Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

The origin of high-frequency platform carbonate cycles and third-order sequences (Lower Ordovician El Paso GP, west Texas): Constraints from outcrop data and stratigraphic modeling

Journal Article · · Journal of Sedimentary Petrology; (United States)
OSTI ID:6431401
; ;  [1]
  1. Exxon Production Research Co., Houston, TX (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
The passive-margin succession of the Diablo Platform is represented by the second-order Sauk C supersequence set, consisting of a basal transgressive clastic unit (The Bliss Sandstone) above the breakup unconformity, marking the second-order basal lowstand transgressive phase, overlain by 750 m of drift-related, shallow-marine platform carbonate (the El Paso Group) recording the second-order highstand. Due to late Paleozoic structuring of the Gondwanan passive margin, present exposures in Texas are in an updip shelf position and lack internal stratal geometries across depositional strike, so sequences and systems tracts are identified solely by the vertical stacking patterns of depositional subfacies and higher-frequency, fifth-order cycles. By analysis of outcrop data the authors develop a sequence-stratigraphic model for lower Paleozoic passive-margin, shallow-water, platform carbonates that de-emphasizes the physical expression of sequence boundaries and systems-tract boundaries and focuses on the vertical and lateral, meter-scale cyclic and subfacies architecture of carbonate shelf deposits in the framework of third-order depositional sequences. They rely on analyses of stratal stacking patterns to bridge the gap from cycle-scale stratigraphy to seismic-scale sequence stratigraphy. In many settings, like the Permian of west Texas, sequence boundaries are often obvious, but in others, especially shallow-dipping ramps or flat-topped platforms on passive margins, third-order sequence boundaries are less obvious, particularly in deformed terranes lacking two-dimensional dip continuity.
OSTI ID:
6431401
Journal Information:
Journal of Sedimentary Petrology; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology; (United States) Vol. 63:3; ISSN 0022-4472; ISSN JSEPAK
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Third-order sequences and parasequence stacking patterns of Lower Ordovician platform carbonates of the El Paso Group, Franklin Mountains, west Texas
Conference · Thu Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) · OSTI ID:5677381
High-resolution sequence stratigraphy of Lower-Middle Guadalupian outcrops, western Guadalupe Mountains, Texas and New Mexico
Conference · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) · OSTI ID:6744890
Application of sequence stratigraphy to carbonate reservoir prediction, Early Palaeozoic eastern Warburton basin, South Australia
Conference · Mon Dec 30 23:00:00 EST 1996 · OSTI ID:425891

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200 -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
CARBONATE ROCKS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DEPOSITION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
ORDOVICIAN PERIOD
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SIMULATION
STRATIGRAPHY
SURVEYS
TEXAS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
USA