Sedimentary Basins & Petroleum Geology

Controls on large-scale largesedimentation

 

Sedimentary processes are controlled, on large scales, by: Climate



determines:
  

weathering rates, precipitation & run-off (sed. transportation), runenvironments

Tectonic setting


determines:
    

relief time for sed. transport types of environments types of sedimentary basins source rock type

What is a sedimentary basin?



A low area on the Earths surface relative to surroundings



e.g. deep ocean basin (5-10 km deep), intramontane basin (2-3 km (5(2a.s.l.)

     

May be of tectonic (or erosional origin) A receptacle for sedimentation; erosion may also be important Sedimentation may be interrupted - unconformities Basins may be small (kms2) or large (106+ km2) Basins may be simple or composite (sub-basins) (subBasins may change in size & shape due to:
   

erosion sedimentation tectonic activity eustatic sea-level changes sea-

Basins may overlap each other in time

The Evolution of Sedimentary Basins



The evolution of sedimentary basins may include:

tectonic activity (initiation, termination)  magmatic activity  metamorphism


as well as sedimentation  all may be contemporaneous  Basins may develop on oceanic crust, island arc crust, or continental crust


Basins may be sedimentary basins

sedimentary fill is relatively undeformed,  basin margin facies are preserved


OR, structural (remnants of) basins

sedimentary fill is deformed  dips > original depositional slopes  basin margin facies are eroded


Components of a basin


Axial elements of sedimentary basins:

Basin axis is the lowest point on the basement surface  Topographic axis is the lowest point on the depositional surface  Depocentre is the point of thickest sediment accumulation


What type of basin do we have?

Depends on the structural setting of the basin  Many types, corresponding to different locations


Divergent plate margin basins  Convergent plate margin basins



Divergent plate margin basins

Continental Rift Zones (Narrow)  Aulacogene Basins  Continental Rift Zones  Oceanic Rift Basins  Open Ocean Passive-Margin Basins Passive

Continental Rift Zones (Narrow)



Origin
 

large scale mantle convection regional updoming regional basaltic (flood) volcanism listric normal fault system subsided/rotated half grabens may:
 

extensional failure of crust

 

widening to form central rift graben



rupturing of crust spreading ridge, oceanic basin

Continental Rift Zones (Narrow)



two associated basin types

 

central rift graben basin rim basins alluvial fan, fluvial, lake volcanism lavas basaltbasalt-rhyolite lavas & pyroclastics often peralkaline calderas, stratovolcano, shields mantle magmas melt crust

environments & facies

 

 

initial (flood) basaltic (arch phase)

    

intraintra-rift bimodal volcanism

Continental Rift Zones (Narrow)



Sediment compositions
  

mixed provenance exposed crustal rocks at rift margin contemporaneous volcanic sources East Africa rift zone Rio Grande rift; Rhine graben

Examples
 

May be subsequently deformed by compressional deformation

 

e.g. Proterozoic Mt. Isa rift DevonoDevono-Carb. Mt. Howitt province, Victoria

Aulacogene Basins


Narrow continental rifts which do not evolve into spreading ridge oceanic basins.


e.g North Sea basins, Europe; Gippsland Basin, Bass Basin.

 

Dominated by initial alluvial fan, fluvial, lake facies; up to 4 km thick. May extend through
  

crustal subsidence & extension marine transgression; no oceanic crust coastal plain rivers, coal swamp shoreline, shelf & slope environment (e.g. Gippsland, Bass basins continental, mixed plutonic, metasedimentary, metavolcanic, contemporaneous volcanic marine carbonates

Provenance
  

Continental Rift Zones



Origin
  

regionally extensive mantle convection = ? driven by subduction oceanic spreading ridge under continent e.g. ?Western U.S.A. complex lystric fault system


Extensional failure of crust

  

down to 15 km, Western U.S.A.

uprise of mantle + metamorphic core complexes - regional uplift, up to 2-3 km 2widespread volcanism in complex multiple graben rift basins alluvial fan, fluvial, lacustrine flood basalts, bimodal basalt-rhyolite-andesite: lavas & pyroclastics basalt-rhyolitetholeiitic, alkaline, calc-alkaline: lavas & pyroclastics. calcmixed crustal sources contemporaneous volcanic sources

 

Environments and facies

  

Volcanism

Provenance
 

Oceanic Rift Basins

  

Initially narrow (e.g. Red Sea) may evolve into open oceanic basins Origin
    

narrow continental rifts evolve breakbreak-up oceanic spreading ridge oceanic crust in axial basins continental crust at basin margin alluvial fans, fan deltas, shoreline narrow shelf, slope, abyssal plain MORB tholeiitic oceanic crust Lavas, hyaloclastite mixed continental contemporaneous volcanics shelf carbonate, evaporites oceanic carbonate, evaporites oceanic pelagic, hemi-pelagic hemi-

