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. Keys to stratigraphic sections where possible, all sedimentary structures have been represented as they were observed. 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. Beginning near helper, utah, and joined at green river, utah, by a second escarpment, the roan cliffs, the 2,000foot 610metre tall mountain wall, winds a 250mile 400km course along the tavaputs and roan plateaus, ending near grand junction, colorado. Cretaceous shales book cliffs of utah kenilworth member of the blackhawk formation. 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. Beginning near helper, utah, and joined at green river, utah, by a second escarpment, the roan cliffs, the 2,000foot 610metre tall mountain wall, winds a 250mile 400km course along the tavaputs and roan. The mancos formation and its stratigraphic equivalent to the east known as the pierre shale, often contain concretions. A stratigraphic column is a representation used in geology and its subfield of stratigraphy to describe the vertical location of rock units in a particular area. The parasequences are separated from each other using subdividing major surfaces that include ts transgressive surfaces, mfs maximum flooding surface, and sb sequence boundary.
Fielding, christopher 1 1 earth and atmospheric sciences, university of nebraskalincoln, lincoln, ne. Here in the deepest part of the canyon, the roan cliffs early tertiary deposits flank both sides and rise to over 9,000 feet above sea level. The exceptional quality of the wasatch plateau outcrop has given rise to a plethora of stratigraphic studies and serves as a natural laboratory in which to apply sequence stratigraphic principles to clastic sedimentary suc. The oldest layer will be on the bottom, and the newest one on top. Thompson, indiana state geologist not exposed not exposed not exposed bond fm. A chart entitled graphic column of kansas rocks moore et al.
Gold occurrences in the cretaceous mancos shale, eastern utah by gordon mar latt 1 the cretaceous mancos shale of eastern utah. Book cliffs, alexander hills, and carnivore canyon. The desert and castlegate sandstones, 2001 pages iiii, 181. Transitional facies and sequence stratigraphic complexity. Formation and origin of desolation gray canyon, utah this view of the main part of desolation canyon shows the full, nearly 5,000ft. The initial exercise is followed by the examination of the stacking patterns of the parasequences. The book cliffs, utah have become the premier locality globally for field teaching of sequence stratigraphy. Roberts chapter 7 of petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the uintapiceance province, utah and colorado by usgs uintapiceance assessment team u. The book cliffs form a large continuous escarpment 250 km that is aligned wnwese, oblique to regional depositional dip figs 2 and 3a. Correlate the parasequence s and make a regional sequence stratigraphic interpretation of facies geometries between the surfaces you have identified, establishing the lithofacies. This table, with a stratigraphic column coloured to match the 1815 map, includes columns referring to the names of strata on the shelves of the i. Extensive carbonate cementation of fluvial sandstones.
Reevaluating the sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of. Stratigraphic columns legend for s dyer page 1 of 2. Stratigraphic correlation chart for western colorado and. Stratigraphic column of study area, east central utah. Implications for the highresolution correlation of falling stage nonmarine, marginalmarine, and marine strata, in morgan, l. Upper cretaceous strata exposed in the book cliffs of eastcentral. Formation and origin of desolation gray canyon, utah.
Stratigraphic column masystem series and stage map unit notes map symbol plate tectonic setting depositional environment dominant rock type and weathering profile thickness feet meters intrusive units and additional lumped units 40ar39ar ages q u a t e r n a r y h o l o c e n e a n d p l e i s t o c e n e 1. Stratigraphic column simple english wikipedia, the free. That is a very brief summary of the development of the idea of the geologic or stratigraphic column, which is closely tied to the concept of geologic time. At their western limit, the book cliffs pass into the northsouthtrending wasatch plateau, which is oriented oblique to regional depositional strike figs 2 and 3b. Dolomite cement bodies up to 250 m in size abundant in distal fluvial strata. Sequence stratigraphy in the book cliffs, utah goal. Sequence and facies architecture of the upper blackhawk formation. As a result, book cliffs strata are relatively undeformed with lowangle book cliffs, utah. Geological survey denver, colorado 80225 introduction the stratigraphic nomenclature applied in various parts of western colorado, northwestern new mexico, and a small part of east central utah is summarized in the accompanying chart fig. Stratigraphy and sedimentation of the book cliffs, utah cole 1989 field trip guidebooks wiley online library. Thompson canyon, blackhawk formation and castlegate sandstone. A typical stratigraphic column shows a sequence of sedimentary rocks, with the oldest rocks on the bottom and the youngest on top. This shows the detailed stratigraphy for the colorado national monument region.
