Perspective on the sequence stratigraphy of continental strata

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:6901548

Shanley, K W ^[1]; McCabe, P J ^[2]

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1. Shell Development Company, Houston, TX (United States)
2. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)

This report is the result of a working group on continental sequence stratigraphy that was set up at the 1991 NUNA conference in Banff, Canada. To data, sequence stratigraphic concepts have been applied mainly to the marine realm, but unconformity-bounded units have long been recognized in nonmarine strata. Successful application of sequence stratigraphic concepts to continental strata requires careful consideration of controls on base level and sediment supply. As with shallow marine environments, relative sea level can be considered as the stratigraphic as well as the geomorphic base level for coastal nonmarine settings. Farther inland, stratigraphic base level, which determines accomodation space, is more complex and takes various forms, such as the graded profile for fluvial strata, groundwater tables for some eolian strata, and lake level for some intermontane sediments. Sediment supply is also generally a more complex variable for nonmarine environments than in the marine realm because of the proximity to the source area. The influence of climate and tectonism on sediment supply can clearly be seen in many continental sediments. Although in its infancy, sequence stratigraphy concepts have been applied to a wide variety of continental settings in attempts to explain variations in facies architecture. Future advances in this field promise tools for more precise correlation of nonmarine strata and better prediction of the location and geometry of facies from a limited knowledge of the stratigraphic relationships within a basin. This would be useful in the exploration for fluvial and eolian sandstone reservoirs and coalbeds. 135 refs., 13 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6901548
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 78:4; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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