3.

Depositional environments
Graduate programm – Introduction to Sedimentology
Classification: Internal 2013-11-15
 Sedimentology: Weathering Erosjon
Deposition
Mountain/rocks are Sediments are Sediments are Layer after layer is
broken down transported by air, dumped in a low lying deposited
Weathering water and ice area (ocean/sea) due to the weight,
Erosion Deposition the ocean floor sinks
Small pieces of rock
and more space is
collectively called: Low lying area in ocean &
Sediments made
sea where sediments end
up is called a Stratigraphy
Basin

Due to the pressure,

the sediments
become
compressed and
hard
A rock is born

Classifi 2-
cation:
 Petroleum geology: Essentials

1) Porosity Storage

Cap Rock and

Petroleum system

Trap Reservoir Rock

2) Permeability Producability

150°C
Mature Source Migration
65°C Rock

TIMING ~100 Myr

Oil
Window

Classifi 3-
cation:
 Tectonic: Types of Faults
Normal Fault Thrust/Reverse fault

Strike-slip Fault

Classifi 4-
cation:
Depositional environments

Classifi 5-
cation:
Classifi 6-
cation:
Depositional environments glacial

• Continental
• Glacial
lakes
aeolian

• Fluvial
• Deserts
• Shallow and marginal marine
• Deltaic
• Linear shorelines (Barrier, non-Barrier)
• Estuaries
• Deep marine
• Offshore (continental slope)
• Deep marine (basin floor) Examples:
Peon, Norway

9 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

•Sequence stratigraphy

10 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Fluvial depositional environment – facies associations

• Channel fill
• Floodplain
• Levee
• Crevasse splay
channel

Flooded
floodplain

floodplain

levee
channel

Crevasse splay
levee

18 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Fluvial planforms
Meandering, braided and anastomosing river planform

Meandering Braided

Note!
Channel belt versus individual streams and bars

Anastomosing

19 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Channel fill of meandering rivers

Lateral accretion

23 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Donselaar
Channel fill of anastomosing rivers

Makaske, 2001

• Isolated channel fills

• Aggarading vertically
• Gravel to silt
• Planar tabular cross beds
• Downstream dune migration
• Small LA sequences

Emery and Myers 1995

24 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Makaske, 2001 Makaske, 2001
Crevasse splay
Breaker point Levee

River
Crevasse channel
channel

Crevasse splay

Floodplain

Huesca, Spain, A. Kulikova, 2013

• Breach of natural levee

• Rapid deposition on floodplain
• Sheet-like sandstone/siltstone bodies
• Mudstone interbeds

26 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

River avulsion

• Regional – new channel is established

Note!
• Local – meander cut-off – ox-bow lake Channel belt versus individual streams and bars

Regional avulsion Local avulsion

Taquari DFS, Pantanal Basin, Brazil

(image FSRG, Buehler et al., 2011)
28 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15
Sandstone body types

Channel fill:
• Ribbon-like
• Isolated lenses bars
• Sheet-like

Floodplain:
• Ribbon-like
• Thin sheet-like

Amalgamated sandstone bodies

• Combinatin of above

Hirst, 1991

30 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Sandstone body types

Sinuous, meandering stream Highly mobile braided stream

Model 4

• Point bars - perpendicular to • Longitudinal bars - parallel to flow

flow direction direction
• Lateral restricted sandstone • Multistory/multilateral sheet-like
• Poor vertical connectivity sandstones
• Good vertical and lateral
connectivity

31 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Depositional environments glacial

• Continental lakes
aeolian

• Glacial
• Fluvial
• Deserts
• Shallow and marginal marine
• Deltaic
• Linear shorelines (Barrier, non-Barrier)
• Estuaries
• Deep marine
• Offshore (continental slope)
Examples:
• Deep marine (basin floor)
Lomvi, Norway, Rotligent,, UK

36 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

 Desert depositional environment

• Aeolian blown sands

• Ephemeral lakes/rivers
• Alluvial fans

Nichols, 1999

37 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

 Alluvial fans: types

• Gravity flow
• Sheetflood
• Channelised
• Corase-grained deposits
Debri flow
• Horiz. & cross bedding

Nichols, 1999

Channelised

Nichols, 1999

38 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

 Dune and interdune facies association
High water table – no aeolian reworking in wet interdune areas

dune
interdune Metz et al.,
JSR, 2009

dune
interdune

42 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Depositional environments

• Continental
• Glacial
Examples:
• Fluvial
Brent, Cook, Upper Tilje (?), Norway
• Deserts
• Shallow and marginal marine
• Deltaic
• Linear shorelines (Barrier, non-Barrier)
• Estuaries
• Deep marine barrier

• Offshore (continental slope)

• Deep marine (basin floor)