 

Environments & facies

  

Volcanism

Provenance
    

Open Ocean Passive-Margin PassiveBasins

  

Evolve from oceanic rift basins Become passive margin basins when MORs - large, wide ocean basins. Half graben system evolves into coastal plain-continental shelf & plainslope


oceanic abyssal plain system none expected after break-up breakperhaps intraplate hot spot volcanism as for oceanic rift basin + well developed shelf-slope seds ( carbonate seds.) shelf( post-breakpost-break-up thermal & later isostatic subsidence of continental margin


Volcanism
 

Sedimentation & provenance

 

Tectonics


transgression

Convergent Plate Margin Basins

Continental Margin Arc-Subduction ArcAssociated Basins



Origin
  

oceanic plate being subducted under continental margin trench, accretionary prism, continental margin volcanic arc E.g. Andes, Cascades arc calccalc-alkaline arc volcanism
  

Volcanism


andesites, dacites, rhyolites, rhyodacites, minor basalts hydrous fluids from subducting lab melt mantle above, & both then melt the base of the crust lavas + pyroclastics

Continental Margin Arc-Subduction ArcAssociated Basins

 

Basin types: environments & facies Trench basin

 

deep marine turbidites, pelagic seds. perched on "scraped off", imbricate thrust faulted, accretionary prism alluvial fan, fluvial, shoreline shelf, deep turbidite fans lies behind arc at foot of craton directed fold & thrust belt if present alluvial fan, fluvial, lakes arc volcanoes often lie in major graben alluvial fan, fluvial, lake

Forearc basin
 

Back arc-foreland basin arc  

IntraIntra-arc
 

Continental Margin Arc-Subduction ArcAssociated Basins



Sediment compositions


Trench
  

metasedimentary debris eroded off accretionary prism v. minor volcanic debris pelagic sed. voluminous volcanic debris arc & thrust belt derived mixed volc., meta-sed., metamorphic, plutonic meta-

Forearc basin


BackBack-arc basin
 

IntraIntra-arc basins: lavas, volcanic seds, pyroclastics basins:

Island Arc-Subduction Associated ArcBasins

 

E.g. Marianas, Tonga-Kermadec arcs TongaOrigin

   

oceanic plate is subducted under another oceanic plate trench, accretionary prism, volcanic island arc volcanic arc on oceanic lithosphere back arc basin(s) originate by rifting of arc block, development of small spreading ridge


widening basin; oceanic crust

arc block migrates trenchward as subducting plate "rolls back". island arc tholeiitic volcanics


Volcanism
 

basalts, basaltic andesites

back arc basin tholeiitic crust

Island Arc-Subduction Associated ArcBasins

 

Basin types, environments, facies, provenance Trench basin

  

turbidites, pelagic sediments metasedimentary sed. from accretionary prism arc derived volcanic sediment on accretionary prism volcanic seds., carbonates turbidites arc derived volcaniclastic turbidite apron pelagic sediments, especially where basin is large

ForeFore-arc basin
  

Back arc basin

 

 

no continental derived sediment only rare silicic volcanism

Continental Collision Belts & Basins

 

E.g. Himalayan mountain chain, European Alps Origin

   

long term subduction of oceanic plate under continental margin, will bring "passenger" continent into collision with arc host continent. oceanic basin closes during collision subducting continent under thrust over-riding continent overuplift, mountain range, double continental crust thickness subduction related volcanism stop at collision, when subduction stop granitoid plutonism may occur due to extremely thickened crust


Volcanism
 

magmas won't rise because of compressional stress field

Basin types, environments, facies provenance

    

foreland basin at foot of fold & thrust belt subject to isostatic subsidence huge sediment flux off mountain belt alluvial fan, braided river, meandering river, lake environments & facies metasedimentary, met. (include high grade plutonic, reflecting deep crustal erosion)

Continental Strike-Slip Basins Strike 

E.g. California borderland basins associated with San Andreas strike-slip fault system strikeOrigin
 

strikestrike-slip along non-linear faults nonopening "holes" or basins at fault jogs or bends usually none, unless "accidental" intraplate "pull"pull-apart" or strike-slip basins strikealluvial fans, rivers, lakes alluvial, lacustrine, coal, ?evaporite seds. provenance: whatever is being eroded from exposed crust

 

Volcanism


Basin types, environments, facies, provenance

   

Stable Continental Interior Basins

E.g. Lake Eyre Basin  Intracratonic (= within stable continental crustal mass)  Long term stability  Flat topography  River, desert, lake environments & facies  Mature basement derived sed. evaporites