REPLY TO DISCUSSION of C.W. Langenberg, F.J. Hein, D. Lawton and J. Cunningham: Seismic modeling of fluvial-estuarine deposits in the Athabasca oil sands using ray-tracing techniques, Steepbank River area, northeastern Alberta

Hein, Frances J.; Langenberg, C.W.

doi:10.2113/51.3.354

Cited by 17 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…19B). Proponents of this model suggest that this vertically continuous sedimentation for tens of metres demonstrates the existence of deeply incising mega-channel valleys across the study area (Hein and Langenberg 2003). These were tied to significant changes in sea level during the late Aptian stage (sensu Bover-Arnal et al 2014).…”

Section: Tectono-stratigraphic Modelsmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…The tripartite division is accepted by most oil sands industry geologists and is widely used in the extensive published literature on McMurray Formation geology. However, researchers at the Alberta Geological Survey use an alternative two-fold stratigraphy that unifies, or does not differentiate between, the middle and upper intervals (Hein et al 2000(Hein et al , 2001Langenberg et al 2002;Hein and Langenberg 2003;Cotterill 2006, 2007). However, both of these stratigraphic arrangements recognize that the lower interval strata are distinct from the overlying middle-upper deposits.…”

Section: Cretaceousmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The incised valley architectural model (Hein et al 2001;AEUB 2003;Hein and Langenberg 2003) proposes that McMurray strata overlying the lower McMurray interval were punctuated by deeply incised valleys and fills linked to multiple significant sea-level drops and rapid rebounds. These sea-level fluctuations created tens-of-metres thick superimposed and overlapping incised channel valley fills during the post-lower McMurray period.…”

Section: Tectono-stratigraphic Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The incised valley model (Hein et al 2001;Hein and Langenberg 2003;AEUB 2003) interprets the existence of tens-of-metres thick sand trends as accumulations that filled deeply incised channels formed as response to several or more 20-50 m sea-level falls followed by rapid rises. Alternatively, the parasequence model (Ranger andGingras 2001, 2006;Musial et al 2012) interprets the middle and upper McMurray strata as a succession of parasequences that prograded northward across a relatively stable, low-relief coastal plain with only relatively minor fluctuations in the overall rising sea level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Syndepositional architecture of the northern Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit, northeastern Alberta

Broughton

2015

Can. J. Earth Sci.

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Salt dissolution collapse-subsidence is proposed as the dominant tectono-stratigraphic control on the deposition of major sand trends across the northern Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit. Salt removal along linear dissolution trends 200 m below in the Prairie Evaporite (Middle Devonian) halite beds resulted in the collapse of the overlying Upper Devonian strata. The collapse-induced differential subsidence of the fault blocks formed the floor underlying the McMurray deposits in the 50 km long V-shaped Bitumount Trough extending across the northern area of the Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit. The lower and middle-upper McMurray sand trends filled the accommodation created by collapses of a linear chain of Upper Devonian fault blocks along the northern margin of the western Trough. A pair of tens-of-metres thick and 20-30 km long sand trends developed parallel in overlying accumulations of the lower and middle-upper McMurray Formation (Aptian). This half-graben tilted northward as the dissolution trend in the underlying Prairie Evaporite salt scarp widened, and the scarp margin was deeply embayed. Salt dissolution-induced structures were the principal control that located the large sand complexes exploited by bitumen mining projects. Earlier models of McMurray architecture interpreted the underlying karst collapse to have been largely pre-Cretaceous. This new architectural model reinterprets the spatiotemporal balance between erosion at the pre-Cretaceous surface and within the buried salt beds. Extensive salt removal resulted in collapse of the underlying hypogene karst during the late Aptian age. This resulted in the over-thickened multi-kilometres long McMurray sand trends. The underlying karst collapse resulted in unstable deposition surfaces along the sub-Cretaceous trough floors. This tectono-stratigraphic architecture, called the syndepositional model in this study, is proposed as an alternative to two other models, one of which proposes that deeply incised channel valleys and fills resulted from multiple significant sea-level fluctuations, while the other proposes that stacked parasequences accumulated along overlying shallow channels that meandered across a stable fluvio-estuarine coast.Résumé : La dissolution de sel causant la subsidence / l'effondrement est proposée en tant que le contrôle tectonique / stratigraphique dominant de la tendance de la déposition du sable à travers le secteur nord du gisement des sables bitumineux de l'Athabasca. Le retrait du sel le long de tendances de dissolution linéaires à 200 m plus bas dans les lits de halite Prairie Evaporite (Dévonien moyen) a causé l'effondrement des strates du Dévonien supérieur qui se trouvaient au-dessus. La subsidence différentielle, engendrée par l'effondrement de blocs de faille, a formé le plancher sous les gisements McMurray dans la fosse Bitmount, laquelle a une longueur de 50 km et une forme en V. Cette fosse s'étend à travers le secteur nord du gisement de sables bitumineux de l'Athabasca. Les tendances de sable inférieures et moyennes-supérieures...

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Section: Tectono-stratigraphic Modelsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Cretaceousmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Tectono-stratigraphic Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Syndepositional architecture of the northern Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit, northeastern Alberta

Broughton

2015

Can. J. Earth Sci.

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“…However, there is a notable lack of IHS dip variability in the formation, with evidence that a large proportion of IHS dips basinward to the north (Fig. 3); this observation has been the basis for much debate (Mossop and Flach, 1983;Flach, 1984;Flach and Mossop, 1985;Langenberg et al, 2002;Ranger and Gingras, 2003;Hein and Langenberg, 2003). Our hypothesis is that deposition was dominated by down-valley translation of meander bends, a process widely documented from modern fluvial settings (e.g., Hooke, 1977, Figure 1.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recognition of down-valley translation in tidally influenced meandering fluvial deposits, Athabasca Oil Sands (Cretaceous), Alberta, Canada

Fustic

Hubbard

Spencer

et al. 2012

Marine and Petroleum Geology

117

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The Athabasca Oil Sands — A Regional Geological Perspective, Fort McMurray Area, Alberta, Canada

2006

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REPLY TO DISCUSSION of C.W. Langenberg, F.J. Hein, D. Lawton and J. Cunningham: Seismic modeling of fluvial-estuarine deposits in the Athabasca oil sands using ray-tracing techniques, Steepbank River area, northeastern Alberta

Cited by 17 publications

References 13 publications

Syndepositional architecture of the northern Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit, northeastern Alberta

Syndepositional architecture of the northern Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit, northeastern Alberta

Recognition of down-valley translation in tidally influenced meandering fluvial deposits, Athabasca Oil Sands (Cretaceous), Alberta, Canada

The Athabasca Oil Sands — A Regional Geological Perspective, Fort McMurray Area, Alberta, Canada

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