Maracaibo Basin

The Maracaibo Basin is a foreland basin found in the northwestern corner of Venezuela in South America. Covering over 50,000 square km, it is a hydrocarbon-rich region that has produced over 30 billion bbl of oil with an estimated 44 billion bbl yet to be recovered. The basin is characterized by a large shallow lake, Lake Maracaibo, located near its center. The Maracaibo basin has a complex tectonic history that dates back to the Jurassic period with multiple evolution stages. Despite its complexity, these major tectonic stages were carefully preserved within its stratigraphy. This makes The Maracaibo basin one of the most valuable basins for reconstructing South America's early tectonic history.

Geologic setting

The Maracaibo basin is surrounded by two mountain ranges, the Méridas Andes to the southeast and the Sierra de Perija to the west, with the Gulf of Venezuela to the north. The basin lies within a region of deformation created by the interactions of the Caribbean and South American plate boundaries. These interactions include the collision of the Caribbean plate with the South American plate in the Cenozoic era, which formed a belt of foreland basins across northern South America. There are three main fault zones associated with the basin: the Santa Marta-Bucaramanga fault zone, the Boconó fault zone, and the Oca fault zone. These strike-slip zones create a v-shape around the basin which form a smaller plate known as the Maracaibo block. Within this v-shaped wedge, multiple smaller fault zones are present including the Icotea strike-slip fault. Thus the Maracaibo basin geometry is dominated by strike-slip tectonics and subordinate folding with a main syncline, the Maracaibo syncline, striking north-south through the center of Lake Maracaibo.

Maracaibo

Maracaibo (Spanish pronunciation: [maɾaˈkai̯βo]) is a city and municipality in northwestern Venezuela, on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. It is the second-largest city in the country (after the national capital Caracas) and is the capital of the state of Zulia. The population of the city is approximately 1,495,200 with the metropolitan area estimated at 2,108,404 as of 2010. Maracaibo is nicknamed La Tierra del Sol Amada ("The Beloved Land of the Sun").

Etymology

The name Maracaibo is said to come from the brave cacique (Indian chief) Mara, a young native who valiantly resisted the Spaniards and died fighting them. It is said that when Mara fell, the Indians shouted "Mara kayo!" (Mara fell!), thus originating the city name. Other historians say that the first name of this land in the local language was "Maara-iwo" meaning "Place where serpents abound".

History

Foundation

The first indigenous settlements were of Arawak and Carib origin. Around the main group were the Añu tribe who built rows of stilt houses all over the northern riviera of the Lake Maracaibo. The first Europeans arrived in 1499.

Maracaibo (film)

Maracaibo is a 1958 American drama film directed by Cornel Wilde and written by Ted Sherdeman. The film stars Cornel Wilde, Jean Wallace, Abbe Lane, Francis Lederer, Michael Landon and Joe E. Ross. The film was released on May 21, 1958, by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

Red Adair-type former Navy Frogman Vic Scott is on vacation in Venezuela when a huge oil fire at a well of his rich friend erupts. While romancing a newly-famous novelist from New York a colleague locates him and persuades him to help put out the blaze, just as theirs is starting.

More romance than adventure for the first two-thirds of the film, Maracaibo ultimately settles down to dramatic scenes of underwater work to extinguish the fire before a huge storm arrives. The action is interrupted from time to time to explore the romantic angle, including scenes between Abbe Lane's character and Cornel Wilde's, who were lovers only a few years prior - though she is now engaged to the rich oil baron.

Will her past be revealed? Will the New York author get her man? Will Vic Scott put out the fire near Maracaibo before it reaches the city, then finally settle down?

Maracaibo (disambiguation)

Maracaibo is a city and municipality in the Zulia State, Venezuela.

Maracaibo can also refer to:

Geography

Other

See also