SequenceStratigraphy q g p y

thestudyofrockrelationswithinatime
stratigraphicframeworkofrepetitive,genetically
relatedstrataboundedbysurfacesoferosionor
nondeposition,ortheircorrelativeconformities.
Importantbecauseitplacesstrataintoa
predictable,cronostratrigraphic
framework and relates them to frameworkandrelatesthemto
accommodationspace
Lithostratigraphyvs.
Sequencestratigraphy
Historical prospective Historicalprospective
Barrell 1917 :Sedimentation controlled by Barrell1917: Sedimentationcontrolledby
baselevelwillresultindivisionsofthe
stratigraphic series separated by breaks stratigraphicseriesseparatedbybreaks .
Th i d d b Sl ThetermsequencewasintroducedbySloss
etal.(1949)todesignateastratigraphicunit
b d d b b i l f i i H boundedbysubaerialunconformities.He
identified6majorunconformitiesinNorth
A i America.
Correlativeconformities
Seismic stratigraphy Seismicstratigraphy
Vail et al (1977): eustasy is the main driving Vailetal.(1977):eustasyisthemaindriving
forcebehindsequenceformationatalllevels
of stratigraphic cyclicity Seismic stratigraphic ofstratigraphiccyclicity.Seismicstratigraphic
+globalsealevelchart.
Winter (1984): tectonic stratigraphy Winter(1984):tectonicstratigraphy
Thisiswhyitisallaboutrelativesealevel
changevs.sealevelchange.
Accommodationspace
(i.e.relativesealevelchange)
EUSTACY
Posamentier, 198
SUBSIDENCE / UPLIFT
Accommodationspaceequation
T E S W
Space is created by
changing in tectonic
Space is filled with
T+E=S+W
T:Tectonicsubsidence
E=rateofEustaticsealevelrise
g g
subsidence and Eustasy
water and sediments
S:sedimentationrate
W:waterdepth
Hierarchy Hierarchy
1) Depositional sequence (bounded by sequence 1)Depositionalsequence (boundedbysequence
boundary)
2) System tracts: a linkage of contemporaneous 2)Systemtracts:alinkageofcontemporaneous
depositionalsystems
3) Parasequence set (stacking patterns: progradational, 3)Parasequenceset(stackingpatterns:progradational,
aggradational,retrogradational)
4)Parasequence(boundedbyfloodingsurfaces)
5)Floodingsurface ) g f
Depositional system Depositionalsystem
A 3D assemblage of lithofacies genetically A3Dassemblageoflithofaciesgenetically
linkedandcoexistingtoday(fluvial,delataic,
barrierisland) barrier island)
Depositional sequence Depositionalsequence
A relative conformable succession of Arelativeconformablesuccessionof
geneticallyrelatedstratabounedby
unconformities (i e sequence boundary) or unconformities(i.e.sequenceboundary)or
relatedconformities.
Important: every depositional sequence is the Important:everydepositionalsequenceisthe
recordononecycleofrelativesealevel
I D i i l i Important:everyDepositionalsequenceis
boundedaboveandbelowbyunconformities
l i f i i orcorrelativeconformities.
Systemtract(subdivisionofthedepositionalsystem)
ll d h h d d d f Geneticallyassociatedstratigraphicunitsthatweredepositedduringspecific
phasesoftherelativesealevelcycle(Posamentier,etal,1988)and
representedintherockrecordasthreedimensionalfaciesassemblages.They
are defined on the basis of bounding surfaces position within a sequence aredefinedonthebasisofboundingsurfaces,positionwithinasequence,
andparasequencestackingpattern(VanWagoneretal.,1988)
The original 3 system track
HST
TST TST
LST
Highstandsystemstract(HST):
slow rose of relative sea level slowroseofrelativesealevel
Duringsuchaslowriseinrelativesealevel,sedimentsupplyis g , pp y
>rise,drivingaseawardbuildingofthecoastknownas
progradationalstacking.TheHSTwillcontainanincreasingly
progradational set of parasequences In the late highstand progradationalsetofparasequences.Inthelatehighstand
systemstract,eustaticsealevelbeginstofall,butsubsidence
>fall,suchthatrelativesealevelisrising,albeitatever
slowerrates.
Eventually,astherateofeustaticfallincreases,iteventually
exceeds the rate of subsidence leading to a relative fall in sea exceedstherateofsubsidence,leadingtoarelativefallinsea
level(Fallingstagesystemtrack+Sequenceboundary).
