Refinement of the stratigraphic framework for the Regional C depositional unit of the McMurray Formation and implications for the early transgression of the Alberta Foreland Basin, Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 90 (10) ◽  
pp. 1322-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloé C.F. Château ◽  
Shahin E. Dashtgard ◽  
James A. MacEachern
Keyword(s):  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Channel System ◽  
Mcmurray Formation ◽  
Accommodation Space ◽  
Stratigraphic Framework ◽  
Clearwater Formation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Marine Facies ◽  
Depositional Units ◽  
Stratigraphic Evolution

ABSTRACT The Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, comprises a series of depositional units (DUs) consisting of stacked parasequences bounded by flooding surfaces and incised by fluvio-estuarine channel belts. The fluvio-estuarine channel belts of the McMurray Fm have been the focus of numerous studies whereas the regional DUs have received substantially less attention. Of the regional DUs, Regional C (equivalent to the middle McMurray) is the most understudied, yet this interval records the history of the McMurray Formation between deposition of fluvial strata in the lower McMurray and marine facies in the upper McMurray and overlying Clearwater Formation. Determining the history of the Regional C DU is fundamental for accurately reconstructing the stratigraphic evolution of the McMurray Fm and, by extension, the early evolution of the Alberta Foreland Basin. The Regional C is divided into two DUs separated by a regionally mappable flooding surface. This surface occurs 11 to 15 m below the top of the Regional C and is traceable over a 2,550 km2 area. This flooding surface divides the thick interval of undifferentiated Regional C into a lower C2 DU and an upper C1 DU, each with a maximum thickness of < 15 m. The thickness of the C2 and C1 DUs indicates that deposition at this time also occurred in a setting of low to moderate accommodation creation, which is consistent with the rest of the McMurray Formation. The limited available accommodation space was easily surpassed by sediment supplied by the paleo-distributive channel system, leading to a basinward progradation of the shoreline. The C2 and C1 DUs are retrogradationally stacked, with the maximum regressive paleo-shoreline of C1 lying landward of that of C2. This stacking arrangement indicates that the shoreline backstepped during the early stages of transgression of the Boreal Sea. The backstepping of the paleo-shoreline from C2 to C1 time is consistent with previous studies that show continued and stepwise retrogradation and/or transgression of the paleo-shoreline from the onset of deposition in the lower McMurray Formation through to maximum transgression in the Clearwater Formation. Together, these studies demonstrate that the early drowning of the Alberta Foreland Basin was persistent and slow.

Late Ordovician (Hirnantian) depositional pattern and sea-level change in shallow marine to shoreface cycles in central Sweden

2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
pp. 605-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER DAHLQVIST
Keyword(s):  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Late Ordovician ◽  
Fair Weather ◽  
Upper Ordovician ◽  
Sedimentary Structures ◽  
Accommodation Space ◽  
Facies Associations ◽  
Storm Wave ◽  
Marine Facies ◽  
Abundant Supply

The Upper Ordovician Kyrkås Quartzite Formation at the Nifsåsen Quarry (Jämtland, Sweden) exhibits c. 90 m of siliciclastic sedimentary rocks deposited on a shallow shelf at the craton-attached part of the Caledonian foreland basin. Five lithologies are distinguished, including claystone, mudstone, siltstone, subarkose and sublitharenite. Based on these five lithologies, sedimentary structures and biota, three marine facies associations are defined: the Mudstone association (FA1) deposited close to storm wave base, the Sandstone/mudstone association (FA2) formed between storm and fair-weather wave bases, and the Sandstone association (FA3) accumulated above fair-weather wave base. The facies associations are arranged in two sequences, c. 50 and 40 m thick, separated by a transgressive surface, indicating repeated shoreline progradation. Both sequences commence with marine heterolithic shales and siltstones, with upwardly increasing frequency of tempestites. Continued shoaling is indicated by a dominance of hummocky and trough (locally tabular) cross-stratified sandstone beds in the upper part of each sequence. Sand beds are increasingly amalgamated up-sequence, reflecting progressively diminishing accommodation space. The depositional style and sedimentary structures indicate that the study area was storm-dominated with an abundant supply of siliciclastic material. Biostratigraphic data tie the depositional changes to the globally recognized Late Ordovician (Hirnantian) glacial interval. These data suggest that the first sequence was formed during the initial phase of regression in the earliest Hirnantian. The lowermost part of the overlying sequence contains elements of a typical Hirnantia fauna followed by beds yielding Normalograptus persculptus, suggesting a second regressive cycle in the Jämtland basin during the early N. persculptus Biozone.

