Seismic Imaging and 3D Architecture of Yongle Atoll of the Xisha Archipelago, South China Sea

Yongle atoll in the Xisha (Paracel) Archipelago is an isolated carbonate platform developed on Precambrian metamorphic and Mesozoic volcanic rocks since early Miocene. To identify 3D stratigraphic architecture evolution of this platform, 13 high-resolution seismic profiles shallow-to-deep water multi-beam data were processed analyzed to reveal facies, sequence boundary reflectors, units, architecture. Nine types facies recognized based their geometry, which included amplitude, continuity, termination patterns; additionally, six reflections, i.e., Tg, T60, T50, T40, T30, T20, identified Cenozoic strata. Five SQ1 (lower Miocene), SQ2 (middle SQ3 (upper SQ4 (Pliocene), SQ5 (Quaternary), from bottom top across platform. The grew rapidly middle Miocene backstepped late Miocene–Pliocene. Here, we discuss developmental characteristics Atoll, combination with drilling wells, can be divided into four stages: initiation stage Miocene, flourishing partial-drowning Miocene–Pliocene, modern Quaternary.