GeophysicalProcessesinSedimentaryBasinFormation

Practical1
"Backstripping"stratigraphicdataattheCOSTB2wellEastCoast,
USA
Aim:tousethebackstrippingtechniquetodeterminethetectonic
subsidenceandupliftattheCOSTB2welloffshoreNewJersey.
TheCOSTB2wellwasdrilledbyaconsortiumofoilcompanies
in the outer continental shelf offshore New Jersey in 1976. The well
penetratedasequenceofTertiaryandMesozoicsedimentstoatotaldepth
of4.8km.Seismicreflectionprofiledataindicateafurther7kmbeneath
the well site. The basement underlying the sediments is probably of
Paleozoicinage.
TheTertiaryandMesozoicsedimentscanbesubdividedinto4
mainunits:
Table
SummarystratigraphyattheCOSTB2well

Stratigraphic
Unit

Depthto
topofunit
(km)

Unit
Thickness
(km)

MeanAge
ofunit
(Ma)

1
2
3
4

0.0
1.4
4.7
9.4
11.8

1.4
3.3
4.7
2.4

30
80
120
160

Tertiary
Cretaceous
U/MJur.
L.Jur/L.Trias
Basement

Backstrip the 4 stratigraphic units using the formulas given in

classandobtainthetectonicsubsidenceatthewellsite.

Assumptions
Inthecalculationsassume:

 Airyisostasy
Thevariationofporositywithdepthisgivenbyasimpleexponential

= o e cz
functionwhichisoftheform:
whereistheporosityatdepthz,oistheinitialporosityandcisan
exponentialdepthconstant.Initially,tryo=0.55andc=0.36km1
which are reasonable values for a sandstoneshale mix the
predominatelithologysampledinthewell.
Thebasementisfullycompacted.
Thedensityofwater,mantleandsedimentgrainsare1030,3330and
2650kgm3respectively.
The sediments were deposited in zero water depth (i.e. near shore
environments)andtherewerenosealevelchangesinthepast.

Method
1.Drawastratigraphiccolumnshowingthepresentthicknessof
the4units.
2.SelectUnit4andbackstripthisfirst.Todothisyouneedto
"bringup"theunitfromitspositionatdepthtothesurface,replacingthe
waterthatwasexpelledduringcompactionasyougo.Usetheequations
giveninclasstocalculatethedecompactedthicknessanddensityofthe
unitwhenit wasdeposited.Oncethenewthicknessanddensityhave
beencalculated,backstrip(i.e.unload)theunit.Thefollowingisa"check
list"ofparametersthatyouwillneedinordertodothecalculationsinthe
correctsequence:
a)themeandepthofUnit4
b)theporosityofUnit4atthemeandepth
c)thecompactedthicknessofUnit4atthemeandepth
d)theporosityofUnit4whenitisbroughttothesurface
e)thedecompactedthicknessofUnit4atthesurface
f)theaveragedensityofUnit4atthesurface

g)thetectonicsubsidenceassociatedwithUnit4
Use the exponential equation given above for b) and d). The
Equations for e), f) and g) were given in class. They are also in the
backstrippinghandout.
ThecalculationscanbecarriedonanExcelspreadsheet.
Hint:TostartExcelgotothestartbutton.GotoProgramsand
release the mouse on Excel. A spreadsheet will appear. Enter the
stratigraphicdataintheabovetableonthespreadsheet.Suggestionuse
columnAfortheunitnumber,Bforthestratigraphicage,Cforthedepth
tothetopoftheunit,DforthethicknessofeachunitandEforthemean
age.Begineachcolumnonline5toallowfortitleandcolumnheadings.
Then, enter the parameters (i.e initial porosity, exponential depth
constantanddensities).SuggestionplacethesevaluesincolumnH,
awayfromthestratigraphicdata.
UsethebuiltinfunctionsinExcel(tofindoutwhatfunctionsare
availablegothefxkey)tocalculate:
a)themeandepth.
b)theporosityatthemeandepth.
c)theporosityoftheunitatthesurface
d)thepresentdaythickness
e)thedecompactedthickness
f)theaveragedensityand,
g)thetectonicsubsidence.
Suggestions:placethecalculatedvaluesincolumnC,beginningonor
aboutline14.
IFtime(orafterthepractical):

3.RepeatthebackstrippingexerciseforUnit3(meanage=120
Ma).RemembertoalsotakeintoaccountUnit4!Todothisfirstbring
upUnit3firstthen,pushdownUnit4.Calculatetheaveragedensityof
Unit3+Unit4andhencethetectonicsubsidence.
4.RepeatthebackstrippingexerciseforUnit1(meanage=30
Ma).RemembertotakeintoaccountUnits4,3and2.Todothisbringup
Unit1andthenpushdownUnits2,3and4.Thisisthepresentday
situationsothepresentdaythicknessesandporosityarethedecompacted
values.
5. Plot a graph showing sediment accumulation and tectonic
subsidenceagainstage.
6. Describe the extent to which sediment and water loading
contributestosedimentaccumulationattheCOSTB2wellandtheform
ofthetectonic"drivingforces"atthewell.

AnswerSheet
AnanswersheetisavailableasanExceldocument

Reference(withoriginaldata):
Steckler,M.S.,andA.B.Watts,SubsidenceoftheAtlantictypecontinental
marginoffNewYork,EarthPlanet.Sci.Lett.,41,113,1978.