--> Abstract: Cracking the Hourglass – Understanding the Fundamental Unit of the Source and Sink; #90063 (2007)

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Cracking the Hourglass – Understanding the Fundamental Unit of the Source and Sink

 

Thurmond, John1, Ole Martinsen1, Tor Sømme2, William Helland-Hansen2 (1) Hydro Oil and Energy Research Center, Bergen, Norway (2) University of Bergen, N-5007 Bergen

 

The next generation of coherent sedimentary models is complete source-to-sink models, illustrating the entire distributary-tributary system in plan view, and their segmented cross-sectional shapes and erosional-depositional profiles. In order to approach a state where reliable, predictive models can be generated, comparison of source-to-sink systems from various geological settings must be collected to understand the influence of key processes on these highly variable, gross tributary-distributary systems.

 

The shape of a drainage basin, combined with its offshore depositional area forms a complete geomorphological unit in the shape of an hourglass in plan view. A database of drainage basins and their Recent offshore deposits and sinks has been built up, which can be queried for trends and relationships. Various shapes of the hourglass are presented to illustrate critical relationships and processes on different margins.

 

Understanding the fundamental parameters of the drainage basin, and associating them with the extent of the deposition resulting from it, obtains predictive relationships about the resulting deposits based on measurable parameters. This has the potential to predict offshore sediment volumes based on easily obtainable onshore data, resulting in improved hydrocarbon exploration in both known and frontier deepwater basins. By studying the range of values in the Recent systems, the extent that complicating factors, such as relative sea-level changes, longshore drift, temporary sediment storage and margin type control the resulting deposits can be analyzed. Further development allows for extension of these models to paleo source-to-sink systems, in the cases where their relic features are preserved in modern landscapes.

 

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California