Sequence stratigraphy of the book cliffs

Eight graduate students travelled to price, green river and moab, utah, for a sequence stratigraphy in the field course offered by dr. The parasequences are separated from each other using subdividing major surfaces that include ts transgressive surfaces, mfs maximum flooding surface, and sb sequence boundary. This study is a proof of concept project that tested the ability to use. Sequence stratigraphy of transitional systems book cliffs. Sequence stratigraphy of transitional systems book cliffs, utah this field course aims at teaching sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy at an introductory level and illustrate how this can and should be used as a powerful tool both in reservoir description and prediction at various scales. Free web tutorials sequence stratigraphy, tutorials carbonate petrology, seismic interpretation sequence stratigraphy exercises lower cretaceous south africa, seismic interpretation sequence stratigraphy exercises bahamas miocene, seismic interpretation sequence stratigraphy exercises lower cretaceous alaska, clastic outcrop interpretation sequence stratigraphy exercises of bookcliffs. No evidence for sea level fall in the cretaceous strata of the book. A good appreciation of the nature of reservoir and nonreservoir rocks in the subsurface is of fundamental importance to sound ep decision making. Their stratal architectures are classically interpreted in terms of accommodation controls that were external to the sediment routing system allogenic, and that forced the formation of flooding surfaces. Towards a sequence stratigraphic solution set for autogenic. The shale and cretaceous sandstone cliffs, formed over time by the uncompahgre uplift, are a remnant of the mancos sea floor. Introductory presentation for a professional field course titled. Tectonic setting, stratigraphy, and sedimentology of the book cliffs8. Upper cretaceous strata exposed in the book cliffs of eastcentral utah are widely used as an archetype for the sequence stratigraphy of marginalmarine and shallowmarine deposits.

Cross section illustrating the sequence stratigraphy of the. A core component of the sequence stratigraphic model is the implicit. Sandstone in the book cliffs of utah and colorado were analyzed to develop a model of sequence stratigraphy and facies architecture in foreland basins. Sequence stratigraphy field trip applied stratigraphix. This video looks at the way in which past sea level changes can be determined. Kenilworth member is the third member in the blackhawk formation young, 1955. One powerful method for studying sealevel change in the past is sequence stratigraphy. From microscopic kaolinite booklets to macroscopic sequence. Processes controlling relative sealevel change and sediment supply 6. This video is a virtual field trip to one of the classic locations in the world book cliffs, utah, usa where the sequence stratigraphy method was developed and tested. Upper cretaceous strata exposed in the book cliffs of eastcentral utah are widely used as an archetype for the sequence stratigraphy of. This program takes viewers on a virtual field trip to the book cliffs, in utahthe place where sequence stratigraphy was developed and testedto study and interpret the sedimentary record there. Facies analysis and sequence stratigraphic framework of upper campanian strata neslen and mount garfield formations, bluecastle tongue of the castlegate sandstone, and mancos shale, eastern book cliffs, colorado and utah by mark a. Reevaluating the sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of.

Facies analysis and sequence stratigraphic framework of upper. Graduate students attend sequence stratigraphy field course. In the 1980s, exxon scientists used the cretaceous. Sequence stratigraphy of transitional systems book. These colorado cliffs look like books on a shelf outthere. Miall, mohamud arush abstract earlier stratigraphic work had predicted that at.

Sequence stratigraphy is a popular technique for predicting. The book cliffs, utah have become the premier locality globally for field teaching of sequence stratigraphy. Regional highresolution correlations of the campanian desert member of the blackhawk formation to the lower castlegate sandstone interval, book cliffs, utahcolorado, show no evidence for a single, throughgoing unconformity separating the amalgamated channel sandstones of the castlegate from the underlying blackhawk formation coastalplain deposits. Jun 01, 2018 course focused on the book cliffs and salt anticline regions of utah. Continuous, wellexposed and easilyaccessible outcrops make it possible to analyze facies relationships of stratigraphic sequences in great detail, both in terms of lateral variation systems tracts and vertical stacking. We offer consulting services in seismic stratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology and geomodeling. Outcrop and subsurface examples from the cretaceous of north america, j. The campanian book cliffs strata of eastern utah and western colorado has been used to develop, test and refine sedimentological and stratigraphic ideas and models over the years, including the principles and concepts of sequence stratigraphy.

