Predicting the distribution of Upper Cretaceous aquifers using sea-level analysis and regional paleogeography, Alabama coastal plain

Conference · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5675601

King, Jr, D T; Skotnicki, M C ^[1]

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1. Auburn Univ., AL (United States)

In the inner coastal plain of Alabama, Upper Cretaceous (i.e., Santonian-Maastrichtian) stratigraphic units containing key aquifers dip south at 7m/km; the aquifers consist mainly of porous and permeable barrier-island facies (including upper-shoreface and tidal-pass sands), barrier-related sand facies (including tidal deltas and lagoonal and marine tempestite beds), and shallow-marine sand facies (including offshore bars and conglomerate sandy turbidite tongues). Confining aquitard and aquiclude facies include lagoonal silty clays, shallow-marine glauconitic clays, clayey marls, and marine chalky marls. The gross geometry, thickness, and lateral and vertical distribution of aquifer sands in both the shallow-subsurface and outcrop (i.e., recharge) area is predictable based on regional paleogeographic reconstructions and the regional Late Cretaceous relative sea-level curve. At a local scale, facies maps and shallow-subsurface correlations provide essential data for aquifer exploration and recharge-area protection. For example, in the Eutaw Formation, barrier-island and barrier-related facies developed along a curved east-west striking shoreline; aquifers include shoreline facies, tempestite beds, and turbidite sands. In the younger, northwest-striking Blufftown-Cusseta and Ripley-Providence systems, aquifers are barrier-island and barrier-related (especially tidal-delta) facies.

• OSTI ID: 5675601
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403-; CODEN: AABUD
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 75:3; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), Dallas, TX (United States), 7-10 Apr 1991; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALABAMA
AQUIFERS
MAPPING
STRATIGRAPHY
GROUND WATER
EXPLORATION
WATER POLLUTION ABATEMENT
COASTAL REGIONS
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGY
HYDROLOGY
LITHOLOGY
SANDSTONES
SEA LEVEL
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
US GULF COAST
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISTRIBUTION
GEOLOGIC AGES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LEVELS
MESOZOIC ERA
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
USA
VARIATIONS
WATER
580000* - Geosciences
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)