Eustatic control on an aggradational parasequence set, Cretaceous Emergy Sandstone, Utah

Conference · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:6857582

Chan, M A ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City (USA)

The Cretaceous Emery Sandstone exemplifies wave-dominated sedimentation in the Western Interior seaway, within exposures in Castle Valley, Utah. Ten partially developed, cyclic shoreface sequences are distinguished and can be recognized as benches in a stratigraphic section about 200-m thick. The individual vertical sequences (about 20-m thick) contain laminated to burrowed shale, hummocky cross-stratified to rippled sandstone, and amalgamated hummocky cross-stratified sandstone facies. These facies respectively represent offshore, lower shoreface, and middle shoreface deposits. The lack of developed upper shoreface deposits indicates that this portion of the basin remained below fairweather wave-base conditions. The ten cyclic shoreface sequences are interpreted to represent parasequences that formed an aggradational parasequence set of a shelf margin systems tract. The ratio of the rate of deposition to the rate of accommodation was close to unity. Although other Upper Cretaceous formations along the western edge of the Interior seaway commonly display coastal plain and deltaic features, this Emery example demonstrates the seaward expression of aggradational shallow-marine sandstones during a sea level highstand.

• OSTI ID: 6857582
• Report Number(s): CONF-900605--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Journal Volume: 74:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEPOSITION
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
STRATIGRAPHY
USA
UTAH