Tracking dinosaurs in BLM canyon country, Utah

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 67-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
ReBecca K. Hunt-Foster ◽  
Martin G. Lockley ◽  
Andrew R.C. Milner ◽  
John R. Foster ◽  
Neffra A. Matthews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorado Plateau ◽  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Salt Tectonics ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
Paradox Basin ◽  
Cedar Mountain Formation ◽  
History Of ◽  
San Rafael ◽  
San Rafael Swell ◽  
Biological History

Although only recognized as a discrete stratigraphic unit since 1944, the Cedar Mountain Formation represents tens of millions of years of geological and biological history on the central Colorado Plateau. This field guide represents an attempt to pull together the results of recent research on the lithostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, and biostratigraphy of these medial Mesozoic strata that document the dynamic and complex geological history of this region. Additionally, these data provide a framework by which to examine the history of terrestrial faunas during the final breakup of Pangaea. In fact, the medial Mesozoic faunal record of eastern Utah should be considered a keystone in understanding the history of life across the northern hemisphere. Following a period of erosion and sediment bypass spanning the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary, sedimentation across the quiescent Colorado Plateau began during the Early Cretaceous. Thickening of these basal Cretaceous strata across the northern Paradox Basin indicate that salt tectonics may have been the predominant control on deposition in this region leading to the local preservation of fossiliferous strata, while sediment bypass continued elsewhere. Thickening of overlying Aptian strata west across the San Rafael Swell provides direct evidence of the earliest development of a foreland basin with Sevier thrusting that postdates geochemical evidence for the initial development of a rain shadow.

Tracking dinosaurs in BLM canyon country, Utah

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 67-100
Author(s):  
ReBecca Hunt-Foster ◽  
Martin Lockley ◽  
Andrew Milner ◽  
John Foster ◽  
Neffra Matthews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorado Plateau ◽  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Salt Tectonics ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
Paradox Basin ◽  
Cedar Mountain Formation ◽  
History Of ◽  
San Rafael ◽  
San Rafael Swell ◽  
Biological History

Although only recognized as a discrete stratigraphic unit since 1944, the Cedar Mountain Formation represents tens of millions of years of geological and biological history on the central Colorado Plateau. This field guide represents an attempt to pull together the results of recent research on the lithostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, and biostratigraphy of these medial Mesozoic strata that document the dynamic and complex geological history of this region. Additionally, these data provide a framework by which to examine the history of terrestrial faunas during the final breakup of Pangaea. In fact, the medial Mesozoic faunal record of eastern Utah should be considered a keystone in understanding the history of life across the northern hemisphere. Following a period of erosion and sediment bypass spanning the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary, sedimentation across the quiescent Colorado Plateau began during the Early Cretaceous. Thickening of these basal Cretaceous strata across the northern Paradox Basin indicate that salt tectonics may have been the predominant control on deposition in this region leading to the local preservation of fossiliferous strata, while sediment bypass continued elsewhere. Thickening of overlying Aptian strata west across the San Rafael Swell provides direct evidence of the earliest development of a foreland basin with Sevier thrusting that postdates geochemical evidence for the initial development of a rain shadow.

The Lower Cretaceous in east-central Utah—The Cedar Mountain Formation and its bounding strata

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 101-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Kirkland ◽  
Marina Suarez ◽  
Celina Suarez ◽  
ReBecca Hunt-Foster
Keyword(s):  
Colorado Plateau ◽  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Salt Tectonics ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
Paradox Basin ◽  
Cedar Mountain Formation ◽  
History Of ◽  
San Rafael ◽  
San Rafael Swell ◽  
Biological History

Although only recognized as a discrete stratigraphic unit since 1944, the Cedar Mountain Formation represents tens of millions of years of geological and biological history on the central Colorado Plateau. This field guide represents an attempt to pull together the results of recent research on the lithostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, and biostratigraphy of these medial Mesozoic strata that document the dynamic and complex geological history of this region. Additionally, these data provide a framework by which to examine the history of terrestrial faunas during the final breakup of Pangaea. In fact, the medial Mesozoic faunal record of eastern Utah should be considered a keystone in understanding the history of life across the northern hemisphere. Following a period of erosion and sediment bypass spanning the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary, sedimentation across the quiescent Colorado Plateau began during the Early Cretaceous. Thickening of these basal Cretaceous strata across the northern Paradox Basin indicate that salt tectonics may have been the predominant control on deposition in this region leading to the local preservation of fossiliferous strata, while sediment bypass continued elsewhere. Thickening of overlying Aptian strata west across the San Rafael Swell provides direct evidence of the earliest development of a foreland basin with Sevier thrusting that postdates geochemical evidence for the initial development of a rain shadow.

