of basins in Northern Colombia and the Caribbean margin, some of which are the biggest hydrocarbon-bearing basins in the world.

Bio

Andrés Rodríguez-Corcho, The University of Melbourne

Andrés earned BSc in Geoscience from the Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, and currently is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where he develops original and innovative research in geodynamics. He is a member of ACGGP.