Modeling of the evolution of sedimentary basins including the structure of the natural medium and self-organization processes

Results of numerical modeling of the evolution of sedimentary basins based on a system of differential equations describing the motion of the geophysical medium with due account for its structure are presented. The rifting problem for a two-layer lithosphere model is solved. The method proposed in the paper is shown to be effective in recognizing such effects as the formation of sedimentary prerift complexes, formation mechanism and dynamics of faults, and the nonequilibrium crustal deformation mode related to its block structure, providing important additional constraints on the rifting process unavailable from continuum models. The thermal evolution of the lithosphere modeled from the rifting onset moment agrees reasonably well with geothermal data and accounts for the formation of the postrift sedimentary basin. A PC software package is developed for the numerical modeling of the sedimentary basin evolution according to the method proposed in the paper.