The Influence
of Tectonics on Temporal and Spatial Variations in Sandbody
Architecture; Cretaceous Gosau Basin, Western
Calcareous Alps, Austria
Paton, Douglas1,
Mary Carr2, Hugo Ortner3, Robert Amerman2, Jamers Borer4, Piret
Plink-Bjorklund2, David, R. Pyles2, Bruce Trudgill2,
Richard J. Wild5 (1) Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (2)
Colorado School of Mines, (3) University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria (4)
El Paso Corporation, Denver, CO (5) Chevron ETC, Houston, TX
The Cretaceous Gosau
deep water basin, western Austria, provides an
exceptional example of syn-depositional structural
influence on sandbody architecture. Significant
variations in sandbody architecture are observed in
both proximal to distal and axis to margin settings; these can be attributed to
the basin's structural configuration. The west of the basin (proximal) is
structurally confined and characterized by amalgamated coarse-grained channels.
In contrast, structural deformation increases towards the east (distal)
generating significantly greater accommodation space that results in both a
deepening of the basin and an increase in basin width (from ~ 0.5 to 3 km).
There is a corresponding change in strata to repetitive couplets of high-aspect
ratio lobeform conglomeratic Mass Transport Complexes
(MTCs) overlain by thinly bedded turbidites.
The axis to margin variation is most pronounced in the medial portion of the
basin where superb exposure of progressive rotation of strata is associated
with structural growth of the basin margin fold. Immediately adjacent to the
growth fold the basin fill is dominated by re-mobilized coarse grained facies and MTCs (~ 90 % of gross stratigraphy). Coeval strata in the axis are more finely
bedded turbidites (coarser grained facies ~ 30 % of gross stratigraphy).
The basin axis migrates to the north away from the deforming basin margin
through time; this reflects progressive growth on the southern confining
structure.
The Gosau Basin, therefore, provides a
setting with a demonstrable structural control; in addition the effect of
variations in the style of deformation on sandbody
architecture and stratigraphy can be ascertained.