Seismic and sequence stratigraphy of the central western continental margin of India: late-Quaternary evolution

Seismic and sequence stratigraphic architecture of the central western continental margin of India (between Coondapur and south of Mangalore) has been investigated with shallow seismic data. Seismic stratigraphic analysis defined nine seismic units, that are configured in a major type-1 depositional sequence possibly related to fourth-order eustatic sea-level changes, comprising regressive, lowstand, transgressive and highstand systems tracts. The late-Quaternary evolution of the continental margin took place under the influence of an asymmetric relative fourth-order sea-level cycle punctuated by higher frequency cycles. These cycles of minor order were characterised by rapid sea-level rises and gradual sea-level falls that generated depositional sequences spanning different time scales. During the regressive periods, dipping strata were developed, while erosional surfaces and incised valleys were formed during the lowstands of sea level. Terraces, v-shaped depressions, lagoon-like structures observed on the outer continental shelf are the result of the transgressive period. In the study area we have recognised a complex erosional surface that records a long time span during the relative sea-level fall (regressive period) and the following sea-level lowstand and has been reworked during the last transgression. We also infer that sedimentation processes changed from siliciclastic sedimentation to carbonate sedimentation and again to siliciclastic sedimentation, marking an important phase in the late-Quaternary evolution of the western continental shelf of India. We attribute this to an abrupt climate change at the end of the oxygen isotope stage 2, between the Last Glacial Maximum and the Bølling-Allerod event (14?000 yr BP). This sensitive climate change (warming) favoured the formation of reefs at various depths on the shelf, besides the development of Fifty Fathom Flat, a carbonate platform on the outer shelf off Bombay developed prior to 8300 yr BP. The highstand systems tracts were deposited after the sea level reached its present position.     

Structure and evolution of a Messinian mixed carbonate‐siliciclastic platform: the role of evaporites (Sorbas Basin,South‐east Spain)

The Sorbas Member is a late Messinian complex sedimentary system that formed immediately following deposition of the Messinian evaporites in the Sorbas Basin (South‐east Spain). This work describes the sequence architecture and facies organization of a continuous kilometre long, alluvial fan to open platform transect near the village of Cariatiz in the north‐east of the basin. The post‐evaporitic Cariatiz platform was a mixed carbonate‐siliciclastic system composed of four intermediate‐frequency, fifth‐order depositional sequences (Depositional Sequences 1 to 4) arranged in an overall prograding trend. The intense fracturing and brecciation of these deposits is attributed to the deformation and dissolution of an evaporite body measuring several tens of metres in thickness. The four sequences display significant spatial–temporal variability in both architecture and facies distribution, with two main phases: (i) Depositional Sequences 1 and 2 are ooid and oobioclastic dominated, and show normal marine faunas; and (ii) Depositional Sequences 3 and 4 show a higher siliciclastic contribution and are microbialite dominated. These important changes are interpreted as modifications of the primary controlling factors. Following an initial 70 m drowning, possibly linked to increased oceanic input, Depositional Sequences 1 to 3 were controlled mainly by eustatic variations and inherited topography; their progradation destabilized the evaporite body near the end of the Depositional Sequence 2 period. During the second phase, Depositional Sequences 3 and 4 recorded a progressive restriction of the Sorbas Basin related to a 30 to 40 m fall in water level that was driven mainly by regional factors. These regional factors were dissolution and gravity‐induced deformation of the evaporites and correlative evaporative fluid circulation associated with the contrasted arid/humid regional climate that, respectively, controlled sequence geometry and fluctuating water salinity which caused a microbialite bloom.     

地震沉积学在不同沉积相和储集层研究中的应用*

地震沉积学包括地震地貌学和地震岩性学,应用前景广阔。针对玛湖凹陷克拉玛依组碎屑岩、川中地区龙王庙组碳酸盐岩和嘉陵江组混积岩3种不同岩性的沉积环境开展研究,探讨了地震沉积学在3种环境下沉积相与储集层研究的应用效果。研究发现,玛湖凹陷克拉玛依组发育冲积扇和河流相,点坝储集层孔渗条件好,产能优于扇缘储集层。川中龙王庙组碳酸盐岩沉积受控于同沉积走滑断裂,白云岩厚储集层分布在磨溪构造斜坡区。川中嘉二下亚段自西南向东北从陆相经海陆过渡相和局限蒸发相变为海相,有利于储集层发育的白云岩岩相位于中部的局限蒸发相附近。3个实例研究中除了使用相位旋转、地层切片和分频3种传统技术之外,还利用了主因子分析和RGB融合2项新技术。研究结果较理想,表明地震沉积学在定性重建沉积相和定量预测储集层方面应用效果显著。     

Diagenetic and sedimentary controls on porosity in Lower Carboniferous fine-grained lithologies,Krechba field,Algeria: A petrological study of a caprock to a carbon capture site

