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Permian and Triassic sedimentation in the northeastern Brooks Range, Alaska: Deposition of the Sadlerochit Group

Journal Article · · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)
OSTI ID:5922680
 [1]
  1. Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks (USA)

Terrigenous clastic rocks of the Sadlerochit Group in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are separated from underlying carbonates of the Lisburne Group by a regional unconformity marking the Pennsylvanian-Permian systemic boundary. Lithologic and diagenetic patterns of rocks above and below the sub-Sadlerochit unconformity vary systematically with substantial paleotopography along the erosional surface. Within the Sadlerochit Group, nonmarine conglomerate of the basal Echooka Formation rills erosional channels and valleys and grades upsection into a retrogradational succession of tempestites deposited during episodic storm-surge in shallow-marine environments. The overlying Ivishak Formation records an abrupt reversal of environmental migration pattern and the beginning of southerly progradation of a broad suite of deltaic environments. Depositional units in the Ivishak are strongly progradational and cyclic at a variety of scales, reflecting alternating episodes of progradation and transgression inherent in delta construction. The basal Kavik Member of the Ivishak Formation is an upward-coarsening depositional assemblage recording initial migration of prodelta environments and evolution of an extensive subaqueous delta platform. The overlying Ledge Sandstone Member is organized into three depositional assemblages recording the evolution of delta-fringe, distributary-channel, and crevasse-splay environments of the lower delta plain. The Fire Creek Siltstone Member is an aggradational and transgressive assemblage deposited in shallow-marine environments that reworked sediment originally deposited on the lower delta plain. The most favorable reservoir strata are developed immediately above and below the sub-Sadlerochit unconformity and in distributary-mouth bar and distributary-channel deposits of the Ledge Sandstone Member.

OSTI ID:
5922680
Journal Information:
AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Vol. 74:9; ISSN AABUD; ISSN 0149-1423
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English