Formation in the book cliffs of eastern colorado and western utah, in. The exercises below involve the analysis of parasequence from outcrops. A typical stratigraphic column shows a sequence of sedimentary rocks, with the oldest rocks on the bottom and the youngest on top in areas that are more geologically complex, such as those that contain intrusive rocks, faults, and. I want to make the case that the geologic column exists, that it is in need of an explanation, and that the standard geological explanation of deposition over millions of years works well. Generalized stratigraphic column of indiana bedrock by todd a. Simon provides expertise in the areas of sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy and reservoir geologymodelling and has considerable knowledge of the book cliffs. Depositionalenvirons, horse canyonnorth, book cliffs scaled stratsection. Stratigraphic column freedom bridge over starvation reservoir on u. Some surfaces reflect multiple, distinct sets of sedimentary processes and can therefore be difficult to interpret, at least initially. Miller lamontdoherty geological observatory of columbia university abstract seismic stratigraphy is a technique for stratigraphic correlation, which involves the identification of regional unconformities sequence boundaries in seismic.
A straticgraphic colum is a tool used in geology and related fields. This study investigates the complex intertonguing of the coastal plain and shallowmarine environments in outcrops along the northeastern wasatch plateau. Stratigraphy and sedimentation of the book cliffs, utah. Many times these concretions are quite fossiliferous while others contain beautiful crystals of barite andor calcite. In exercise 2, students work either with polarized microscopic photographs linked online to specific units in their measured section or directly. 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. A good appreciation of the nature of reservoir and nonreservoir rocks in the subsurface is of fundamental importance to sound ep decision making.
Stratigraphic variations within the sego sandstone, book cliffs. Exposures of upper cretaceous strata in the book cliffs have played a key role in the formulation of modern sequence stratigraphic concepts, and yet correlations with timeequivalent strata in. A revised chart, graphic column and classification of rocks in kansas, by j. Book cliffs data sets are often used as outcrop analogues for similar subsurface settings worldwide. Petrographic observations indicate an early diagenetic origin. In the 1980s, exxon scientists used the cretaceous strata of the book cliffs to develop the science of sequence stratigraphy. Book cliffs geological feature, utah, united states. Stratigraphic variations within the sego sandstone, book cliffs, central utah article pdf available january 2007 with 5 reads how we measure reads. Components of deltaic and shallow marine reservoirs are very well preserved in the book cliffs. Towards a sequence stratigraphic solution set for autogenic. Stratigraphic cross section of measured sections and drill holes of the neslen formation and adjacent formations, book cliffs area, colorado and utah.
Fielding, christopher 1 1 earth and atmospheric sciences, university of nebraskalincoln, lincoln, ne this study presents highresolution correlations of the upper cretaceous stratigraphy between the book cliffs and the western henry. The video shows some of the field evidence for sealevel change and how the sequence stratigraphy model has been applied to this shallowmarine and fluvial succession. Facies and sequencestratigraphic analysis identifies six highresolution sequences within upper campanian strata across about 120 miles of the book cliffs in western colorado and eastern utah. Stratigraphic trip for deltaic reservoirs applied stratigraphix. If a peritidal environment experiences enough tidal current flow that vegetation cant become established, the result is a tidal flat. Part 1 proterozoic to recent stratigraphy, tectonics and volcanology. Cretaceous alaska, clastic outcrop interpretation sequence stratigraphy exercises of bookcliffs, exercises sequence stratigraphy interpetation. Comprehensive safety discussion kicks off the trip on day 1, followed by daily safety briefings at each field stop. 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. Reevaluating the sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy. Map showing variations in thermal maturities based primarily on vitrinite reflectance. Smiths geological collection, the names in the memoir and the peculiarities of the strata, the products of the strata, and the organized fossils which identify the respective strata. Section summary accessible from the selection map, the stratigraphic columns section will eventually be one of the most extensive parts of our database. The sequence stratigraphic architecture used for this study follows the.
Cretaceous and tertiary formations of the book cliffs carbon. The exceptional quality of the wasatch plateau outcrop has given rise to a plethora of stratigraphic studies and serves as a natural laboratory in. Book cliffs horse canyon area book cliffs green river area westwater canyon. A series of worldclass outcrops have been picked from the colorado rockies and book cliffs of utah.
