COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Correlation and Significance of Super Bounding Surfaces in Eolian Sandstones: Jurassic PageSandstone, Colorado Plateau

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Studies of eolian deposits have been severely handicapped by the lack of tools for internal correlation. However, recent recognition of unconformities within eolian units (termed super bounding surfaces) allows local and regional correlation, and the recognition of distinct genetic sequences composing eolian units. These unconformities represent hiatuses in sand-sea development and result from climatic, tectonic, and eustatic events. It is proposed to apply this new concept to a study of the Jurassic Page Sandstone on the Colorado Plateau. This unit affords excellent, almost continuously exposed outcrops across the entire breadth of the original Page sand sea into the laterally adjacent Carmel marine formation. Work thus far has recognized several super surfaces in the Page Sandstone. The genetic sequences that compose the Page Sandstone are distinct. The proposed work consists of (1) identifying super surfaces within the Page, (2) carefully correlating these through a series of closely spaced stratigraphic sections into the Carmel Formation, (3) describing and interpreting genetic sequences bounded by the surfaces, and (4) addressing the causes of the super-surface development and pulses of sandsea formation. The significance of this work is that is is a pioneer study developing the tools of super bounding surfaces for understanding laterally extensive, thick eolian sequences. It is believed that these unconformable surfaces can be of tremendous value in understanding the genetic history of eolian units, and potentially of utility in correlation of eolian units.