Death of a carbonate basin: The Niagara-Salina transition in the Michigan basin

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

OSTI ID:7260006

Leibold, A W; Howell, P D ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor (United States)

The A-O Carbonate in the Michigan basin comprises a sequence of laminated calcite/anhydrite layers intercalated with bedded halite at the transition between normal marine Niagaran carbonates and lower Salina Group evaporites. The carbonate/anhydrite interbeds represent freshing events during initial evaporative concentration of the Michigan basin. Recent drilling in the Michigan basin delineates two distinct regions of A-O Carbonate development: a 5 to 10 m thick sequence of six 'laminites' found throughout most of the western and northern basin and a 10 to 25 m thick sequence in the southeastern basin containing both thicker 'laminates' and thicker salt interbeds. Additionally, potash deposits of the overlying A-1 evaporite unit are restricted to the northern and western basin regions. The distribution of evaporite facies in these two regions is adequately explained by a source of basin recharge in the southeast-perhaps the 'Clinton Inlet' of earlier workers. This situation suggest either that: (1) the source of basin recharge is alternately supplying preconcentrated brine and more normal marine water, or (2) that the basin received at least two distinct sources of water during A-O deposition.

• OSTI ID: 7260006
• 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
MICHIGAN
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
STRATIGRAPHY
ANHYDRITE
BRINES
CALCITE
CARBONATE ROCKS
DEPOSITION
EVAPORITES
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
HALITE
CARBONATE MINERALS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
HALIDE MINERALS
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SULFATE MINERALS
USA
580000* - Geosciences