--> Abstract: Differential Subsidence in the Sevier Foreland Basin and its Control on Deposition of the Middle to Late Turonian Ferron Sandstone of the Henry Basin and Wasatch Plateau, South-Central Utah, by J. E. Deibert; #90993 (1993).

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DEIBERT, JACK E., University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

ABSTRACT: Differential Subsidence in the Sevier Foreland Basin and its Control on Deposition of the Middle to Late Turonian Ferron Sandstone of the Henry Basin and Wasatch Plateau, South-Central Utah

The Turonian Ferron Sandstone in the Henry basin, south-central Utah, was deposited as a shallow-marine to fluvial progradational sequence in the Sevier foreland basin. Depositional continuity, thickness, and aerial extent of this sequence are significantly different from coeval deposits along strike, indicating differential subsidence along the margin of this basin.

The Ferron Sandstone in the Henry basin represents the distal edge of a 200-km basinward progradation of shoreline and fluvial deposits during the middle to early-late Turonian. No sediment was deposited in the Henry basin from the middle-late Turonian through middle Coniacian, and late Coniacian marine shale directly overlies the Ferron. In contrast, a coeval sequence 40 km to the north in the Wasatch Plateau is significantly thicker, prograded only 80 km into the basin, represents relatively continuous deposition during the late Turonian, and was terminated by an early Coniacian marine transgression.

Differences in the thickness, depositional continuity, and lateral distribution between these two sequences most likely reflect different subsidence rates. Specifically, in the Henry basin relatively low subsidence produced a laterally extensive progradational sequence. During the same time interval in the Wasatch Plateau, relatively high subsidence rates produced an aerial restricted progradational sequence. In the Henry basin this progradational sequence was followed by middle-late Turonian-middle Coniacian erosion or nondeposition and late Coniacian marine deposition. In the Wasatch Plateau the progradational sequence was followed by late Turonian-early Coniacian marine and nonmarine deposition during a rapid rise in eustatic sea level. Therefore, I conclude that slow subsidence in the Henry basin delayed the marine incursion during the late Turonian-early Coniacian eustatic sea level rise.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90993©1993 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 12-15, 1993.