scholarly journals Reconstructing the exhumation history of the Lesser Himalaya, NW India, from a multitechnique provenance study of the foreland basin Siwalik Group

Tectonics ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
Yani Najman ◽  
Mike Bickle ◽  
Eduardo Garzanti ◽  
Malcolm Pringle ◽  
Dan Barfod ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Provenance Study ◽  
Lesser Himalaya ◽  
History Of ◽  
Siwalik Group ◽  
Exhumation History

Westward propagation of thrusts in the external Western Alps (France) reappraised from an updated chronostratigraphy of the Miocene Molasses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Kalifi ◽  
Philippe-Hervé Leloup ◽  
Philippe Sorrel ◽  
Albert Galy ◽  
François Demory ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Western Alps ◽  
Seismic Profiles ◽  
Stratigraphic Framework ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Deformation Kinematics ◽  
Westward Migration ◽  
External Part ◽  
Tectonics And Sedimentation

<p>The fact that the western Alps Miocene foreland basin succession is poorly dated impacts directly our understanding of the deformation kinematics of that part of the external part of the Alpine belt (France). Here we propose a multidisciplinary approach aiming at building a robust tectono-stratigraphic framework of the Miocene deposits at the basin scale (northern subalpine massifs, southern Jura, Royans, Bas-Dauphiné and La Bresse basins). Sr isotopes stratigraphy combined with magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphy enable sequence stratigraphy subdivisions S1 to S8 between the Upper Aquitanian (-21 Ma) and the Tortonian (-9 Ma) dated with a precision <0.5 Ma. These results highlight four different palaeogeographical domains during the Miocene: (i) the oriental domain with depositional sequences S1a to S3 (~21.3 to 15Ma), (ii) the median domain, in which sequences S2, S3, S4 and S5 occurred (~17.8 to 14Ma), (iii) the occidental domain with sequences S2 to S8 (~17.8 to ~9.5Ma); and (iv) the Bressan domain, in which sequences S6 to S8 are found (~ 11.5 to ~9.5Ma).</p><p>This revised chronostratigraphy was complemented with a structural and tectono-sedimentary study based on new fieldwork data and a reappraisal of regional seismic profiles, allowing to highlight five major faults zones (FZ). It appears that the oriental, median and occidental paleogeographical domains are delineated by FZ1, FZ2 and FZ3, therefore suggesting a strong interplay between tectonics and sedimentation. Evidences of syntectonic deposits and a westward migration of the depocenters impart the following deformation chronology : a Oligocene compressive phase (P1) corresponding to thrusting above FZ1 rooted east (above) Belledonne, which generated reliefs that limited the early Miocene transgression to the east; an Early- to Middle Miocene W-WNW/E-ESE-directed compressive phase (P2) involving the Belledonne massif basal thrust, which between 18.05 +/- 0.15 Ma and 12Ma successively activated the Salève thrust fault, and the FZ2 to FZ5 from east to west. P2 deeply impacted the Miocene palaeogeographical evolution by a rapid westward migration of depocenters in response to the exhumation of piggy-back basins above the growing fault zones; a last Tortonian phase (P3), less well constrained, apparently implied a significant uplift in the subalpine massifs, combined with the activation of the frontal Jura thrust.</p>

scholarly journals High resolution stratigraphy of initial stages of rifting, Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 657-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrel Kifumbi ◽  
Claiton Marlon dos Santos Scherer ◽  
Fábio Herbert Jones ◽  
Juliano Kuchle
Keyword(s):  
Radical Change ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Accommodation Space ◽  
Facies Associations ◽  
Half Graben ◽  
Lateral Connection ◽  
Depositional Units ◽  
Two Parameters ◽  
Channel Deposits

