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Eustasy and Sea Level Change

Eustasy and Sea Level Change. Professor Christopher G. St. C. Kendall University of South Carolina kendall@sc.edu 803 – 777 2410. Eustasy & Sea Level Change. Recognized from examination of the framework of genetically related stratigraphic facies geometries and their bounding surfaces.

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Eustasy and Sea Level Change

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  1. Eustasy and Sea Level Change Professor Christopher G. St. C. Kendall University of South Carolina kendall@sc.edu 803 – 777 2410 “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  2. Eustasy & Sea Level Change Recognized from examination of the framework of genetically related stratigraphic facies geometries and their bounding surfaces

  3. Lecture Series Overview • Sequence stratigraphy & stratigraphic surfaces • Basics: Ideal ‘sequence’ of Vail et al 1977 & associated terminology • Clastic system response to changing sea level and rates of sedimentation - with movie • Carbonate systems response to changing sea level and rates of sedimentation - with movie • Exercises – Sequence stratigraphy of carbonates and clastics from chronostratigraphy, seismic, outcrop and well log character “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  4. Eustasy? • World wide change in elevation in sea level • Can be used to identify relative sea-level changes be they caused by • Local tectonic events • Variations in earth’s rotational axis • Absolute sea level cannot be untangled from sediment compaction, crustal flexure, and thermo-tectonic behavior “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  5. Recognition of Sequences • Louis Agassiz recognized Pleistocene Glaciations in northern Europe and N. America • Inspired Suess in 1906 to be the first to identify eustasy on the basis of changes in the strandline relative to the sea on a world wide basis, paleobathymetry and ancient strandline deposits • Sloss working in the continental interior sees major unconformities extended these ideas • Vail then developed sequence stratigraphy! “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  6. Determine Sea Level Change from record in Marine Depositional Systems • Wave-dominated coasts • Tide-dominated coasts • Fluvial-dominated coasts (deltas) • Carbonate reefs • Clastic shelves & platforms • Carbonate shelves & platforms • Deepwater fans • Pelagic abyssal plains “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  7. Sloss diagrammed sea level “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  8. Sloss diagram – Central N. America “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  9. Drafted by Waite 99, after James 1984) “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  10. Waite, among others, uses Sloss’s diagram to explain sediment geometries “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  11. Waite’s diagram – Sediment & SL Petroleum explained in terms of response of sediments to sea level “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  12. MALLORCA MOVIE

  13. Llucmajor reef complex The basic accretional units :"sigmoidal" packages of coral framestones bounded by submarine & subaerial erosion surfaces & their correlative basinward conformities • Reef core facies is skeletal grainstone /packstone/wackestone & rudstone within coral framework composed of massive coral reefs • Overlie & interfinger basinward with fore-reef slope lithofacies • Landward with lagoonal lithofacies • Character of platform determined by sea level change forming relative hierarchy of accretional units & positions of facies belts developed within them. “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  14. Llucmajor reef complex “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  15. Llucmajor reef complex “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall Kendall Photo

  16. Lecture Conclusions • Wide spread sea level events have been identified • The origin of the accommodation produced by them has been ascribed to • Eustasy • Tectonic events • Compaction • This is used to interpret the sedimentary section and help find petroleum and model its reservoirs “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

  17. Lecture Ends!! • And so to lunch “Eustasy & Sea Level Change” Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

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