The occurrence of a palaeo‐lithification front in an overpressured basin (Chalk Group)—Timing from clumped isotopes and seismic stratigraphic analysis

Smit, Florian; Stemmerik, Lars; Smith, Megan E.; Staudigel, Philip T.; Lüthje, Mikael; Mathiesen, Anders; Buchem, F. S. P.; Swart, Peter K.

doi:10.1111/bre.12662

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 108 publications

(198 reference statements)

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“…The diagenetic history revealed by the data and modelling presented in this study, and especially the fluid history associated with diagenesis, is far more complex than that envisioned by earlier studies of Niobrara chalks that only possessed conventional stable isotope data (Hefton, 2015;Pollastro & Martinez, 1985;Pollastro & Scholle, 1986;Scholle, 1977). Like other recent efforts on chalk diagenesis that have utilised clumped isotopes (Smit et al, 2022;Tagliavento et al, 2021), the results of this study highlight the need to improve the 'chalk burial diagenesis model' with the use of clumped isotope constraints on diagenetic temperatures. The weighted average temperature at any burial step is primarily controlled by the thermal gradient, which is why a range of thermal gradients were modelled.…”

Section: Values In Niobrara Chalksmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…All prior workers have assumed that all authigenic Niobrara calcite was internally sourced (Pollastro & Scholle, 1986;Scholle, 1977). Unlike some other chalk units, no diagenetic geobodies or cementation fronts (Fabricius, 2007;Smit et al, 2018Smit et al, , 2022 that are characterised by sharp and significant decreases in porosity and more negative δ 18 O values have been observed in the Niobrara Formation.…”

Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 99%

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The history of calcite diagenesis and origin of exceptionally negative oxygen isotope values in chalks of the Niobrara Formation, Denver Basin, USA

Simon

Budd

Snell

2023

The Depositional Record

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The Niobrara Formation of north‐east Colorado, USA, has anomalously negative δ18O values compared to all other Cretaceous chalks. These unique δ18O values have been attributed to elevated heat flow and/or freshening of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. This work utilises clumped isotopes of calcite (Δ47), peak burial temperatures estimated from pyrolysis data, and strontium and neodymium isotopes of carbonate to re‐evaluate the origin of the calcite's 18O‐depletion. Peak temperatures indicate lateral variability in geothermal gradients of ca 20°C/km at the tens of kilometre scale, and corroborate prior studies proposing locally elevated palaeotemperatures. Greater insight is provided by numerical models of calcite recrystallisation and oxygen isotope evolution that are constrained by measured Δ47‐derived temperatures, calcite δ18O values and inferences from the 87Sr/86Sr and εNd values. The models indicate that (1) sea water in the seaway had normal marine δ18O values of −1 (VSMOW) except on the eastern margin of the basin where some freshwater dilution yielded −2 to −3‰ (VSMOW) water, and (2) the main driver of the anonymously negative calcite δ18O values was a semi‐open hydrologic system that provided a few percent by pore volume of meteoric groundwater derived from post‐Laramide recharge into the basin. Minor contributions were a Laramide‐aged heat pulse related to the underlying Colorado Mineral Belt, the thermal insulating effects of now eroded coals, and a small flux of compaction‐driven Cretaceous sea water evolved by smectite dehydration. However, those three factors alone were insufficient drivers of the calcites' 18O depletion. High burial temperatures are interpreted to have caused clumped isotope reordering in at least one well, but those temperatures cannot yield the observed calcite δ18O values. The study illustrates the unique attributes of the Niobrara's diagenetic system that results in its anomalous δ18O values, and reaffirms the value of clumped isotopes in unravelling the diagenetic history of chalk systems.

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Section: Values In Niobrara Chalksmentioning

confidence: 64%

Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 99%

The history of calcite diagenesis and origin of exceptionally negative oxygen isotope values in chalks of the Niobrara Formation, Denver Basin, USA

Simon

Budd

Snell

2023

The Depositional Record

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Establishing a High Resolution 3D Fracture Dataset in Chalk: Possibilities and Obstacles Working with Outcrop Data

Aabø,

Oldfield,

Yuan

et al. 2023

Petroleum Engineering

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Improved Visualization of Structural Deformation on the Kraka Structure (Danish Central Graben) with Color-Processed Seismic Data

Smit,

Welch

2023

Petroleum Engineering

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The occurrence of a palaeo‐lithification front in an overpressured basin (Chalk Group)—Timing from clumped isotopes and seismic stratigraphic analysis

Abstract: This study proposes a unique workflow to unravel complex burial diagenetic histories of overpressured basins based on the integration of seismic and well log data, biostratigraphy, petrography, clumped isotope analyses and basin model-EAGE SMIT et al.

Cited by 5 publications

References 108 publications

The history of calcite diagenesis and origin of exceptionally negative oxygen isotope values in chalks of the Niobrara Formation, Denver Basin, USA

The history of calcite diagenesis and origin of exceptionally negative oxygen isotope values in chalks of the Niobrara Formation, Denver Basin, USA

Establishing a High Resolution 3D Fracture Dataset in Chalk: Possibilities and Obstacles Working with Outcrop Data

Improved Visualization of Structural Deformation on the Kraka Structure (Danish Central Graben) with Color-Processed Seismic Data

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