eustasy and sea level change

“Eustasy & Sea Level Change”Christopher G. St. C. Kendall

Eustasy and Sea Level ChangeEustasy and Sea Level Change

Professor Christopher G. St. C. KendallProfessor Christopher G. St. C. KendallUniversity of South CarolinaUniversity of South Carolina

[email protected] [email protected] 803 – 777 2410803 – 777 2410

Eustasy & Sea Level ChangeEustasy & Sea Level Change

Recognized from examination Recognized from examination of the framework of of the framework of genetically related genetically related stratigraphic facies stratigraphic facies geometries and their geometries and their bounding surfacesbounding surfaces


Lecture Series OverviewLecture Series OverviewLecture Series OverviewLecture Series Overview Sequence stratigraphy & stratigraphic Sequence stratigraphy & stratigraphic

surfacessurfaces Basics: Ideal ‘sequence’ of Vail et al 1977 & Basics: Ideal ‘sequence’ of Vail et al 1977 &

associated terminologyassociated terminology Clastic system response to changing sea Clastic system response to changing sea

level and rates of sedimentation - with movie level and rates of sedimentation - with movie Carbonate systems response to changing Carbonate systems response to changing

sea level and rates of sedimentation - with sea level and rates of sedimentation - with movie movie

Exercises – Sequence stratigraphy of Exercises – Sequence stratigraphy of carbonates and clastics from carbonates and clastics from chronostratigraphy, seismic, outcrop and chronostratigraphy, seismic, outcrop and well log characterwell log character


Eustasy?Eustasy?Eustasy?Eustasy? World wide change in elevation in sea World wide change in elevation in sea

levellevel Can be used to identify relative sea-Can be used to identify relative sea-

level changes be they caused bylevel changes be they caused byLocal tectonic eventsLocal tectonic eventsVariations in earth’s rotational axisVariations in earth’s rotational axis

Absolute sea level cannot be untangled Absolute sea level cannot be untangled from sediment compaction, crustal from sediment compaction, crustal flexure, and thermo-tectonic behaviorflexure, and thermo-tectonic behavior


Recognition of SequencesRecognition of SequencesRecognition of SequencesRecognition of Sequences Louis Louis Agassiz Agassiz recognized Pleistocene recognized Pleistocene

Glaciations in northern Europe and N. AmericaGlaciations in northern Europe and N. America Inspired Suess in 1906 to be the first to Inspired Suess in 1906 to be the first to

identify eustasy on the basis of changes in the identify eustasy on the basis of changes in the strandline relative to the sea on a world wide strandline relative to the sea on a world wide basis, paleobathymetry and ancient strandline basis, paleobathymetry and ancient strandline depositsdeposits

Sloss working in the continental interior sees Sloss working in the continental interior sees major unconformities extended these ideasmajor unconformities extended these ideas

Vail then developed sequence stratigraphy! Vail then developed sequence stratigraphy!


Determine Sea Level Change Determine Sea Level Change from record in Marine from record in Marine Depositional SystemsDepositional Systems

Determine Sea Level Change Determine Sea Level Change from record in Marine from record in Marine Depositional SystemsDepositional Systems Wave-dominated coastsWave-dominated coasts Tide-dominated coastsTide-dominated coasts Fluvial-dominated coasts (deltas)Fluvial-dominated coasts (deltas) Carbonate reefsCarbonate reefs Clastic shelves & platformsClastic shelves & platforms Carbonate shelves & platformsCarbonate shelves & platforms Deepwater fansDeepwater fans Pelagic abyssal plainsPelagic abyssal plains


Sloss diagrammed sea Sloss diagrammed sea level level Sloss diagrammed sea Sloss diagrammed sea level level


Sloss diagram – Central N. Sloss diagram – Central N. AmericaAmericaSloss diagram – Central N. Sloss diagram – Central N. AmericaAmerica


Drafted by Waite 99, after James 1984)


Waite, among others, uses Sloss’s Waite, among others, uses Sloss’s diagram to explain sediment diagram to explain sediment

geometriesgeometries

Waite, among others, uses Sloss’s Waite, among others, uses Sloss’s diagram to explain sediment diagram to explain sediment

geometriesgeometries


Waite’s diagram – Waite’s diagram – Sediment & SLSediment & SLWaite’s diagram – Waite’s diagram – Sediment & SLSediment & SL

Petroleum explained in terms Petroleum explained in terms of response of sediments to of response of sediments to

sea levelsea level

Petroleum explained in terms Petroleum explained in terms of response of sediments to of response of sediments to

sea levelsea level

MALLORCA MALLORCA MOVIEMOVIEMALLORCA MALLORCA MOVIEMOVIE


Llucmajor reef complexLlucmajor reef complexLlucmajor reef complexLlucmajor reef complex

Reef core facies is skeletal grainstone Reef core facies is skeletal grainstone

/packstone/wackestone & rudstone within coral /packstone/wackestone & rudstone within coral framework composed of massive coral reefsframework composed of massive coral reefs

Overlie & interfinger basinward with fore-reef slope Overlie & interfinger basinward with fore-reef slope lithofacieslithofacies

Landward with lagoonal lithofacies Landward with lagoonal lithofacies Character of platform determined by sea level change Character of platform determined by sea level change

forming relative hierarchy of accretional units & forming relative hierarchy of accretional units & positions of facies belts developed within them.positions of facies belts developed within them.

The basic accretional units :"sigmoidal" The basic accretional units :"sigmoidal" packages of coral framestones bounded by packages of coral framestones bounded by submarine & subaerial erosion surfaces & submarine & subaerial erosion surfaces & their correlative basinward conformitiestheir correlative basinward conformities


Llucmajor reef Llucmajor reef complexcomplexLlucmajor reef Llucmajor reef complexcomplex


Llucmajor reef Llucmajor reef complexcomplexLlucmajor reef Llucmajor reef complexcomplex

Kendall Photo


Lecture ConclusionsLecture ConclusionsLecture ConclusionsLecture Conclusions Wide spread sea level events have been Wide spread sea level events have been

identifiedidentified The origin of the accommodation The origin of the accommodation

produced by them has been ascribed to produced by them has been ascribed to EustasyEustasyTectonic eventsTectonic eventsCompactionCompaction

This is used to interpret the sedimentary This is used to interpret the sedimentary section and help find petroleum and model section and help find petroleum and model its reservoirsits reservoirs


Lecture Ends!!Lecture Ends!!Lecture Ends!!Lecture Ends!!

And so to lunchAnd so to lunch

eustasy and sea level change

Documents