Sequence Stratigraphy, Diagenesis, and Depositional Facies of an Exposed Megaflap: Pennsylvanian Hermosa Group, Gypsum Valley Salt Wall, Paradox Basin, Colorado
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SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY, DIAGENESIS, AND DEPOSITIONAL FACIES OF AN EXPOSED MEGAFLAP: PENNSYLVANIAN HERMOSA GROUP, GYPSUM VALLEY SALT WALL, PARADOX BASIN, COLORADO KYLE THOMAS DEATRICK Master’s Program in Geological Sciences APPROVED: Katherine A. Giles, Ph.D., Chair Richard P. Langford, Ph.D. Gary L. Gianniny, Ph.D. Stephen Crites, Ph. D. Dean of the Graduate School Copyright © by Kyle Thomas Deatrick 2019 Dedication I wish to dedicate this work to my family and friends, especially my parents Julie and Dennis Deatrick for their unwavering support and encouragement. SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY, DIAGENESIS, AND DEPOSITIONAL FACIES OF AN EXPOSED MEGAFLAP: PENNSYLVANIAN HERMOSA GROUP, GYPSUM VALLEY SALT WALL, PARADOX BASIN, COLORADO by KYLE THOMAS DEATRICK, B.S. Geology THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at El Paso in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Geological Sciences THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO December 2019 ProQuest Number:27671333 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent on the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ProQuest 27671333 Published by ProQuest LLC (2020). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All Rights Reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 Acknowledgements I wish to thank my committee members whose time and support provided tremendous input into my research. I would like to especially thank Dr. Katherine Giles, my thesis advisor, who provided guidance and endless support and encouragement throughout my research when I needed it the most. I would also like to thank the industry professionals who took the time to enthusiastically hike through the megaflap to discuss my research in the field. I would like to thank the sponsors of the Institute of Tectonic Studies and the Salt-Sediment Interaction Research Consortium at the University of Texas at El Paso who have provided funding and critical guidance on many of the research objectives. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the Geological Society of America- ExxonMobil research grant program for funding much of the research. I am also grateful for tuition scholarships from Marathon Oil and ConocoPhillips, as well as the E. Russell Lloyd scholarship from the West Texas Geological Foundation and the Vernon G. & Joy Hunt Award from UTEP; with each being critical in supporting my research. v Abstract Outcrop exposures mostly of the Pennsylvanian Honaker Trail Formation provide a 2 km strike-oriented view of a megaflap on the southwestern flank of the Gypsum Valley salt wall, Paradox Basin, Colorado that serves as an outcrop analog for megaflaps recently drilled unexpectedly in the Gulf of Mexico and other salt basins worldwide. The near vertical (80-90°) stratal panel comprises a 60 m thick succession of non-evaporite facies of the Pennsylvanian upper Paradox Formation, overlain by a 117 m section of cyclic shallow marine carbonates and siliciclastics of the Honaker Trail Formation. Near vertical upper Paradox and Honaker Trail strata are onlapped by steeply dipping (70°) Permian lower Cutler Formation siliciclastics. Only 156 m of Cutler strata are exposed in an erosional window beneath a second angular unconformity. Above this unconformity, the Cutler and Honaker Trail Formations are onlapped by the Jurassic Entrada Formation to form a large-scale halokinetic growth package referred to here as the “onlap wedge.” The megaflap and onlap wedge were subsequently beveled at a third angular unconformity beneath the overlying Upper Jurassic Summerville and Morrison formations, which form the “overlap wedge.” Laterally, the Honaker trail strata in the megaflap gradually shallow to 50-60° on the southern flank where it is abruptly terminated at radial faults that bound a large graben. Jurassic Summerville and Morrison Formation strata overlap and cover the megaflap on its northern end. The shallow marine facies architecture and diagenesis of the Pennsylvanian carbonates and siliciclastics as well as the laterally concordant behavior of the stratal architecture are interpreted to represent a pre-kinematic roof over an incipient passive diapir. Jurassic aged marine diagenesis overprints Pennsylvanian carbonates during incipient marine transgression of the Summerville Formation. vi Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................v Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ iix List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................x Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 1.2 Objectives .........................................................................................................................3 Chapter 2: Geologic Setting of Study Area .....................................................................................5 2.1 The Paradox Basin ............................................................................................................5 2.2 Stratigraphy of the Paradox Basin ..................................................................................10 2.3 Gypsum Valley Salt Wall ...............................................................................................20 2.4 Klondike Ridge Megaflap ...............................................................................................27 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................................32 3.1 Measured Sections & Outcrop Data ...............................................................................32 Chapter 4: Results and Lithofacies................................................................................................36 4.1 Megaflap Charecteristics................................................................................................36 4.2 Lithofacies Description and Interpretation .....................................................................45 Chapter 5: Diagenesis ..................................................................................................................106 5.1 Diagenesis of Depositional Carbonates .................................................................................106 5.2 Interpretation .................................................................................................................119 5.3 Siliciclastics ..................................................................................................................141 Chapter 6: Sequence Stratigraphy ................................................................................................147 6.1 Paradox Formation Sequence Stratigraphy ...................................................................149 6.2 Honaker Trail Formation and Lower Cutler Sequence Stratigraphy ............................151 6.3 Sequence Stratigraphic Interpretation ...........................................................................156 Chapter 7: Discussion ..................................................................................................................168 7. 1 Gypsum Valley Megaflap Formation ..........................................................................168 vii References ....................................................................................................................................179 Vita…. ..........................................................................................................................................186 viii List of Tables Table 1 - Lithofacies table detailing characteristics of the Paradox Formation............................48 Table 2 – Lithofacies table detailing characteristics of the Honaker Trail Formation ..................48 Table 3 - Lithofacies table detailing characteristics of the Lower Cutler Formation....................49 Table 4 - Sequence stratigraphic characteristics of the Paradox ……….………………………159 ix List of Figures Figure 1.1- Schematic diagram of megaflap. ...................................................................................2 Figure 2.1- Tectonic setting .............................................................................................................6 Figure 2.2 - Map view of the Paradox Basin. ..................................................................................9 Figure 2.3 - Cross-section. .............................................................................................................10 Figure 2.4 - Composite