The mesaverde total petroleum system, uintapiceance province, utah and colorado by r. 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. They follow instructions to construct a measured section. The width of a unit in a stratigraphic column, or log, sometimes represents the average grainsize of the rock. Book cliffs, utah, usa highfrequency stratigraphic sequences that.
Pdf on jan 1, 2007, brian j willis and others published stratigraphic variations within the sego sandstone, book cliffs, central utah find, read and cite all. Carbonate cementation potentially has significant impact upon reservoir quality. The book cliffs are one of the worlds best places to study sequence stratigraphy. Gold occurrence in the cretaceous mancos shale eastern utah. Eastward in colorado the two lines of cliffs are poorly distinguished.
It will show the different layers or strata which are present at a site. No evidence for an unconformity at the base of the lower. Accessible from the selection map, the stratigraphic columns section will. It is bordered on the north by the bookcliffs and on the south by the umcompaghre uplift colorado national monument. Unlike dolomite cement precipitation within the shoreface strata in the book cliffs see taylor and machent, 2010, the sequence stratigraphic relationship and relative timing of dolomite cementation to individual stratigraphic surfaces within the fluvial strata in the desert and castlegate reported here are cryptic.
The columns will follow the standard usgs format for stratigraphic columns. Mixed meteoricmarine coastal aquifer resulted from baselevel shifts. Introduction facies analysis is an important part of any stratigraphic study. Cretaceous blackhawk formation, straight canyon, book cliffs, utah. 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. The first is the roan cliffs and the second, the book cliffs. As a result, book cliffs strata are relatively undeformed with lowangle uintapiceance province, utah and colorado by r. The uinta basin also known as the uintah basin 1 is a physiographic section of the larger colorado plateaus province, which in turn is part of the larger intermontane plateaus physiographic division. Book cliffs horse canyon area book cliffs green river area westwater. Widespread neogene uplift of the colorado plateau lead to the nearhorizontal preservation of stratigraphic rock packages across a wide area of eastcentral utah and western colorado. Stratigraphic variations within the sego sandstone, book. 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. Utah stratigraphic columns overview page these stratigraphic columns are dynamically created on the fly from information stored in a database. 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.
Experience daily reversals in flow direction herringbone cross beds from alternating current flow. At some point, this section will contain hundreds of stratigraphic columns from all over the colorado plateau. This is field trip that focuses specifically on deltaic systems, if you would like a more generalized field trip on shallow marine reservoirs, such as shorefaces, tidal channels, barrier island etc, please click here. Leader arrives a few days early for pretrip safety reconnaissance of all field stops and roadstracks. The six sequences are named after prominent sandstone units and include, in ascending order, upper sego sequence, neslen sequence, corcoran sequence, buck.
Flint, 1999, a sedimentological and sequence stratigraphic reinterpretation of the upper cretaceous prairie canyon member mancos b and associated strata, book cliffs area, utah, u. Information was gathered from a number of sources see info for more information. The mesaverde total petroleum system, uintapiceance province. Highresolution correlation of upper cretaceous stratigraphy between the book cliffs and the western henry mountain syncline, utah. Currently, the ute tribe, ute allottees, and the ute distri. The stratigraphic column not a figment of geologists. Accessible from the selection map, the stratigraphic columns section will eventually be one of the most extensive parts of our database. Distributary channels single, multistorey and multilateral. United states geological survey, oil and gas investigations chart oc68. Schematic stratigraphic column showing coal beds in lower part of blackhawk formation, book cliffs coal field 11 12. I can imagine it being keyed to some other property, but grainsize is common. The stratigraphic column not a figment of geologists imaginations on november 18, 2011 november 28, 2012 by geochristian in age of the earth, apologetics, christianity, creation in the bible, evolution, geology, oldearth creationism, origins, theistic evolution, youngearth creationism. Jan 03, 20 book cliffs near grand junction, colorado. Sequence stratigraphy of the book cliffs of eastern utah.
The book cliffs are a series of desert mountains and cliffs in western colorado and eastern utah, in the western united states. In the 1980s, exxon scientists used the cretaceous. Top of the castlegate sandstone, sagers canyon, book cliffs, eastern utah. Flaser, wavy, and lenticular beds form as flows of differing strength. Stratigraphic cross section of measured sections and drill. Youll find lots of examples with a quick search for sedimentary log. The book cliffs form a sinuous southwardfacing escarpment that extends in a general. They are so named because the cliffs of cretaceous sandstone that cap many of the southfacing buttes appear similar to a shelf of books. 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. Sequence stratigraphic interpretations are tightly constrained along 2d cliff.
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