45 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Delta Classification Mississippi

Galloway, 1975

46 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Fluvial-dominated delta subenvironments
• Low wave and tide energy Delta plain:
• Various channel fills
• Deacrese of velosity at the sea front • Crevasse splays
• Mouth bar – distributive pattern • Floodplain facies (peat)
• Decrease grains side with depth

Stets & Schafer, 2009

bay

Mississippi
Distributary channel:
• Similar to fluvial channel
Prodelta: • Subaqueous levees
• Suspended fine-grained sediments
• Plums into deeper water
Mouth bars:
Interdistributary bay:
• Proximal sandy bars
• Low energy
• Not continuous
• Similar to floodplain
• Tabular horizontal and cross-bedding
• Bay fill by crevasse splays

47 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Delta lobe switching
• Each distributary fills the space and migrates to another location

Nichols, 1999

48 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Wave-dominated delta subenvironments
• High wave energy Distributary channel:
Delta plain:
• Various channel fills • Similar to fluvial channel
• No subaqueous levees
• Difference: • Crevasse splays
• Do not prograde into the sea
• Floodplain facies
• Channel do not prograde
• Sandy coastal bars
• Well-sorted sand

MSN Map

Mouth bars:
• Proximal sandy bars
• Wave/tides reworking
• Tabular horizontal and
cross-bedding

Coastal sandy bars:

• Sandy beaches
• Continuous
• Sand of mouth bars
http://www.seddepseq.co.uk/DEPOSITIONAL_ENV/Deltas/deltas.htm
reworked by oblique waves

Prodelta:
• Suspended fine-grained sediments
Paraibo delta, Brazil • Plums into deeper water

49 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Tide-dominated delta subenvironments
• High tidal range Upper delta plain (non tidal):
• Various channel fills
• Crevasse splays
• Difference: • Floodplain facies
Lower delta plain (tidal):
• Tidal flats
• Periodically flooding with tides
• Mangroove

• Channel affected by tides

• Tidal sandy bars
• Tidal indicators
Tidal channels:
• Affected tides
• Stagnation periods

Tidal sand bars:

Ganges Delta, Bangladesh / India
Prodelta:
• Suspended fine-grained sediments
• Plums into deeper water
• Tide modifies mouth bars
• Elongate bars
• Bidirectional cross-bedding
• Mud drapes

50 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Delta progradation
• All types of deltas are progradational in nature River-dominated

• Produce shallowing vertical facies succession

B
Delta
plain

Distributary
Channel

Mouth
bar

A well A well log

delta plain B
Delta
front

delta
front
Prodelta

prodelta
Nichols, 1999

51 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Depositional environments

• Continental
Examples:
• Glacial
• Fluvial
Rannoch/Etive/Tarbert (Brent Gr), Upper Ile, Norway

• Deserts
• Shallow and marginal marine
• Deltaic
• Linear shorelines (Barrier, non-Barrier)
• Estuaries
• Deep marine
barrier

• Offshore (continental slope)

• Deep marine (basin floor)

53 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Wave-dominated linear shoreline (non-barrier)
• Beach (foreshore, backshore, dunes) – low angle/horizontal bedding
• Shorface (above Fairweather wave base) – dunes, cross bedding
• Offshore transition (above Storm wave base) – hummocky cross stratfication

54 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Wave-dominated linear shoreline with barrier islands
• Tidal flat, marsh - small tidal range
• Lagoon – shallow, suspended material from the sea and coastal plain, evaporites
• Washovers – thin layers of sand in lagoon
• Beach (foreshore, backshore) – gravel, sand transported by longshore currents
• Tidal inlet – mesotidal coasts
• Flood and ebb deltas – made up of barrier sediment, dune cross-bedding, onshore direction
• Shorface (above Fairweather wave base)
• Offshore transition (above Storm wave base)

• Abundant sediment supply

• Longshore current
• Small tidal range

lagoon

55 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Wave dominated shoreline system with barrier islands

Waddel Sea, Germany

MSN Map
Depositional environments
• Continental
• Glacial
• Fluvial Examples:
• Deserts Lower Tilje, Tarbert, Nordmela, Norway
• Lacustrine
• Shallow and marginal marine
• Deltaic
• Linear shorelines (Barrier, non-Barrier)
• Estuaries
barrier

• Deep marine
• Offshore (continental slope)
• Deep marine (basin floor)

57 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Estuary types

Western Germany, Google Earth

tide
Wave-dominated estuary
Tidal flat
Barrier bar Seocheon Tidal Flat, Korea, http://www.ramsar.org/

