台灣的造山運動始於上新世，而在造山帶前緣因荷重形成前陸盆地。本研究利用台灣西北部苗栗地區井下地質資料，分析前陸盆地的岩性地層分布，輔以生物地層資料，再藉由震測剖面連結各井位，最終建立苗栗地區前陸盆地之完整構造地層架構。此外，本研究藉由下沉曲線的計算，比較前陸盆地不同部分之構造下沉量的差異。結合上述的研究成果，本研究提出與前人不同的構造地層發育模式，釐清前陸盆地起始年代，並建立完整的前陸盆地演化史。
根據本研究所建立的構造地層剖面顯示：東坑層以上的地層，除了頭嵙山層之外，皆有由西向東變厚的現象，與前陸盆地地層由陸台朝造山帶方向變厚的情況相符，且震測剖面亦顯示地層厚度的變化並非斷層或是其他構造的影響，說明此厚度的改變有可能是受前陸盆地的下沉作用所導致。
構造下沉曲線的計算依研究區域可分為近端及遠端兩部分。近遠端井位皆在NN12開始受到前凸起影響而使構造下沉量及下沉速率近乎於零或是略微抬升。構造快速下沉的起始時間近遠端皆為NN13（4.4Ma），且持續時間皆為NN13-18（4.4-1.6 Ma），但構造下沉模式卻有所不同。近端構造下沉量自NN13開始持續增加，直到NN16達到最大，NN17-18下沉量則維持不變或略微減小；遠端則是自NN13開始構造下沉，到了NN16亦達到最大，但在NN17-NN18構造下沉量則劇烈減小。
根據本研究所建立的構造地層演化剖面（NN12-18）顯示：十六分頁岩（NN12）、魚藤坪砂岩（NN13-15）、錦水頁岩（NN16）、卓蘭層（NN17-18），皆有地層突然向西變薄之現象，根據此特徵可定出前凸起之位置，且隨著沉積地層逐漸年輕，前凸起的位置有向西移動的趨勢。然而，十六分頁岩以下的關刀山砂岩則無此現象。故本研究推測前陸盆地的發育應晚於NN11。
綜合上述結果，NN12時期（5.6~4.4Ma）本研究區域開始進入前凸起。N13-15時期（4.4-3.0Ma）近遠端開始構造快速下沉並堆積前陸盆地發育初期的沉積物。NN16時期（3.0-2.6Ma）近遠端構造下沉量持續增加並達到最大，為構造活動最劇烈的時期；NN17-18時期近端則繼續維持最大下沉量或略微減小，遠端則是構造下沉劇烈減緩。究其原因為前陸盆地受到不同基底的剛性差異影響，形貌由寬淺變為窄深，前凸起西移速率減緩，導致遠端的下沉減緩。最後於NN19時期之後構造活動已慢慢減緩或停止。
此外，根據本研究十六分頁岩、魚藤坪砂岩、錦水頁岩三個沉積時期的地層等厚圖，發現前凸起走向從西北-東南向逐漸轉為南北向，推測可能為前陸盆地向西北移動的過程中，盆地北側由北港基盤高區基底（剛性大）接觸到東北-西南向的張裂盆地基底（剛性小），使北側前凸起西移速率減緩，南側則持續西移，導致前凸起的走向因南北兩端的西移速率不同而改變。

The foreland basin in western Taiwan formed under the loading from the Taiwan orogenic belt, which started from the Pliocene. This study aims to investigate, based on the wellbore data provided by CPC, Taiwan, the distribution of lithostratigraphic units of foreland basin in northwestern Taiwan. A complete tectonostratigraphic framework is constructed using biostratigraphy data and seismic profiles. Moreover, the subsidence curves were calculated to illustrate the variation in tectonic subsidence in different parts of foreland basin. In this study, a new tectonostratigraphy development history is proposed to clarify the initial age and delineate the evolutionary history of the foreland basin.
The stratigraphic sections across the foreland basin show that the formations overlying the Tungkeng Formation., except the Toukoshan Formation., pinch out toward the west, indicating that the formations in the foreland basin thicken toward the orogenic belt. The seismic profiles also illustrate that variation in formation thickness is caused by the differential subsidence in the foreland basin rather than by faulting or other tectonism.
The tectonic subsidence curves in the proximal and distal parts illustrate different subsidence pattern. During NN12, both proximal and distal parts show no subsidence or mild uplift due to the effect of the forebulge. Rapid subsidence initiated at 4.4 Ma (the beginning of NN13) in both parts and continued till NN18 (4.4-1.6Ma); however, modes of subsidence are somewhat different in both parts. The subsidence in the proximal part increased since NN13, reached its maximum during NN16, and continued or decreased slightly during NN17-18. The distal part also started to subside during NN13 and the subsidence reached its climax during NN16, but dramatically decreased during NN17-NN18.
The tectonostratigraphic evolution shown by the sections (NN12-18) across the foreland basin indicates that the Shiliufen Shale (NN12), the Yutenping Sandstone (NN13-15), the Chinshui Shale (NN16), and the Cholan Formation (NN16-18) pinch out westward to the position of the forebulge, which had been gradually migrating toward the west. However, no westward thinning in stratal thickness occurs in the Kuantoshan Sandstone. Hence, the foreland basin should have developed since 5.6 Ma (NN11).
In summary, the study area was influenced by forebulge during NN12 (5.6~4.4Ma), and received the sediments in the initially developed foreland basin during NN13~15(4.4-3.0Ma). The subsidence rate in the study area reached its maximum during NN16 (3.0-2.6Ma), the most tectonically active period, following that the rapid subsidence continued or slightly decreased in the proximal part but dramatically decreased in the distal part during NN17-18 because of variation in rigidity of the basement underneath the foreland basin. The foreland basin changed from wide and shallow into narrow and deep one so that the westward migration rate of forebulge decreased. In the final, the tectonism went into a quiescent period during NN19.
In addition, the isopach maps of Shihliufen Shale, Yutenping sanstone, and Chinshui Shale indicate that the striking of forebulge changed from NW-SE to N-S gradually. We speculate that the northern part of foreland basin reached Peikang Basement High with higher rigidity first, and then reached rift-basin basement with lower rigidity so that the westward migration rate of northern part of forebulge decreased. Conversely, the southern part of forbulge continued to migrate westward; hence, the striking of forebulge changed due to the different migration rate of northern and southern part of forebulge.

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