Abstract:

Based on  the  interpretation of seismic profiles, salt structures  in  the eastern margin of  the Precaspian Basin and
their relationships with Ural orogeny were analyzed. The salt structures  in  this study area  include salt diapirs, salt pillows, salt
rollers, salt welds,  turtle structures and minibasins, which are  featured by  the zonation of deformation. There are zones of salt
weld, salt rollers, salt pillows, and salt diapirs from the east to the west. Salt controls the tectonic deformation of the suprasalt and
the subsalt, in which normal faults and thrust faults were developed, respectively. The cross sections show that salt experienced
two stages of deformation  including  the gravity spreading and differential  loading halokinesis, and  the salt structures had close
relationship with the Ural orogeny. Ural orogeny had reversed the strata in the eastern margin of the Precaspian basin, and exerted
strong influence on salt deposition and the subsquent deformation of salt driven by gravity spreading and differential loading.

Key words: salt structures, zonation of deformation, Precaspian basin, Ural orogeny