Source to Sink Systems in the Cretaceous Western Interior of North America

这项拟议的研究是我的白垩纪从源到沉盆地分析的长期研究计划的一部分，纳入了高分辨率层序地层学，还有一个更广泛的目标，即将我们对海平面变化的地层学分析与新兴的全球天体年代学旋回图联系起来。我的小组还专注于所研究单元内砂岩元素的储集层特征，并将其应用于碳氢化合物行业。 我们主要关注的是北美西部内海白垩纪的“温室”沉积序列。详细的野外和地下研究旨在回答关于沉积盆地充填的较大规模的地层控制(例如，海平面与构造作用)的问题，以及与较小规模的沉积单元的形成过程有关的同样重要的问题，特别侧重于基于河流沉积分析的古流量估计。 高分辨率露头和地下地层学分析与计时和生物地层学控制相结合，能够阐明全球“温室”的旋回性质和程度。有证据表明气候驱动的米兰科维奇尺度周期性，表明白垩纪并不像一些人假设的那样是无冰时期。记录温室时期的气候和海平面可以用来预测未来的温室情景，例如人类引起的气候变化可能导致的气候变化，这是目前社会关注的问题。 这项研究还侧重于利用来自沉积体系的信息(特别是对主干河流化石的物源和古流量研究)来推断古流域盆地的大小和地貌、山区内水系的连通性、古气候和板块构造重建。岩相学分析结合碎屑锆石测年，评价了碎屑锆石的物源和排泄面积，以及构造对沉积的控制作用。碎屑锆石的年龄测定也有助于建立河流沉积的年代学，特别是在结合生物地层控制的膨润土年龄测定的情况下。 我们还采用了更新的技术，特别是使用无人驾驶飞行器(无人机)与GPS/地理信息系统相结合来捕捉3D虚拟露头。这些数据集包括白垩纪航道带的平面图，以及各种河流和浅海相的悬崖面。这些数字数据集允许对原本无法访问的区段进行详细的相结构分析。 除了科学和社会相关性外，我们的研究还直接适用于加拿大的能源部门。

The proposed research is part of my long-term research program on Cretaceous source-to-sink basin analysis, incorporating high-resolution sequence stratigraphy, with an even broader goal of linking our stratigraphic analysis of sea level changes to emerging global astrochronological cycle charts. My group is also focused on reservoir characterization of sandstone elements within studied units, with application to the hydrocarbon industry. Our primary focus is on Cretaceous “greenhouse” sedimentary sequences in the Western Interior Seaway of North America. Detailed field and subsurface studies are designed to answer questions about the larger-scale stratigraphic controls on sedimentary basin fills (e.g. eustasy versus tectonics), and equally important questions relating to the formative processes of smaller-scale sedimentary units, with a specific focus on paleodischarge estimates based on analysis of river deposits. High-resolution outcrop and subsurface stratigraphic analysis, integrated with chronometric and biostratigraphic control, enable the elucidation of the nature and degree of cyclicity in a global “Greenhouse”. There is evidence of climate-driven Milankovitch-scale cyclicity, suggesting that the Cretaceous was not an ice-free time, as has been hypothesized by some. Documentation of the climate and sea-level in a greenhouse period can be used to predict future greenhouse scenarios, such as may result from the anthropogenically-induced climate change that is of present societal concern. The research is also focused on using information from the depositional system (especially provenance and paleodischarge studies of the fossilized trunk rivers) to make inferences about paleo-drainage basin size and relief, connectivity of drainage systems within mountain belts, paleoclimate, and plate-tectonic reconstructions. Petrographic analysis combined with age-dating of detrital zircons is used to evaluate provenance and drainage area, as well as tectonic controls on sedimentation. Age-dating of detrital zircons can also help establish the chronology of river deposits, especially when used in conjunction with age dates from bentonites integrated with biostratigraphic control. We are also incorporating newer technologies, and particularly the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's or “drones”) integrated with GPS/GIS to capture 3D virtual outcrops. These datasets include plan-view images of Cretaceous channel belts, as well as cliff-faces of a variety of fluvial and shallow marine facies. These digital datasets allow for detailed facies architectural analysis of otherwise inaccessible sections. In addition to the scientific and societal relevance, our research is directly applicable to the Canadian energy resources sector.