A structural basin is a large-scale structural formation of rock strata formed by tectonic warping of previously flat-lying strata. Structural basins are geological depressions, and are the inverse of domes. Some elongated structural basins are also known as synclines. Structural basins may also be sedimentary basins, which are aggregations of sediment that filled up a depression or accumulated in an area; however, many structural basins were formed by tectonic events long after the sedimentary layers were deposited.
Basins may appear on a geologic map as roughly circular or elliptical, with concentric layers. Because the strata dip toward the center, the exposed strata in a basin are progressively younger from the outside in, with the youngest rocks in the center. Basins are often large in areal extent, often hundreds of kilometers across.
Structural basins are often important sources of coal, petroleum, and groundwater.
Hampshire Basin, United Kingdom
London Basin, United Kingdom
Paris Basin, France
Permian Basin, Poland, northern Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, the North Sea, and Scotland
Trinidad and Tobago
Southern Basin, Trinidad
Albuquerque Basin, New Mexico
Appalachian Basin, Eastern United States
Big Horn Basin, Wyoming
Black Warrior Basin, Alabama and Mississippi
Delaware Basin, Texas and New Mexico
Denver Basin, Colorado
Illinois Basin, Illinois
Los Angeles Basin, California
Michigan Basin, Michigan
North Park Colorado Basin
Paradox Basin, Utah and Colorado
Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico
Piceance Basin, Colorado
Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana
Raton Basin, Colorado and New Mexico
Sacramento Basin, California
San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado
Uinta Basin, Utah
Williston Basin, Montana and North Dakota
Wind River Basin, Wyoming
Amadeus Basin
Bowen Basin
Cooper Basin
Galilee Basin
Chaco Basin, Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay
Magallanes Basin, Chile
Neuquén Basin, Argentina and Chile
Paraná Basin, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay
Structural basin Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA