--> Abstract: Holocene Tidal Deltas of the Trinity Incised Valley: Analogs for Exploration and Production, by A. Rodriguez, J. Anderson, and J. Bradford; #90932 (1998).

Datapages, Inc.Print this page

Abstract: Holocene Tidal Deltas of the Trinity Incised Valley: Analogs for Exploration and Production

RODRIGUEZ, ANTONIO, JOHN ANDERSON, and JOHN BRADFORD, Rice University, Houston, TX

The facies architecture and evolution of modern and Holocene tidal-delta deposits were examined using highresolution seismic (chirper) data, sediment cores, and borehole descriptions. During the last transgression (18,000 yBP to present) the Trinity/Sabine incised valley backfilled with a continuous fluvial and bay-head delta facies and discontinuous middle-bay and tidal delta facies. The tidal delta facies preserved within the valley can be up to 40 km long and 12 m thick. The modern Bolivar Roads tidal delta complex is a small (21 km long) mud-dominated system. The overall size of the tidal delta complex decreased around 1,500 yBP as the peninsula accreted and the inlet grew narrower. Prior to this time the tidal delta complex was three times larger and much sandier; more similar to the tidal delta deposits preserved within the offshore Trinity/Sabine incised valley.

The tidal delta seismic facies is characterized by stacked landward and seaward dipping reflectors overlain by a ravinement surface. Lithofacies have been described using sediment cores for the Holocene tidal delta complexes.

Isopach maps of these tidal deltas provide reservoir analogs for subsurface exploration and production.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90932©1998 GCAGS/GCS-SEPM Meeting, Corpus Christi, Texas