Sequence stratigraphy of the book cliffs of eastern utah. The book cliffs of eastern utah and western colorado figs. The reason for choosing these is unlike the primarily horizontal strata of the book cliffs where one is almost always standing at the base of a cliff where all the. The reason for choosing these is unlike the primarily horizontal strata of the book cliffs where one is almost always standing at the base of a cliff where all the key sequence stratigraphic surfaces are developed on top of the cliff, the outcrops in northern colorado and wyoming are tilted between 6090 degrees. In the 1980s, exxon scientists used the cretaceous strata of the book cliffs to develop the science of sequence stratigraphy. Sequence, parasequence, and intraparasequence architecture of. The sequence stratigraphy of the book cliffs of eastern. For about 200 miles this escarpment extends from where the colorado river descends south through debeque to price canyon near price, utah.

The recurrence of the same types of sequence stratigraphic surface through geologic time defines cycles of change in accommodation or sediment supply, which correspond to sequences in the rock record. The book cliffs region is often cited as an analog for subsurface exploration, particularly in foreland basins, and sequence stratigraphy has become one of the leading methods for correlating and mapping depositional packages, leading to significant discoveries of petroleum in fields that had been abandoned, as well as new discoveries. Sequence stratigraphical evolution of the book cliffs part iv. At applied stratigraphix we have described over 3 km of core on a cmscale from basins across the globe, as well as both carbonate and shale thinsections.

T1 sequence, parasequence, and intraparasequence architecture of the grassy member, blackhawk formation, book cliffs, utah, usa. The cretaceous books cliffs of utah are best known as the mecca of sequence stratigraphers, but besides excellent exposures that allow tracing of sandstone bodies and sequence boundaries the succession also contains abundant shales and mudstones. Sequence stratigraphy of the book cliffs of eastern utah, the. For more detailed discussion of high frequency sequence analysis of the book cliff escarpment on which this exercise is based examine the references at the base of the introduction to high frequency clastic parasequences in outcrop. Stratigraphy and sedimentation of the book cliffs, utah. Sequence stratigraphy and marine to nonmarine facies architecture of foreland basin strata, book cliffs, utah, u. The exercises below involve the analysis of parasequence from outcrops. This study documents the sequence stratigraphy of the sego sandstone member in northwestern colorado, just north of rangely, and compares and contrasts it with equivalent strata in the book cliffs. The initial exercise is followed by the examination of the stacking patterns of the parasequences.

Components of deltaic and shallow marine reservoirs are very well preserved in the book cliffs. However, the sego sandstone member in the study area records an upsection evolution of depositional environments, which differs from what has been interpreted in the book. Pdf the castlegate sandstone of the book cliffs, utah. This program takes viewers on a virtual field trip to the book cliffs, in utah the place where sequence stratigraphy was developed and testedto study and interpret the sedimentary record there. American association petroleum geologists memoir 64. Sequence stratigraphy and stratigraphic trap potential of the. No evidence for an unconformity at the base of the lower. A multidecadelong highresolution outcrop study has revealed that the campanian desert member blackhawk formation to lower castlegate sandstone interval in the book cliffs of utah and colorado western usa does not fit the conventional sequence stratigraphic model. Jan 03, 20 the book cliffs are one of the most recognizable landforms in western colorado and eastern utah. Faciessequence stratigraphy, desertcastlegate, crescent canyonhorse heaven. Using classic outcrops to revise sequence stratigraphic. Sequence and facies architecture of the upper blackhawk. Tectonic setting, stratigraphy, and sedimentology of the book cliffs 8. The sequence stratigraphy is currently, on the one hand, a leading approach in the study of the internal structure of sedimentary basins, on the other hand, a creatively developing discipline, the.