Lowstand systems tract (LST) Lowstandsystemstract(LST)
As the rate of eustatic fall slows it eventually Astherateofeustaticfallslows,iteventually
equalstherateofsubsidenceandisthen
exceeded by the rate of subsidence leading to exceededbytherateofsubsidence,leadingto
aslowrelativeriseinsealevel.Justasinthe
highstand systems tract this slow rise is highstandsystemstract,thisslowriseis
outpacedbysedimentationrate,leadingtoa
progradational set of parasequences called progradationalsetofparasequencescalled
thelowstandsystemstract(LST).
Transgressivesystemstract(TST) g y
As the rate of eustatic rise increases the rate Astherateofeustaticriseincreases,therate
ofrelativesealevelrisealsoincreasesand
eventually outpaces the supply of sediment eventuallyoutpacesthesupplyofsediment,
leadingtoretrogradationalparasequence
stacking Such retrogradational stacking is stacking.Suchretrogradationalstackingis
calledthetransgressivesystemstract(TST).
Hierarchy of surfaces Hierarchyofsurfaces
Sequence boundary (Depositional sequence) Sequenceboundary(Depositionalsequence)
Transgressivesurface(Systemtract)
i fl di f ( ) Maximumfloodingsurface(Parasequence)
Thekeyverticalsuccessioninall
d l depositionalsequences:
Frombottomtotop:
1) Sequenceboundary
2) L St d t 2) LowStandsystem
Track(LST)
3) Transgressive surface
4) Transgressive system ) g y
track(TST)
5) Maximumflooding
surface
6) Highs stand system 6) Highsstandsystem
track(HST)
Howdoyourecognizeasequence
boundary?
PARASEQUENCE PARASEQUENCE
Definition Definition
Geneticallyrelated,relativelyconformable
successions of beds and bedsets bounded by successionsofbedsandbedsetsboundedby
floodingsurfacesandtheircorrelative
surfaces
Bedsandbedsetsarepartofthesameprogradational
event
Thedepositsofasimpleprogradationoftheshoreline
Van Wagoner et al., 1990
Flooding Surface Flooding Surface FloodingSurface FloodingSurface
Surfacemarkedbydeeperwaterstratarestingon
shallowerwaterstrata
Canbecausedby:
A l ti i i l l d t
Van Wagoner et al., 1990
Arelativeriseinsealeveldueto
tectonicsubsidenceorfaulting
Eustacyy
Simpledeltalobecompaction
Flooding Surface Flooding Surface
Van Wagoner, Mitchum, Campion and Rahmanian 1990
Flooding Surface Flooding Surface
Origin and scale of Parasequences OriginandscaleofParasequences
Because shallowwater facies within a parasequence will pinch out laterally in a Because shallow water facies within a parasequence will pinch out laterally in a
downdip direction and deeper water facies within a parasequence will pinch out in
an updip direction, the facies composition of a single parasequence changes
predictably updip and downdip. Thus, a single parasequence will be composed of
deeper water facies downdip and shallower water facies updip, as would be
expected.
Parasequences
Exampleofsiliciclastic wave
dominatedshoreline:
1) bioturbated offshore
mudstones,
) h h h b d f 2) passthroughthestormbedsof
thetransitionzoneorlower
shoreface,
3) continue through the trough 3) continuethroughthetrough
crossbedding oftheshoreface,
4) passupwardsintotheseaward
inclined laminae of the inclinedlaminae ofthe
foreshore,
5) andbecappedbyabackshore
orcoastalplaincoalbed. p
Systemtracksandparasequences
arearrangedintoparasequencesets
(stacking pattern) (stackingpattern)
Asuccessionofgeneticallyrelated g y
parasequencesthatformadistinctivestacking
pattern(example:progradatioal, p ( p p g ,
retrogradational,aggradational)
Stackingpatterns
Sedimentation>accomodation
Stackingpatterns
Sedimentation=accomodation
Stackingpatterns
Sedimentation<accomodation
Rate of sediment supply <
Rate of accommodation
Accommodation
Retrogradational
Parasequence
Rate of sediment
supply > Rate of
accommodation
m
m
o
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a
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i
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n
vs
Sediment Supply
Aggradational
Parasequence
A
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Progradational
Parasequence
S
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s
u
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=
A
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r
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Increasing rate of
sediment supply
Sediment bypass
0
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Sequence Boundary
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96_0118_13
Regional
Incision
L
o
s
s
o
(modified from Shanley and McCabe,
1996)
Transition from marine
t i to non marine
After Catuneanu, 2006
Mississippi River
Birdsfoot delta
Whatarewelookingat?
(CretaceousMancosShalenearWoodside,Utah)
Tidal influence
TST
HST
LST
TST
What is this? What is this?
HST
LowStandsystemTract
Progradational sequence LST sed Progradational sequence, LST, sed
rates>accomodation rates, shallowing
upward
Lowstand systems tract
Transgressive systems tract
Highstand systems tract