Sequence stratigraphy and depositional systems of the Lower Silurian Medina Group, northern Appalachian basin

Conference · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:5695991

Castle, J W ^[1]

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1. Cabot Oil and Gas Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

Detailed sedimentological analysis of 3500 ft of continuous core from 44 wells in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ontario, New York, and West Virginia, combined with regional study of geophysical logs, results in new interpretations of sequence stratigraphy and depositional systems in Lower Silurian siliciclastic rocks of the northern Appalachian basin. Above a type-1 sequence boundary at the base of the Medina Group are a lowstand systems tract and a transgressive systems tract that are represented, respectively, by the Whirlpool Sandstone and by the overlying Cabot Head Shale. The thickest sandstones in the Medina Group occur in the Grimsby Sandstone, which is interpreted as a highstand systems tract with basinward-prograding parasequences. Sea level rise after Grimsby parasequence deposition is represented by marine-shelf shale in the uppermost part of the Medina Group. Based on facies successions in the cores, four mappable depositional systems are interpreted for the Grimsby Sandstone and correlative sandstone units; (1) wave-dominated middle shelf, (2) wave- and tide-influenced inner shelf, (3) tide dominated shoreline, and (4) fluvial. The wave-dominated middle-shelf system, which includes very fine-grained shelf-ridge sandstones encased in marine shale, is the most basinward system, occurring from Ontario through parts of eastern Ohio. Shoreward, across the northern Appalachian basin, the influence of tidal processes relative to wave processes generally increased, which may have been related to distance across the shelf, water depth, and shoreline configuration. The shoreline may have been deltaic in some areas and straight in other areas.

• OSTI ID: 5695991
• Report Number(s): CONF-9109238--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Journal Volume: 75:8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
APPALACHIAN BASIN
CANADA
DEPOSITION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DRILL CORES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
OHIO
ONTARIO
PALEOZOIC ERA
PENNSYLVANIA
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SILURIAN PERIOD
STRATIGRAPHY
USA
WEST VIRGINIA