Alluvial deposits from the strike-slip fault Lo River Basin (Oligocene/Miocene), Red River Fault Zone, north-western Vietnam

The Lo River Basin (LRB) is one of several narrow sedimentary basins associated with the main faults of the Red River Fault Zone separating the South China and Indochina microplates. The basin is located on the NE boundary of the high-grade metamorphic Con Voi Massif and the sedimentary and metasedimentary Viet Bac fold zone in north-eastern Vietnam. The LRB is filled with over 6000 m of Oligocene/Miocene alluvial deposits. The source area was probably located on the NE margin of the basin and was composed mostly of low-grade metamorphic rocks with a minor component of sedimentary rocks. Three alluvial systems are recognised. The oldest system was a proximal braided river system, with the minor occurrence of alluvial fans. The younger systems record changes in clast composition and lithofacies, which suggests a transition from a distal braided river to a distal braidplain system. The LRB fill shows a range of features characteristic of strike-slip fault basins. The origin of the LRB is correlated with the left-lateral transtensional regime. The present shape of the basin is a result of post-sedimentation tectonic activity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.