上新世時期呂宋島弧向西北方斜向碰撞台灣開始造山運動，而造山帶荷重使其前緣由被動式大陸邊緣發育成前陸盆地。前人研究對於前陸盆地確切形成年代至今仍有爭議，而前陸盆地詳細的演化模式也有待探討。本研究區域位於台灣西北部陸、海域地區，基盤由北而南橫跨觀音高區及早期張裂盆地中心；陸域涵蓋麓山帶以及沿海平原，海域則位於台灣海峽中線以東。本研究利用台灣西北部地區震測剖面、井下地質與超微化石資料描述地層岩相變化趨勢，建立構造地層剖面及年代地層，繪製解壓密後的區域等厚圖及構造下沉曲線，並進行盆地的撓曲模擬。本研究欲重建台灣西北部的前陸盆地的構造下沉歷史及演化模式，同時探討研究區域內下覆基盤剛性值的側向差異對前陸盆地演化的影響。
根據構造地層、構造下沉曲線及解壓密後的等厚圖，本研究所建立的構造演化歷史為：1）於5.6–4.4 Ma，全研究區域有少量的構造下沉量及構造下沉速率，盆地為典型的張裂盆地形貌；2）於4.4–3 Ma時，此時期研究區域北側已經形成前陸盆地。陸域地區構造下沉量及構造下沉速率較前期為大且快，而大部份海域地區有少許構造抬升量及構造抬升速率，位於基盤高區的地區則仍持續構造下沉；3）於3–2.1 Ma時，陸域及海域的構造下沉量及構造下沉速率皆開始增加，而研究區域北側的構造下沉量及速率大於南側的構造下沉量及速率，此時期堆積較為深水相的頁岩；4）2.1–1.6 Ma時，陸域地區的構造下沉量及構造下沉速率快速增加，海域地區的構造下沉量與構造下沉速率則較前期稍有增加，而研究區域南側的構造下沉量及速率大於北側的構造下沉量及速率；5）在1.6 Ma之後，構造下沉速率減緩，逐漸靠近的造山帶使得沉積物大量的傳輸到盆地內，堆積巨厚地層並逐漸填滿盆地，沉積的岩相從砂頁互層逐漸變成陸相的礫岩。
盆地撓曲模擬的結果顯示前陸盆地的寬度自形成以來逐漸的加寬。4.4–3 Ma及3–2.1 Ma時，前陸盆地的撓曲深度可以藉由上覆地表的分佈荷重解釋，然而到了2.1–1.6 Ma時，不論增加多少分佈的地形載重及深埋荷重或調整岩石圈的強度，模擬所得到的盆地深度皆無法吻合當時期盆地的實際深度。
根據上述結果，本研究認為在4.4–3 Ma時，陸域下沉且海域抬升為前陸盆地開始發育的徵兆，此時期盆地北側已經形成前陸盆地典型形貌，然而盆地南側仍保留了前一期張裂盆地的形貌。之後，3–2.1 Ma及2.1–1.6 Ma兩時期的構造下沉趨勢代表台灣島斜向碰撞造山遽烈，山脈快速生長且持續往南拓展。而1.6 Ma之後的構造下沉趨勢則代表造山帶碰撞趨緩，山脈高度逐漸達到穩定狀態。解壓密後的等厚圖及撓曲模擬的結果顯示，前陸盆地系統中的前凸起逐漸西移且走向逐漸平行造山帶。此外，在前陸盆地形成初期，研究區域南側及北側發生相異的構造下沉趨勢，代表下覆基盤剛性質在南北走向上的變化。東西走向上，研究區域下覆岩石圈的有效彈性厚度隨著時間逐漸增大，但整體改變不大。本研究認為基底板塊的不均質對於前陸盆地發育初期的影響較明顯，而後，造山帶高度的變化，仍為主控前陸盆地發育重要的因素。

The foreland basin in northwestern Taiwan developed on the pre-existing extensional basin. However, not only the age of the foreland basin initiation still remains in debate but also the process and evolution for the basin formation have not established yet. This study attempts to construct detailed evolutionary model and realize the effects of inherited tectonic unit on the later development of the foreland basin by using the subsidence curves, isopach maps and the flexural modeling. The aforementioned results, suggest that the foreland basin was formed during 4.4–3 Ma. After that, rapid subsidence rate manifests the intense oblique collision causing the orogenic belt growing during 3–1.6 Ma and decreased tectonic subsidence rate might correspond to the diminishing orogenic activity after 1.6 Ma. The influence of the inhomogeneous plate takes an important role in the initial foreland basin development. Until the orogen was close to the study area, the height of the orogen became the key factor to the foreland basin development

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