Sediment‐supply‐dominated stratal architectures in a regressively stacked succession of shoreline sand bodies, Campanian Desert Member to Lower Castlegate Sandstone interval, Book Cliffs, Utah–Colorado,USA

Simon A. J. Pattison

doi:10.1111/sed.12647

High resolution linkage of channel-coastal plain and shallow marine facies belts, Desert Member to Lower Castlegate Sandstone stratigraphic interval, Book Cliffs, Utah-Colorado, USA

Geological Society of America Bulletin ◽

10.1130/b35094.1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 131 (9-10) ◽

pp. 1643-1672 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Simon A.J. Pattison

Keyword(s):

Coastal Plain ◽

Sediment Supply ◽

Data Set ◽

Shallow Marine ◽

Book Cliffs ◽

Marine Facies ◽

Sequence Boundaries ◽

Allogenic Processes ◽

Stacking Patterns ◽

Order Sequence

AbstractThe Campanian Desert Member and Lower Castlegate Sandstone in the Book Cliffs of east-central Utah to western Colorado, USA, has served as a foundational data set in the development of sequence stratigraphy. Contrary to previous work, no third-order sequence boundaries are recognized. These were originally thought to partition the neighboring coastal plain and shallow marine facies belts into separate systems tracts, unlinked in time or space. In contrast, adjoining channel-coastal plain and shallow marine facies belts are genetically-, temporally-, and spatially-related. Evidence includes the (i) synchronous, strongly progradational stacking patterns within each facies belt, (ii) gradational and conformable transitions between adjoining facies belts, accentuated by the ubiquity of flat-topped, rooted foreshore sandstones passing upwards into carbonaceous-rich-mudstone-dominated coastal plain, (iii) parasequence-scale interfingering of coastal plain-channel and foreshore-shoreface deposits, with channels, white caps and coals embedded within stacked shoreface parasequences, (iv) regional correlation of coals and flooding surfaces, and (v) near orthogonal paleocurrent relationship between channels and shorelines. Terminal channels incise into proximal foreshore-shoreface sandstones in most Desert-Castlegate parasequences. Incisions are generally confined to the parasequence in which the channels are nested, rarely cutting deeper. These shoreface-incised channels are cut and filled at a parasequence-scale, and are bounded above by the same flooding surface that caps each foreshore-shoreface package. The ubiquity of ascending regressive shoreface trajectories and near absence of descending regressive trajectories that intersect depositional slope argues against any significant sea level fall. Increased rates of sediment supply, driven by autogenic and/or allogenic processes, likely generated the strongly progradational Desert-Castlegate great tongue of sandstone.

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Zircon (U-Th)/(He-Pb) double-dating constraints on the interplay between thrust deformation and foreland basin architecture, Sevier foreland basin, Utah

Geosphere ◽

10.1130/ges02372.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

E.J. Pujols ◽

D.F. Stockli

Keyword(s):

Foreland Basin ◽

Sediment Supply ◽

Sediment Provenance ◽

Thrust Belt ◽

Lower Paleozoic ◽

Magmatic Arc ◽

Book Cliffs ◽

Time Estimates ◽

Stratal Architecture ◽

Cordilleran Foreland

The Cretaceous Cordilleran foreland basin strata exposed in the Book Cliffs of eastern Utah and western Colorado have motivated important concepts linking thrust belt deformation and foreland basin evolution largely on the basis of sequence stratigraphy, stratal architecture, and sediment provenance evolution. However, these methods and approaches generally cannot provide critical insights into the temporal or causal linkages between foreland basin architecture and thrust belt deformation. This is in part due to discrepancies in age resolution and lack of evidence with which to directly couple sediment supply and basin-fill evolution to thrust belt unroofing. New detrital zircon (DZ) geothermochronometric data from Upper Cretaceous proximal to distal foreland basin strata in the Book Cliffs provide new quantitative insights into sediment origin and dispersal in relation to thrust belt deformation and exhumation. Detailed DZ U-Pb and (U-Th)/He double dating reveals that the Book Cliffs foredeep detritus was mainly delivered by transverse routing systems from two major sources: (1) Neoproterozoic and Lower Paleozoic strata from the central Utah Sevier thrust belt, and (2) Permian–Jurassic and synorogenic Cretaceous strata recycled from the frontal part of the thrust belt. A dramatic increase in Sierran magmatic arc and Yavapai-Mazatzal DZ U-Pb ages, as well as Paleozoic DZ He ages, in the deeper marine portions of the foreland basin points to axial fluvial and littoral sediment input from the Sierran magmatic arc and Mogollon highland sources. Both transverse and axial transport systems acted contemporaneously during eastward propagation of the Late Cretaceous thrust belt. DZ He depositional lag time estimates reveal three distinct exhumation pulses in the Sevier thrust belt in the Cenomanian and Campanian. The exhumation pulses correlate with shifts in sediment provenance, dispersal style, and progradation rates in the foreland basin. These new data support conceptual models that temporally and causally link accelerated exhumation and unroofing in the thrust belt to increases in sediment supply and rapid clastic progradation in the foreland basin.

