Summary and interpretive synthesis
This chapter summarizes the major advances made through our integrated geological studies of the Lisburne Group in northern Alaska. The depositional history of the Lisburne Group is discussed in a framework of depositional sequence stratigraphy. Although individual parasequences (small-scale carbonate cycles) of the Wahoo Limestone cannot be correlated with certainty, parasequence sets can be interpreted as different systems tracts within the large-scale depositional sequences, providing insights on the paleoenvironments, paleogeography and platform geometry. Conodont biostratigraphy precisely established the position of the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian boundary within an important reference section, where established foraminiferal biostratigraphy is inconsistent with respect to conodont-based time-rock boundaries. However, existing Carboniferous conodont zonations are not readily applicable because most zonal indicators are absent, so a local zonation scheme was developed. Diagenetic studies of the Lisburne Group recognized nineteen subaerial exposure surfaces and developed a cement stratigraphy that includes: early cements associated with subaerial exposure surfaces in the Lisburne Group; cements associated with the sub-Permian unconformity; and later burial cements. Subaerial exposure surfaces in the Alapah Limestone are easily explained, being associated with peritidal environments at the boundaries of Sequence A. The Lisburne exposed in ANWR is generally tightly cemented and supermature, but could still be a good reservoir target in the adjacent subsurface of ANWR given the appropriate diagenetic, deformational and thermal history. Our ongoing research on the Lisburne Group will hopefully provide additional insights in future publications.
- Research Organization:
- Alaska Univ., Fairbanks, AK (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 95606
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BC/14471-19; ON: DE95000123; TRN: 95:005150-0011
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: May 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Results and synthesis of integrated geologic studies of the carboniferous Lisburne Group of Northeastern Alaska. Final report; Watts, K.F.; PB: 433 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Analysis of reservoir heterogeneities due to shallowing-upward cycles in carbonate rocks of the Pennsylvanian Wahoo Limestone of Northeastern Alaska. Annual report, October 1990--September 1991
Conodont biostratigraphy and biofacies of the Lisburne Group