Quantitative Analogue Experimental Sequence Stratigraphy : Modelling landscape evolution and sequence stratigraphy of river-shelf sedimentary systems by quantitative analogue experiments

Abstract

This thesis reports a series of flume tank experiments that were conducted to model the stratigraphic evolution of river-delta systems. Chapter 1 introduces the river-delta sedimentary system that is subject of modelling. The chapter also includes an overview of previous research and the summary and conclusions of the thesis. Chapter 2 demonstrates the experimental method and applied scaling strategy of the analogue experiments using the Quaternary Colorado Delta evolution as a real-world prototype. Chapter 3 investigates the fluvial response to imposed sea-level changes by a set of 18 analogue experiments with sea-level change as the only independent variable. Chapter 4 is a case study of the stratigraphy of the Imo River Oil Field, Nigeria, where deltaic sediments have been dissected by a listric growth fault during deposition. The stratigraphic features of the model run are compared with the Imo River Field prototype, other growth-faulted settings, extensional synrift tectonic settings and are finally discussed in terms of hydrocarbon potential. The final part of the thesis contains an appendix on sediment transport properties of the model and the references and acknowledgments section.