Short answer questions for Sedimentology and Petroleum Geology Final Exam

Questions (third portion of class)

1)

Draw a diagrammatic cross section and a map view of an unrimmed, rimmed, and
isolated carbonate platform showing features and subenvironments. Indicate the
locations and names of sedimentary environments that could be hydrocarbon
reservoirs.

2)

The following text contains 10 errors (or blanks) in stratigraphic nomenclature. Copy
and paste the passage into the answer box and change letters or entire words or fill in
the blanks as necessary to correct the style of the passage. Do not worry about the
correctness of actual content (formations and dates), but about how to correctly cite
stratigraphic terms.
The late cretaceous Livingston formation is a formally recognized stratigraphic unit.
The formation was named near Livingston, Montana. The unit unconformably
overlies the folded upper cretaceous eagle formation in a contact called an _______
_________. The formation includes the Miner Creek and Billman Creek Members.
Two radiometric dates of 78.9 +/-1 and 74.9 +/-1 Ma are evidence for age
assignments of upper Cretaceous.

3)

Define the terms regression and progradation. How can the terms relate to similar
situations? How can they relate to different situations?

Regression is the drop in sea level exposing more beach, progradation is the extension of
the beach into the ocean. They can happen in tandem with the sea lowering thus exposing
more beach. but they don't always. Progradation can also happen during extreme sediment
input such as yellow river.
4)

What factors may cause the following stacking patterns to occur in storm-dominated
shallow clastic marine environments: (1) shallowing upward, (2) deepening upward,
and (3) vertically aggrading patterns.

5)

During the Late Cretaceous the greatest global inundation of continents by the sea
since the Ordovician occurred, an average sea level rise of 350 m.
a. Explain the major mechanisms by which global sea-level changes occur.
b. Describe the typical rates of changes and the approximate magnitudes of sea level
change that can be associated with each of the mechanisms.

6)
.

Give three sedimentary environments where petroleum source rocks are deposited. For
each, give a modern location where analogous deposition is occurring.
Coastal marine settings, where there is:
!

High organic productivity (lots of organic matter), and/or

Extensive, shallow shelf seas (times of high relative sea level)

! Restricted basins (Black Sea)

! Lakes (areas of low terrigenous input)
! Deltas (high sedimentation rates buries organics quickly)

7)

Describe three probable configurations of stratigraphic traps; name possible

subenvironments of the reservoir and trapping sediments.

8)

Discuss the origins and orientations of internal baffles that can be predicted to exist in
reservoirs developed in (A) fluvial sandstones, (B) beach-barrier sandstones, and (C)
tidally dominated delta sandstones.

9)

What is the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary migration of

hydrocarbons?

Migration
- Primary expulsion from source rock: Volume increase during liquid or gas production
(micro) Fracturing of source rocks
- Secondary source rock to reservoir in trap
- Tertiary leakage / dissipation of petroleum to Earths surface
10)

What is a complete description of what has to happen to accumulate hydrocarbons?

1. Deposit source rocks

2. Deposit reservoir rocks
3. Deposit a sealing lithology near the reservoir rocks
4. Form a trapping geometry around the reservoir
5. Position reservoir rocks up-dip from, and
hydrologically connected to, maturing source rocks
(they are in the pathway of hydrocarbon migration)
6. Bring the source rocks to appropriate temperatures
for sufficient time to generate hydrocarbons
7. All of this has to happen in a correct order
11)

Richer source rocks, ones which may produce more hydrocarbons upon maturation,
have what attributes of Rock Eval analyses?

It has a higher S1+S2 value

Questions (from first portion of class)
1) What are the four most common minerals in sediments and sedimentary rocks? Explain
why each is common. clay minerals (product of weathering) Quartz (product of
chemical weathering and very stable) , potash feldspars(orthoclase),
2) Describe the factors that control the size of particles that can be suspended in a stream.
velocity, depth, and density of the fluid
3) Describe the flow regime concept, and the progression of bedforms that develop with
increasing velocities over fine-grained sand beds. Use a diagram and an explanation.

4) Describe how cross lamination (or cross bedding) forms and is preserved in the rock
record.

5) Describe why the compaction vs. depth curves of sandstones and mudrocks are different.
Questions (from second portion of class)
1)

What is meant by sedimentary facies, and give two examples, one common in
fluvial rocks, and one common in marine rocks.

Fluvial: asymmetric ripples

Marine: symmetric ripples.

2)

Describe multiple characteristics that can distinguish alluvial fan deposits from
submarine fan deposits.

3)

Sketch a cross section and define the major subenvironments of an idealized migrating
stream point bar and neighboring overbank deposits. Show the general distribution of
sedimentary structures.

Additional Questions (cumulative portion)

1)

In what fundamental ways are carbonate and siliciclastic sedimentary rocks similar,
and in what ways are they different?

2)

What characteristics would distinguish a prograding barrier island beach deposit from

3)

4)
5)

a. prograding fluvial-dominant delta.

b. prograding tidal-dominant delta
List at least two sedimentary subenvironments where the following deposits may
accumulate (e.g. stream channel base; lower shoreface):
a. Asymmetric rippled sand
b. Symmetric rippled sand
c. Lower plane bedded granules
d. Upper plane bedded sand
e. Antidunes deposits of sand
f. Graded beds
g. Imbricated gravel
h. Shale
i. Mudstone
Give a plate tectonic classification scheme of at least 5 major depositional basin types.
Write a complete figure caption that describes and explains the sedimentary sequence
shown below; write it in four sections each fully explaining what is happening in A, B,
C, and D.

So for A) you have a barrier island protecting a shallow area (obviously) with tidal flats and
lagoon - so is that salt water? fresh water? mixed?
B) the barrier island has extended further out to sea and now we have coal being deposited inland
where there used to be tidal flats and a swamp - why?