本研究利用台灣西南部平原區的井下與震測資料，建立此地區完整的三維構造層序，進一步解釋並提出前陸盆地遠端層序發育的構造作用模式。本研究除了探討研究區域構造抬升或下沉作用之外，亦探討前期正斷層作用對前陸盆地地層發育之影響。台灣西南部平原區位於造山帶前緣，自上新世開始，受東側造山帶重荷之影響，發育為典型的前陸盆地。而本研究區域屬於前陸盆地遠端與前凸起的位置。在造山運動前與造山運動期間，本研究區域持續受張裂構造的作用，東西向之正斷層直至更新世後期才停止活動。
台灣西南部上新-更新世的前陸盆地層序，在東西向與南北向的剖面上，皆顯示存在出兩主要的不整合面，這些不整合面有以下特徵：1、往陸台方向合為一個大的不整合面；2、每個不整合面的時間缺失往陸台方向增加；3、較年輕的不整合面在空間上分佈較靠近陸台；4、不整合面上的第一個沈積循環呈現向上變粗的沈積相。
震測剖面之解釋顯示，盆地層序受東西向正斷層作用的影響，形成主要不整合面與可對比整合面在主要正斷層兩側不連續的接觸關係，進而影響不整合面區域分佈的特性。
本研究區域之不整合面反應出此地區層序受地體構造的影響。不整合面之時空分佈顯示前陸盆地前凸起有來回移動的現象。由不整合面發生年代往陸台方向變年輕的特徵，以及不整合面上覆地層之沈積循環向上變粗的趨勢，可解釋此複合的不整合面是由於間歇性的構造活動所造成。
本研究觀察到本研究區域有兩次間歇性的快速下沉活動，代表東側造山帶的逆衝斷層活動。第一期造山帶活動於NN13時期開始，盆地近端地區開始下沉，而遠端與前凸起地區抬升侵蝕，造成此地區較老的不整合面。於NN14時期，造山帶停止活動，在盆地遠端和不整合面上開始堆積沉積物。第二期造山帶活動於NN18時期開始，盆地近端下沉，遠端地層開始抬升受侵蝕，造成較年輕的不整合面，NN19時期，盆地遠端和不整合面上開始接受堆積，造成研究區域內廣佈NN19地層。

Taiwan is located at the boundary between the Eurasian Plate and Philippine Sea plates, and tectonically characterized by an active orogenic belt resulted from arc-continent collision. A typical foreland basin in southwestern Taiwan has been formed by loading from the orogenic belt to the east from Pliocene. Before and during the orogenic belt activities, the foreland area has been under the rifting tectonics until the late Pleistocene. We used well bore and seismic data to study the tectonostratigraphy and tectonic evolution in the distal part of foreland basin in southwestern Taiwan. The study area covers the distal part of the basin and the forebulge. We constructed and analyzed the superimposed unconformities within the foreland basin sequences, and investigated their tectonic implications, including the effects of coeval rifting on the basin formation.
The orogenic belt, which has been moving westward, would caused the forebulge to move coevally and created progressively younger unconformities toward the craton. Previous studies regarded the foreland basin sequences as one stratigraphic unit and ignored the superimposed unconformities in the basin. The Plio-Pleistocene sequences in southwestern Taiwan show that at least two unconformities in the foreland basin sequences divide the megasequence into several third-order stratigraphic units. The Characteristics of the superimposed unconformities are: 1, they merge into one unconformity toward the craton; 2, the time gap of each unconformity increases toward the craton, though some irregularities occur along one of the unconformities; 3, the spatial distribution of the younger unconformities with their correlated conformities shifts toward the craton; 4, the first sedimentary cycle right above each unconformity is coarsening-upward.
The time-spatial distribution of the unconformities indicates the back-and-forth shift of basin margin in the distal part of foreland basin. The overlying sedimentary cycle of each unconformity also implies the tectonic influence on deposition of the Plio-Pleistocene sequences in southwestern Taiwan. We interpret the superimposed unconformities as resulted from the episodic tectonic activities related to the mountain building process to the east; each phase of episodic thrusting activity in the orogenic belt caused the forebulge to move back-and-forth and create the superimposed unconformities.
Therefore, we observed two episodic thrusting activities. The former started from NN13. The proximal part of basin subsided, but uplifting and erosion happened in the distal part and forebulge, forming the older unconformity of this area. In the period of NN14, the orogenic activity stopped and sediments started to cover on the unconformity. The latter activity started from NN18, causing subsiding in the proximal part and uplifting and erosion in the distal part, and forming the younger unconformity. In the period of NN19, sediments were accumulated in the basin and on the unconformity in the margin again and wide distribution of NN19 was developed.

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