Saltwater
Bay-head delta marsh

Bride Brook salt marsh, Wikipedia

61 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Tide-dominated estuary
• Tidal channel – meandering, suspension, Heterolithic point bar (HIS)
• Tidal flat – mud flats, salt marshes cut by tidal creeks, periodically flooded
• Tidal sand bars – sand, gravel, bioclasts
• Dune migration, cross-bedding, 2 direct.
• Mud drapes

• Two path ways for edd and flood tides

Heap et al. 2001

62 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Tide-dominated estuary
Tidal bars and channels
Tidal mudflat
Watson’s Creek (http://www.marsh-friends.org/)

http://www.niwa.co.nz/coasts-and-oceans/nz-coast/learn-about-coastal-environments/beach-types/
13-beach-types/reflective-tidal-mud-flats

Tidal creek http://geologicalintroduction.baffl.co.uk

Tidal Creeks at the southern end of Great Bay
(photo by Ben Kimball, http://www.nhdfl.org/)

63 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Bay fill succession
• Floodplain/marshes
Marsh • Channel fill
• Bay-head delta
• Subbay
• Wave reworked deposits
Bayhead delta
Floodplain/marshes

Channel fill

Bay-head delta

Subbay

Wave-reworked
deposits

Classifi
66
cation:
 Wave influenced bayfill, 30/9-4

Classifi
68
cation:
Depositional environments glacial

• Continental
• Glacial
lakes
aeolian

• Fluvial
• Deserts
• Lacustrine
• Shallow and marginal marine
• Deltaic Exmaples:
• Linear shorelines Peregrino, Brazil,
• Estuaries Tanzania, Angola,
• Deep marine King Lear, Åsta Hansteen, Norway
• Offshore (continental slope)
Debri flows
• Deep marine (basin floor) Turbidity currents

69 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Slope elements and sediment source
Canyons on the shelf slope may be
Slump on the shelf slope
connected to river source

http://geologycafe.com/landslides/big/25.html
Wikipedia

70 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15 Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institution (MBARI)

 Basin floor

• Submarine fan
• Sediment from canyons
• Spreads out on the lower gradient plain
• Lobes forming fan

71 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

 Basin floor
• Hemipelagic deposition
• fine-grained sediment slowly accumulated on
a basin floor
• Pelagic deposition
• microscopic, calcareous or siliceous shells
of phytoplankton or zooplankton
• Mixture of those

http://research.ncl.ac.uk/caprocks/gallery.htm

72 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

http://nhm2.uio.no/norges/litho/balder.php
Deep-marine submarine fan facies association
• Canyon – bypass
• Proximal fan
• Channel fairways – Tab – HDT plus debrites
• Levees – Tce,Tde - LDT
• Lobes – Tae,Tbe - LDT
• Distal fan
• Frontal splays – Tcde,Tde – LDT
• Hemipelagic/pelagic deposits

http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/fichter/SedRx/subfan.html

http://www.geocaching.com

73 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Deep-marine submarine fan facies association

Ainsa, A.Rittersbacher, Troll field course manual

Nichols, 1999

Ainsa, A.Kulikova

74 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Ainsa, A.Rittersbacher, Troll field course manual
Deep-marine submarine fan facies association

Inner fan.
Channel filled with thick conglomerate and
sandstone turbidites, HDT+debrites

Inner fan.
Thin-bedded levee deposits, LDT

Mid-fan.
Channel on lobe filled with HDT or LDT + debrites

Mid-fan.
Coarsening-up succession of sandy turbidites

Distal fan.
Thinly bedded fine-grained turbidites
Nichols, 1999

75 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

 Sand injectites
• Seals and dykes of re-mobilised unconsolidated sands that were forced upward through
overlying impermeable layers.
• Associated with deep-water clastic systems – Parent sand body
• Intrusive traps (could follow faults or bedding)
• Enhance reservoir connectivity especially vertically - Seal risk / migration paths

http://nhm2.uio.no/norges/litho/rogaland.php

Thin-bedded turbidites and sandstone dikes, El Chingue Bluff,

southern Chile (© 2010 clasticdetritus.com)
77 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15
Sand injectites
• Could be large - detectable on seismic – strange geometries
• Not necessarily connected to parent body
• Sand injectites are widespread in Paleocene to Pleistocene sediments in the North Sea.
• The sand injectite play is proven by several oil fields; e.g., Grane, Balder, Alba, Volund and
Mariner/Bressay.

78 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Depositional environments glacial

• Continental lakes
aeolian

• Glacial
• Fluvial
• Deserts
• Shallow and marginal marine
• Deltaic
• Linear shorelines (Barrier, non-Barrier)
• Estuaries
• Deep marine
• Offshore (continental slope)
• Deep marine (basin floor)

79 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15

Presentation title

Presenters name
Presenters title
E-mail address ……@statoil.com
Tel: +4700000000

www.statoil.com

84 Classification: Internal 2013-11-15