Fine-grained siliciclastic lithologies commonly act as sealing caprocks to both petroleum fields and host reservoirs for carbon capture (CO₂ sequestration) projects. Fine-grained lithologies are thus of great importance in controlling fluid flow and storage in the subsurface. However, fine-grained rocks are rarely characterised in terms of primary sedimentary characteristics, diagenesis and how these relate to their flow properties (i.e. sealing or caprock quality). Seventeen samples from Lower Carboniferous estuarine caprock to a gas field (also to be used as a carbon capture site), have been analysed using a range of petrological and petrophysical techniques. The rock unit that represents the caprock to this gas field was found to be predominantly silt grade with porosity values as low as 1.8%. In these rocks, caprock quality (porosity) is controlled by intrinsic and extrinsic factors linked to primary mineralogy and diagenetic processes. Depositional mineralogy was dominated by quartz, detrital mica, detrital clay (likely Fe-rich 7Å clay and illite–smectite) with minor feldspar and oxide phases. Diagenetic processes included compaction, minor feldspar dissolution and kaolinite growth and the more important processes of chlorite, siderite and quartz cementation, as well as the likely transformation of smectite into illite. Caprock quality is controlled by the primary quantity of illite-muscovite in the sediment and also by the localised extent of chlorite and quartz cementation. Deposition in an estuarine environment led to highly heterogeneous distribution of primary and diagenetic minerals, and thus caprock quality, between and within the samples.     

云南兰坪盆地三叠纪沉积作用与古地理演化

根据岩石沉积类型、物源供给、成因机制和沉积序列,结合区域地质特征,将兰坪盆地三叠系划分为陆相火山泥石流、河流相、三角洲相、潮坪相、浅海陆棚相、碳酸盐台地相和深水盆地相7种主要沉积类型。通过对沉积相的详细分析,恢复其古地理格架和面貌,探讨岩相古地理的变迁历史,从而表明三叠纪早期到晚期,其古地理经历了陆相环境※碎屑海盆※碳酸盐海盆到碎屑海盆的转换,即两次海侵-海退旋回。早期的海域分布范围较小,晚期的海域分布范围较宽,并成为统一的海盆。     

Evaluation of two multidimensional discrimination diagrams from beach and deep-sea sediments from the Gulf of Mexico and their application to Precambrian clastic sedimentary rocks

Two discriminant-function-based multidimensional major-element diagrams for the tectonic discrimination of siliciclastic sediments were recently published from a coherent statistical methodology of log_e-ratio transformation and linear discriminant analysis. These diagrams were constructed based on worldwide examples of Neogene–Quaternary siliciclastic sediments from known tectonic settings. In this work, these two tectonic discrimination diagrams were first successfully tested from Holocene (<0.0117–0 Ma) beach and deep-sea sediments from the Gulf of Mexico. These diagrams were used to decipher tectonic settings of 11 case studies of the Precambrian clastic sedimentary rocks (~512–2800 Ma) from Argentina, USA, Ghana, Spain, Norway, India, China, and Australia. The test and application results obtained from these discrimination diagrams were generally consistent with the geology of the Precambrian source areas. Therefore, the two multidimensional diagrams can be considered as a useful tool for successfully discriminating the tectonic setting of older sedimentary basins, which may consist of one or more tectonic assemblages. Comparison of results of this study with the previously published tectonic discrimination diagrams is illustrated and the probable reasons for some inconsistent inferences were also discussed.     

Milankovitch forcing of bioturbation intensity in deep-marine thin-bedded siliciclastic turbidites

Trace fossils have been used to infer a Milankovitch-type control on pelagic and hemipelagic sediments, but there have been no comparable studies in deep-marine siliciclastic turbidite successions. Here, we present the results of a quantitative analysis of trace-fossil abundance and intensity in an essentially continuous, Middle Eocene, 230-m-long (Well A6) core, comprising very thin- and thin-bedded siliciclastic turbidites in the deep-marine Ainsa basin, Spanish Pyrenees. After removing the sediment slides and debris flow deposits, as these represent geologically instantaneous events approximately two orders of magnitude thicker than the typical laminated turbiditic sediments in the core, spectral analysis was conducted on the bioturbation intensity data. Spectral analysis of bioturbation intensity in the A6 core suggests, for the first time from a siliciclastic turbidite succession at a tectonically active plate margin (thrust-top basin in a foreland basin), a cyclicity that is interpreted to reflect the 41-kyr and an ~ 112-kyr (possibly an average of the 95- and 125-kyr) Milankovitch frequencies. We propose that this drove environmental changes in bottom-water conditions in the Ainsa basin, most likely leading to critically varying levels of oxygenation (stratification) of bottom waters. Our age model for the Ainsa basin (~ 4 km of deep-marine sediments in ~ 10 Myr) yields an average sediment accumulation rate of ~ 40 cm kyr^− 1, that is consistent with that inferred from the spectral analysis (~ 30 cm kyr^− 1) for fine-grained sedimentation. An implication of these results is that global environmental change, probably glacio-eustasy, acted as a driver on deep-marine siliciclastic sedimentation patterns during the Middle Eocene.     

