Blackhawk Formation), Utah, USA Kristian Helle and William Helland-Hansen
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The response of prograding wave-dominated delta systems to rising relative sea level Trajectory analysis as an approach to recognise controls on palaeogeographic evolution and stratigraphic architecture Kristian Helle Dissertation for the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) Department of Earth Science University of Bergen, Norway 2008 The response of prograding wave-dominated delta systems to rising relative sea level Trajectory analysis as an approach to recognise controls on palaeogeographic evolution and stratigraphic architecture Preface This dissertation entitled “The response of prograding wave-dominated delta systems to rising relative sea level; trajectory analysis as an approach to recognise controls on palaeogeographic evolution and stratigraphic architecture” is presented for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at University of Bergen (UiB), Norway. The project has been funded by VISTA (www.vista.no) which is Statoil’s (now StatoilHydro) basic research programme conducted in collaboration with the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. The research presented here was carried out between spring 2005 and autumn 2007 with Professor William Helland-Hansen (UiB) as project leader and supervisor, and Sverre Henriksen as technical contact in Statoil. The research took place at UiB, Statoil Research Centre in Trondheim and Colorado School of Mines (Golden, USA) and these institutions are acknowledged for providing facilities during work with the dissertation. Numerous persons at UiB, Statoil and other institutions are thanked for contributions and discussions. In particular, Professor William Helland-Hansen is thanked for excellent supervision and is along with Tor Sømme (UiB) acknowledged for numerous stimulating discussions. Sverre Henriksen, Alf Ryseth, Scott Bullimore, Knut Inge Brendeland and Inge Kaas at Statoil are acknowledged for proposing data sets and approving access to these, as well as for discussions. John Howell (Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research at UiB) is acknowledged for introducing the Book Cliffs stratigraphy in Utah, USA. Adrian Read is acknowledged for reviewing the English. Thanks are also extended to my co-authors and field assistants. My family and friends, and in particular my wife Ana Silvina Peréz Teséyra, are warmly thanked for all the good times. 4 The response of prograding wave-dominated delta systems to rising relative sea level Trajectory analysis as an approach to recognise controls on palaeogeographic evolution and stratigraphic architecture Chapter 1 Background, purpose of study, data base and methodology Kristian Helle Chapter 2 Genesis of an over-thickened shoreface sandstone tongue: the Rannoch-Etive formations (Middle Jurassic Brent delta), Gullfaks area, Northern North Sea Kristian Helle and William Helland-Hansen Chapter 3 Palaeogeography and stratigraphic architecture of stacked shoreface sandstone tongues: Upper Cretaceous Kenilworth Member (Blackhawk Formation), Utah, USA Kristian Helle and William Helland-Hansen Chapter 4 The effect of clinoform growth patterns on shelf margin stability and palaeogeographic evolution: the Pleistocene Columbus Basin and Deltana Amacuro Platform, offshore Venezuela Kristian Helle, Rune Kyrkjebø, Sverre Henriksen, William Helland-Hansen and Britta Paasch Chapter 5 Palaeogeography and stratigraphic architecture of normal regressive, wave-dominated delta systems: Many scales but one causative link? Kristian Helle 5 6 THE RESPONSE OF PROGRADING WAVE-DOMINATED DELTA SYSTEMS TO RISING RELATIVE SEA LEVEL Trajectory analysis as an approach to recognise controls on palaeogeographic evolution and stratigraphic architecture PREFACE CHAPTER 1 ......................................................................................................................................... 11 BACKGROUND, PURPOSE OF STUDY, DATA BASE AND METHODOLOGY SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHIC BACKGROUND ......................................................................................... 11 TRAJECTORY ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................... 12 PURPOSE OF STUDY AND DATA BASE .................................................................................................. 16 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................. 17 CHAPTER 2 ......................................................................................................................................... 19 GENESIS OF AN OVER-THICKENED SHOREFACE SANDSTONE TONGUE: RANNOCH- ETIVE FORMATIONS (MIDDLE JURASSIC BRENT DELTA), GULLFAKS AREA, NORTHERN NORTH SEA ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................................... 19 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 20 REGIONAL SETTING OF THE BRENT DELTA .......................................................................................... 21 BRENT DELTA FACIES ......................................................................................................................... 21 GEOMETRIES IN MODERN WAVE-INFLUENCED DELTAS ....................................................................... 23 GENESIS OF THE RANNOCH-ETIVE FORMATIONS ................................................................................ 26 CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................................... 30 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ......................................................................................................................... 31 CHAPTER 3 ......................................................................................................................................... 33 PALAEOGEOGRAPHY AND STRATIGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE OF STACKED SHOREFACE SANDSTONE TONGUES: UPPER CRETACEOUS KENILWORTH MEMBER (BLACKHAWK FORMATION), UTAH, USA ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................................... 33 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 34 GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................. 35 FACIES ................................................................................................................................................ 35 PARASEQUENCES ................................................................................................................................ 37 Kenilworth 1 parasequence .......................................................................................................... 37 Kenilworth 2 parasequence .......................................................................................................... 38 Kenilworth 3 parasequence .......................................................................................................... 39 Kenilworth 4 parasequence .......................................................................................................... 40 Kenilworth 5 parasequence .......................................................................................................... 41 REGIONAL PALAEOGEOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 42 STRATIGRAPHIC ARCHITECTURE ......................................................................................................... 46 PREVIOUS SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHIC MODELS .................................................................................. 48 REVISED SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHIC MODEL ...................................................................................... 49 IMPLICATION FOR BLACKHAWK FORMATION CYCLICITY ................................................................... 51 CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................................... 55 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 55 7 8 CHAPTER 4 ......................................................................................................................................... 57 THE EFFECT OF CLINOFORM GROWTH PATTERN ON SHELF MARGIN STABILITY AND PALAEOGEOGRAPHIC EVOLUTION: THE PLEISTOCENE COLUMBUS BASIN AND DELTANA AMACURO PLATFORM, OFFSHORE VENEZUELA ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................................... 57 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 58 TRAJECTORY ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................... 59 GEOLOGICAL SETTING ........................................................................................................................ 61 PURPOSE OF STUDY ............................................................................................................................ 62 STUDY AREA AND DATABASE ............................................................................................................