Accretion and origin of organic horizons in Mississippi delta
Barataria basin is a large-scale interdistributary basin of the Mississippi delta, measuring about 150 km from its apex to the Gulf of Mexico. The basin developed about 2500 years ago as a result of the interplay of different deltaic distributary systems. The data base consists of about one hundred 7.5-cm-diameter, 3 to 10-m-deep vibracores, and about fifty 15-cm-diameter, 50-cm-deep hand-held cores. Lithology, moisture/ash data, x-ray radiographs, pollen counts, and carbon isotope information are some of the parameters used to aid in the interpretation of the sedimentary and ecological origin of the different organic horizons. Organic facies are (incipient) organic-poor marsh (5-35% organic matter by dry weight), organic-rich marsh (35-75% organic matter), and true peat (75% organic matter). Organic facies occur as more or less distinct horizons; contacts between organic and detrital clastic strata are generally sharp. Each horizon of a certain quality range is thought to be the result of somewhat similar original conditions, such as botanical parent material, salinity regime, detrital clastic influx, and subsidence rates.
- Research Organization:
- Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge
- OSTI ID:
- 5166844
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-860624-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 70:5; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists annual meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA, 15 Jun 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Fine-grained sediments of an interdistributary basins, Mississippi Delta
Peat deposits in the Mississippi River deltaic plain