The origin and evolution of the Potiguar Basin have been a matter of discussion over the last two decades. Nevertheless, the tectonic evolution of the basin still remains controversial, in particular, its southern portion, the Apodi Graben. We used seismic reflection lines and well data to generate a set of isopach maps of the syn-rift Pendencia Formation, and a structural contour map of the Apodi Fault. The aim of this paper is to obtain a 3D structural picture of the Apodi Fault in order to interpret the associated Apodi Graben with special attention to the antiformal folds affecting the syn-rift section, previously interpreted as acommodation or oblique extensional/contractional structures. The geophysical and stratigraphic data sets suggest that: i) the Apodi Fault is a normal listric fault, with a local ramp-flat-ramp geometry; ii) thickness variations of depocenters, close to the Apodi Fault and to the northwest of the Quixaba High, reflect different pulses of fault activity during the Pendência Formation sedimentation; and iii) the 3D variations in the Apodi Fault geometry represent the main cause of the occurrence of folds in the syn-rift sequence close to the master fault.
Potiguar Basin; Apodi Graben; Apodi Fault; basal detachment geometry; antiformal and sinformal folds