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Refining the Mungaroo Formation and Lower Barrow Group depositional models, Exmouth Plateau, North Carnarvon Basin: WA-390-P phase II exploration

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj10093 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 713

Author(s):

Jon Minken ◽

Phil Cox ◽

Sandy Buchanan ◽

Dean Griffin ◽

Yohan Kusumanegara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depositional Environments ◽

Sediment Supply ◽

Late Triassic ◽

3D Seismic ◽

Composite Surface ◽

Exmouth Plateau ◽

Shelf Slope ◽

Basin Floor ◽

Sand Bodies ◽

Depositional Models

Permit WA-390-P, in Australia’s Exmouth Plateau, has been the subject of an extensive exploration drilling campaign with gas discovered in the Late Triassic Mungaroo Formation and the Cretaceous Lower Barrow Group. Characterisation of these reservoirs with 3D seismic data, well logs, core and biostratigraphic information has allowed insight and refinement to the previously established depositional models. The Mungaroo Formation comprises a thick succession (more than 2 km) of delta plain deposits characterised on 3D seismic by channel morphologies of differing sizes and orientations. Well penetrations in the channels reveal sand-bodies that can be classified as either single-storey or multistorey. Single-storey sand-bodies are thin (less than 15 metres), narrow in planform (less than one kilometer), lack evidence of lateral accretion and occasionally exhibit a funnel geometry. Multistorey channels are characterised by relatively thick, vertically and laterally amalgamated sand-bodies (more than 15 metres), in a broad channel morphology (more than one kilometer) bounded at its base by a composite surface of erosion. Single-storey channels have been interpreted as distributary channels and multistorey channels as incised valleys. In contrast, the Lower Barrow Group is a contemporaneous wave-dominated delta and slope-to-basin-floor sediment gravity flow system. The depositional environments formed progradational clinoform seismic stratigraphic units that filled accommodation generated during rifting. The delta is organised into arcuate to cuspate lobes that show changes in the shelf-slope trajectory with variations in accommodation and sediment supply. During falling trajectories of the shelf-slope break, the slope is demarcated by gullies forming a line of feeder systems that transport sediment from the delta shoreface into the deep-water. The sediment gravity flows formed coalescing fans that blanket the toe-of-slope and basin floor.

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Sedimentary System and Sand Bodies Distribution of the 2nd Member of Xujiahe Formation in Xinchang Area, Western Sichuan Depression, China

Interpretation ◽

10.1190/int-2020-0150.1 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-54

Author(s):

Xiaofei Shang ◽

Meng Li ◽

Taizhong Duan

Keyword(s):

Sediment Supply ◽

Late Triassic ◽

Gas Reservoirs ◽

Xujiahe Formation ◽

Western Sichuan ◽

Sand Body ◽

Sedimentary System ◽

Western Sichuan Depression ◽

Sand Bodies ◽

Distributary Channel

The Xujiahe Formation of Late Triassic in the Western Sichuan Depression contains abundant gas reservoirs. Influenced by the thrust tectonic movement of foreland basin, the fluvial-delta sedimentary system supplied by multiple provenances formed the Xu2 Formation of the Xinchang area. We used detailed description of drilling wells and cores to define the sequence stratigraphic framework and sand body types. We used stratal slices through the seismic volume to map the evolution of the sedimentary system and the sand body distribution. The results show that the Xu2 Formation exhibits a complete long-term base-level cycle, and there are six sand body deposit types: distributary channel, inter-channel, subaqueous distributary channel, inter-distributary bay, mouth bar and sheet sand. Stratal slices through the seismic volume at different levels map the spatial variation of sand and mudstone, which we use to construct a sedimentary filling evolution model. This model indicates that during the time of deposition of the Lower Sub-member the main provenance supply came from the NW direction, resulting in the sand bodies mainly deposited in the west. During the time of depositon of the Central Sub-member, sediment supply was large and came from both the NW and NE directions, resulting in large, laterally extensive, thick sands. During the time of deposition of the Upper Sub-member, sediment supply was from the NE direction, with the sand bodies more developed in the east. The flow direction of the channels indicate that they migrated from northwest to northeast. There are differences in channel energy, sedimentary characteristics and reservoir physical properties in the three Sub-members, which cause differences in natural gas productivity of Xu2 Formation. We believe that detailed mapping the spatial distribution of sedimentary systems can provide critical guidance to not only explore, but also to develop in high-quality oil and gas reservoirs like Xu2 Foramtion.

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