Mechanism of forming the Dien Bien basin

• Main Authors: Chu, Van Ngoi, Luong, Thi Thu Hoai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: VNU 2014
• Subjects: Active tectonics; Dien Bien - Lai Chau fault zone; Pull-apart basins; Quaternary
• Online Access: http://repository.vnu.edu.vn/handle/11126/4540
• Institution: Vietnam National University, Hanoi

The Dien Bien basin in the Northwest of Vietnam is the largest one of the pull-apart basins related to the Dien Bien - Lai Chau fault zone. This basin, orientated from the north to the south, is 21km long, 6-8km wide and rhomboidal in shape. The process of forming this basin is related closely to the activities of the Dien Bien - Lai Chau fault zone in Neotectonic time. On analyzing information concerning the kinematics of the Dien Bien - Lai Chau fault zone, the geological structure and the sediments of the basin, we suppose that the Dien Bien basin is a splay pull-apart one related to the movement of the Dien Bien - Lai Chau fault zone in Pliocen-Quaternary time. The determination of the mechanismof forming the Dien Bien basin is important to specify Neotectonic activities of the Dien Bien - Lai Chau fault zone.