If your interest lies in the standard book cliffs field trip then please check out our offerings here. The book cliffs have preserved excellent strata of the foreland basin of the ancient western interior seaway that stretched north from the gulf of mexico to the yukon in the cretaceous time. Simon provides expertise in the areas of sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy and reservoir geologymodelling and has considerable knowledge of the book cliffs. Table of contents for library of congress control number. Free web tutorials sequence stratigraphy, tutorials carbonate petrology, seismic interpretation sequence stratigraphy exercises lower. The sequence stratigraphy of the book cliffs of eastern utah. Graduate students attend sequence stratigraphy field.

The book cliffs are one of the worlds best places to study sequence stratigraphy. This page lists some of the literature click on pdfadobe icons to download pdf files of papers on the book cliffs sedimentary record and its sequence stratigraphic character in response to base level change. Do not fit the conventional sequence stratigraphic model. Sequence stratigraphy and stratigraphic trap potential of. Sequence stratigraphy and marine to nonmarine facies. In this lab, you will put together your knowledge of nearshore facies and sequence stratigraphy to correlate sections and interpret facies changes in the cretaceous stratigraphy of the book cliffs. Most sequence stratigraphy trips are run in the book cliffs along the coloradoutah border, however our trip is run on outcrops that are well studied yet rarely frequented by others. Sequence stratigraphy is the subdivision of the stratigraphic record on the basis of bounding discontinuities. Cretaceous shales book cliffs of utah kenilworth member of the blackhawk formation. Three sequence boundaries are interpreted, which are consistent, but not demonstrably correlative, with observations in the book cliffs area in utah willis 2000. Named for its similar appearance to a stack of books lined up against a shelf, the book cliffs are one of the most wellknown locations for studying sequence stratigraphy. Summary introduction late cretaceous depositional setting stop 1.

Paleosol analysis and chemostratigraphy were used to refine the previously published sequence stratigraphic interpretation of this valley fill. Implications for exploration models, author hampson, g. It forms one of the lowest cliffforming sandstone bodies in the book cliffs and. The book cliffs have no carbonates and our sequence stratigraphy trip covers both, which is why northern colorado provides an excellent natural laboratory. Together with his experience from spdc shell nigeria, simon effectively demonstrated both theoretical and applied aspects at all levels in a clear, concise and thoughtful manner. Seismic sequence stratigraphy exercise dicky harishidayat duration. I have spent a fair amount of time in the book cliffs studying the sequence stratigraphy described there extensively in the 1980s by exxon geologists. Faciessequence stratigraphy, desertcastlegate, crescent canyon horse heaven. Course focused on the book cliffs and salt anticline regions of utah. Sequence stratigraphy is a branch of geology that attempts to subdivide and link sedimentary deposits into unconformity bound units on a variety of scales and explain these stratigraphic units in terms of variations in sediment supply and variations in the rate of change in accommodation space relative sea level, the combination of eustatic sea level and tectonic subsidence. S tratigraphy in a chronostratigraphic framework emphasizes unconformities and other time disruptions. Earlier stratigraphic work had predicted that at the type section of the castlegate formation, the castle gate, near price, utah, the unit consists of two sequences separated by a sequence boundary representing approximately one million years of unrecorded time. A case study in coastal sequence stratigraphy, offered annually through w. Aug 29, 2015 introductory presentation for a professional field course titled.

Early models were strongly influenced by campanian book cliffs utah and. Introduction facies analysis is an important part of any stratigraphic study. The desert member of the blackhawk formation and the castlegate sandstone in the book cliffs of utah and colorado were analyzed to develop a model of sequence stratigraphy and facies architecture in foreland basins. Sequence stratigraphy and marine to nonmarine facies architecture of foreland basin strata, book cliffs, utah, usa. Book cliffs data sets are often used as outcrop analogues for similar subsurface settings worldwide. Sequence stratigraphy in the book cliffs, utah goal. Expression of sequence stratigraphy in outcrop, the book cliffs, utah. Sequence stratigraphy is the subdivision of the stratigraphic record on the basis of bounding discontinuities allostratigraphy. Sequence stratigraphy, paleogeography, and tectonic controls, authorandrew d.

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