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

Conference · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 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--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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