Sequence Stratigraphy (GG17)

DATE		LOCATION		FEES			REGISTRATION
2011		tba			Course Fee: tba

Instructor Tony Loy

• Develop knowledge in principles fundamental to sequence stratigraphic analysis


• Participate in the interpretation of seismic stratigraphy and use it for basin fill modelling


• Gather information from outcrops/cores to construct sequence stratigraphic models


• Construct and interpret chronostratigraphic charts


• Apply sequence stratigraphy to depositional environment interpretation

• Principles of sequence stratigraphy


• Relative sea-level, tectonics and eustasy - definitions of sea-level, accommodation, orders of cyclicity and global correlation


• Sediment supply - principles of clastic sediment supply, filling of accommodation, basin architecture


• Sequences and systems tracts - systems tract definition, falling stage, lowstand, transgressive, highstand systems tracts, controls on systems tract boundaries, regressive systems tract, low and high accommodation systems tracts, composite sequences and systems tracts


• High resolution sequence stratigraphy and parasequences – parasequence sets, sequence boundaries, maximum flooding surfaces, ravinement surfaces, problems and pitfalls of high resolution sequence stratigraphy


• Seismic stratigraphic interpretation - principles, resolution of seismic data, seismic processing and display for stratigraphic interpretation


• Seismic reflection termination patterns - categorising reflection termination, seismic facies and attribute analysis, recognition of stratigraphic surfaces


• Recognition of systems tracts on seismic data - lowstand, transgressive, highstand systems tracts


• Pitfalls in interpretation


• Resolution of well data


• Sequence stratigraphy of outcrops and cores - parasequences in outcrops and cores, parasequence stacking patterns and systems tracts


• Sequence stratigraphy of wireline logs - log suites used in sequence stratigraphy, log response of clinoforms, parasequences, basinal environments; estimation of depositional controls and sequence stratigraphy, key surfaces, identification of systems tracts, pitfalls and ambiguities in sequence analysis


• Chronostratigraphic charts, their construction and interpretation


• Biostratigraphy - fossil groups and zonal schemes


• Palaeoenvironmental analysis - benthos and palynofacies, plankton, biofacies


• Biostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy - sequence boundaries and their correlative conformities, lowstand, transgressive, highstand systems tracts, maximum flooding surfaces


• Fluvial systems - fluvial processes and channel styles, concept of the graded stream profile, fluvial architecture, reconstructing fluvial architecture


• Paralic successions - paralic depositional systems, the sequence stratigraphy of distinct paralic systems, paralic systems at a seismic scale, variations in paralic systems within a sea-level cycle


• Deep marine clastic systems - depositional processes and classification, fan development during lowstands, during highstand and transgression


• Carbonate systems - controls on carbonate sedimentation, carbonate slopes, platform classification and facies belts, sequence stratigraphic models for carbonate platforms, cyclicity and parasequences on carbonate platforms.


• Organic-rich facies and hydrocarbon source rocks - delta/coastal plain organic-rich facies and source rocks, organic-rich facies and systems tracts in clastic systems, marine carbonate source rocks.