ABSTRACT: The present work aims to characterize the Neo-Jurassic to Neocomian succession of the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, located in northeast region of Brazil, in order to discover the influence of tectonics on sedimentation in detailed scale and thus separating this sedimentary succession in tectono-stratigraphic units. Fieldwork observations and stratigraphic sections analysis allowed subdividing this rift succession into three depositional units that indicate different paleogeographic contexts. Unit I, equivalent to the top of Serraria Formation, is characterized by braided fluvial channel deposits, with paleocurrent direction to SE; unit II, corresponding to the base of Feliz Deserto Formation, is composed of anastomosed fluvial channel and floodplain facies associations; and unit III, equivalent to the major part of Feliz Deserto Formation, is characterized by delta deposits with polymodal paleocurrent pattern. The changes of depositional system, as well as paleocurrent direction, suggest that the previously described units were deposited in different evolutionary stages of rifting. Units I and II represent the record of a wide and shallow basin associated with the first stage of rifting. Unit I is characterized by incipient extensional stress generating a wide synclinal depression, associated to the low rate of accommodation and low tectonic activity. These two parameters progressively increase in unit II. The paleocurrent direction of unit I indicates that the depocenter of this wide basin was located at SE of the studied area. No conclusion could be done on paleocurrent from unit II because of the low amount of measurements. Unit III suggests a second stage marked by a deeper basin context, with a high rate of accommodation space associated with the lateral connection of faults and individualization of the half-graben. The scattering in the paleocurrent direction in this unit indicates sedimentary influx coming from several sectors of the half-graben. The boundary between these two stages is marked by a flooding surface that indicates an extremely fast transition and suggests a radical change in geometric characteristics of the basin due to the increase of tectonic activity.

scholarly journals Sandstone Petrology and Provenance in Fold Thrust Belt and Foreland Basin System

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Critelli ◽  
Sara Criniti
Keyword(s):  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Thrust Belt ◽  
Fold And Thrust Belt ◽  
Continental Block ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Geodynamic Processes ◽  
Dual Plate ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sandstone Composition ◽  
Main Producer

The sandstone composition of foreland basin has a wide range of provenance signatures, reflecting the interplay between flexed underplate region and abrupt growth of the accreted upper plate region. The combination of contrasting detrital signatures reflects these dual plate interactions; indeed, several cases figure out that the earliest history of older foreland basin infilling is marked by quartz-rich sandstones, with cratonal or continental-block provenance of the flexed underplate flanks. As upper plate margin grows over the underplate, the nascent fold-and-thrust belt starts to be the main producer of grain particles, reflecting the space/time dependent progressive unroofing of the subjacent orogenic source terranes. The latter geodynamic processes are mainly reflected in the nature of sandstone compositions that become more lithic fragment-rich and feldspar-rich as the fold-thrust belt involves the progressive deepest portions of upper plate crustal terranes. In this context sandstone signatures reflect quartzolithic to quartzofeldspathic compositions.

scholarly journals Lower Moscovian limestones of the Bogdashan Range (NW China) as an indicator of cessation of arc magmatism in the Junggar region

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-78
Author(s):  
D. V. Alexeiev ◽  
Yu. S. Biske ◽  
A. V. Djenchuraeva ◽  
B. Wang ◽  
O. L. Kossovaya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Foreland Basin ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Island Arc ◽  
Tien Shan ◽  
Lower Permian ◽  
Carbonate Sediments ◽  
Tropical Zone ◽  
Middle Carboniferous ◽  
Marine Facies

The field revision of the Carboniferous and Lower Permian stratigraphy of the northern Bogdashan (South Junggar, Northwest China) shows that the Lower to Middle Carboniferous island arc volcanic rocks, widely developed in this region, are overlapped everywhere by carbonate and terrigenous-carbonate sediments, containing occasional lava flows and overlain up the section by thick terrigenous series practically devoid of volcanic rocks. The deposition of limestone occurred at the stage of dying off of a volcanic arc, and the question of their age is of fundamental importance for dating this event. Carbonates are represented by facies of lagoons, shoals, and bioherms that formed on the leveled surface of the arc and on the slopes of the last active volcanoes. Bioherms are Waulsortian mounds and are mainly composed of algal limestones and carbonate mud. There are no framestones composed of corals and sponges (chaetetids) typical of the tropical zone. The facies of shallow crinoid-fusulinid limestones typical of the adjacent territories of the Southern Tien Shan and Tarim are poorly represented. Paleogeographically, the position of bioherms corresponds to the northern boundary of the realm of Pennsylvanian reefs. On the basis of foraminifers, brachiopods, and corals, the age of carbonates is early Moscovian (ca. 315–310 Ma). Cessation of island-arc volcanism, followed by the accumulation of limestone in Bogdashan, occurred sub-synchronously with formation of the West Junggar (Bayingou) suture and may reflect docking of the Bogdashan arc to the Yili active margin of the Kazakhstan continent. Further subsidence of Bogdashan and adjacent regions of the Junggar and Turfan basins, which was somewhat slower at the end of the Carboniferous and more intense in the Early and Middle Permian, may reflect the development of the foreland basin that formed along the northern flank of the Tien Shan orogen. Marine facies were locally preserved in this basin until the Artinskian (ca. 285 Ma), and later the Junggar and Turfan basins lost connection to the ocean and developed in continental environments.

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