The criteria for the biogeneicity of microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) in Archean and younger, sandy deposits

The identification of fossils or biogenic sedimentary structures in rocks of Archean age is difficult, because similar lithological features could rise from purely physical or chemical processes alone. Therefore it is important to define criteria that serve the secure definition of a fossil or structure in question as of biological origin. Such criteria have been established for stromatolites and microfossils.This contribution discusses the 6 criteria of biogeneicity of ‘microbially induced sedimentary structures’ (MISS). Those structures are found in sandy deposits of early Archean age to the present, and rise from the interaction of benthic microbiota with physical sediment dynamics. The six criteria for their biogeneicity are: (i) MISS occur in rocks of not more than lower greenschist facies; (ii) in stratigraphic sections, MISS correlate with turning points of regression–trangressions; (iii), MISS correlate with a characteristic depositional facies that enhances the development and the preservation of microbial mats; (iv), the distribution of MISS correlates with the ancient average hydraulic pattern; (v), the geometries and dimensions of fossil MISS correspond to that of the modern ones; (vi), the MISS include at least one of 9 specific microtextures.     

A wave‐dominated,tide‐modulated model for the Lower Ordovician of the Anti‐Atlas,Morocco

Hybrid depositional systems are created by the interaction of two or more hydrodynamic processes that control facies distribution and their characteristics in terms of sedimentary structures and depositional geometry. The interaction of wave and tide both in the geological sedimentary record and modern environments has been rarely described in the literature. Mixed coastal environments are identified by the evidence of wave and tidal structures and are well identified in nearshore environments, while their recognition in lower shoreface–offshore environments lacks direct information from modern settings. Detailed field analyses of 10 stratigraphic sections of the Lower Ordovician succession (Fezouata and Zini formations; Anti‐Atlas, Morocco) have allowed the definition of 14 facies, all grouped in four facies zones belonging to a storm‐dominated, wave‐dominated sedimentary siliciclastic system characterized by symmetrical ripples of various scales. Peculiar sedimentary organization and sedimentary structures are observed: (i) cyclical changes in size of sedimentary structures under fair‐weather or storm‐weather conditions; (ii) decimetre‐deep erosional surfaces in swaley cross‐stratifications; (iii) deep internal erosion within storm deposits; (iv) discontinuous sandstone layers in most depositional environments, and common deposition of sandstones with a limited lateral extension, interpreted to indicate that deposition at all scales (metric to kilometric) is discontinuous; (v) combined flow–oscillation ripples showing aggrading–prograding internal structures alternating with purely aggrading wave ripples; and (vi) foreshore environments characterized by alternating phases of deposition of parallel stratifications, small‐scale and large‐scale ripples and tens of metres‐wide reactivation surfaces. These characteristics of deposition suggest that wave intensity during storm‐weather or fair‐weather conditions was continuously modulated by another controlling factor of the sedimentation: the tide. However, tidal structures are not recognized, because they were probably not preserved due to dominant action of storms and waves. A model of deposition is provided for this wave‐dominated, tide‐modulated sedimentary system recording proximal offshore to intertidal–foreshore environments, but lacking diagnostic tidal structures.     

Geostatistical modeling of clay spatial distribution in siliciclastic rock samples using the plurigaussian simulation method

In order to implement secondary and enhanced oil recovery processes in complex terrigenous formations as is usual in turbidite deposits, a precise knowledge of the spatial distribution of shale grains is a crucial element for the fluid flow prediction. The reason of this is that the interaction of water with shale grains can significantly modify their size and/or shape, which in turn would cause porous space sealing with the subsequent impact in the flow. In this work, a methodology for stochastic simulations of spatial grains distributions obtained from scanning electron microscopy images of siliciclastic rock samples is proposed. The aim of the methodology is to obtain stochastic models would let us investigate the shale grain behavior under various physico-chemical interactions and flux regimes, which in turn, will help us get effective petrophysical properties (porosity and permeability) at core scale. For stochastic spatial grains simulations a plurigaussian method is applied, which is based on the truncation of several standard Gaussian random functions. This approach is very flexible, since it allows to simultaneously manage the proportions of each grain category in a very general manner and to rigorously handle their spatial dependency relationships in the case of two or more grain categories. The obtained results show that the stochastically simulated porous media using the plurigaussian method adequately reproduces the proportions, basic statistics and sizes of the pore structures present in the studied reference images.