重力驱动深水褶皱冲断带是构造地质学研究的新课题，沿其倾向上变形差异的控制因素，目前尚处于定性研究阶段。本项目围绕“滑脱层厚度和前生长地层厚度如何定量控制重力驱动深水褶皱冲断带变形差异”这一关键科学问题，拟以索马里海域深水褶皱冲断带为主要研究对象，结合最新地质和钻、测井等资料约束，通过深度域地震资料构造精细解释、深度-隆升面积法拟合，平衡剖面恢复以及构造模拟实验等手段开展索马里海域深水褶皱冲断带分带差异变形综合研究。刻画索马里海域深水褶皱冲断带分带变形样式；厘定索马里海域深水褶皱冲断带分带运动学过程；探讨索马里海域深水褶皱冲断带分带差异变形机理，深化对重力驱动深水褶皱冲断带变形差异的认识，为广泛开展深水区褶皱冲断带的差异性对比提供支持，同时为我国石油公司在相关深水地区油气勘探选区提供理论依据，服务于我国对油气等能源的重大需求。

Gravity-driven deep-water fold-thrust-belt is a new topic in the research on structural geology. However, the research on controlling factors of differential deformation along dip is at the qualitative stage. This project focuses on the key issue (how to quantitatively control the zonational differential deformation of gravity-driven deep-water fold-thrust-belt by the thickness of detachment layer and the thickness of prekinematic layer), and plans to take the deep-water fold-thrust-belt within Somalia Sea as dominant research object. Combined with new data on geology, drilling, and logging, through the detailed interpretation of seismic data, restoration of balanced sections, calculation of depth-excess area, and the structural simulation experiment, the zonational differential deformation within Somalia Sea will be researched. This project aims to depict the zonational deformation styles, to clear the zonational kinematic process, and to investigate the zonational deformation meachanism within the deep-water fold-thrust-belt of the Somalia Sea. Those possible results could deepen our understanding of differential deformation within gravity-driven deep-water fold-thrust-belt, and be further used for comparing the deep-water fold-thrust-belt with other case-studies of worldwide deep-water fold-thrust-belts, as well as provide theoretical basis to offer petroleum targets in related deep-water areas for China's petroleum companies, which will serve China's major demand for energy sources such as oil and gas.