| Summary: | The prototype basin has become a hot nomenclature, which is widely used in the geoscience field. However, in a large number of publications, the understanding and expression of the prototype basin are quite different. Based on the analyses of the published and intramural documents, we believe that the prototype basin was newly defined by ZHU Xia in 1982, proposing that the prototype basin refers to a structural form and sedimentary entity formed in a geodynamic context (environment) during a certain geological history. A simple (small scale) basin is a prototype basin, and a large complex basin always contains several different prototype basins, which means the prototype basin varies over time. The nomenclature of the prototype basin should be an important part of ZHU Xia's academic thought and scientific theoretical system, which has a specific scientific connotation and nomenclature. It is suggested that the prototype basin and its synonymous nomenclature should be used in specific contexts for those basins whose original conditions have not been obviously transformed in the course of basin development. The original conditions contain the formation, evolution and hydrocarbon accumulation (mineralization) and several other related aspects of the basin. It is very difficult to reconstruct a reformed basin and get its prototype due to the complicated formation process, complex late reformation and uncertainty of reconstruction evidence and interpretations. The key points to reconstruct the original basin or the prototype basin can be summarized as: searching the evidence, determining the basin attributes, modeling the original state and remodeling the process, all of which need to be interrelated and carried out step-by-step.
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