Seismic Stratigraphy-I February 8

Basic concepts
Seismic data
Seismic stratigraphic concepts

Assignment:
* Stoker et al. (1997)
* Boulton (1990)

Assignment:
Review:
Seismic Stratigraphy II - February 13
* Text Chapter 5
* Cooper et al. (1991)
Seismic stratigraphy of non-glacial and glacial margins
* Bartek et al. (1991)

Overview and examples

Regional seismic stratigraphy and core data

Antarctic Peninsula
Weddell Sea
Prydz Bay
Wilkes Land
Ross Sea
Seismic Stratigraphy III- February 20

Assignment:
* Rebesco et al. (2006)

Student presentations

Seismic Stratigraphy II wrapup

Special topics: Seismic stratigraphers cookbook (Ross Sea Atlas),
backstripping, Pliocene? event

Glacial-to-interglacial
cycles

Excerpt from the Dec. 3, 2006

weekly report (quoted from
Ross Powell and Tim Naish):

The core continues to deliver an impressive stratigraphy

and range of glacimarine facies.
The cycles continue from the previous week with five, 3050m-thick cycles between 241-376mbsf dominated by
diamictite (glacials) with thinner intervening diatomites
(interglacials) ..
Ultimately we hope the differing degrees of
paleoenvironmental changes can be related to external
forcings, such as climatic changes, so we can determine
what the critical trigger points or thresholds can be for the
Ross Ice Shelf and West Antarctic Ice Sheet systems.
http://andrill.org/report/

LAST CLASS ROSS POWELL (Co-chief on ANDRILL)

First results of the 2006 drilling season the lithostratigraphic record
http://andrill.org/report/
Glacial-to-interglacial
Open-ocean deposition

Glacial diamictite

Interglacial diatomite

cycles

Student Presentations

Wilkes Land margin seismic and drilling

Wilkes Land margin

There are 2 DSDP
drill sites along this
segment of the
Antarctic margin.

Crosses strike line

Reflection geometries
are similar to other
Antarctic margin
segments.
2004

Recent seismic
surveys by Australia
and Russia allow
regional mapping of
the unconformities.

Crosses dip line

E.Mio.?
Late Olig.- E.Mio.?
Eocene?
The vertical scales are not the same for the strike line and dip line.

Wilkes Land margin

From Hayes et al., 1975

CS4 = WL4
CS3 = WL3

Middle-late Eocene

Leitchenkov, 2005, pers.com

Similarites in acoustic geomtries on the East Antarctic margin

Recent seismic surveys by

Russia and Australia further
illustrate general similarities in
reflection geometries for
Neogene sections.

Russian data:
1986-1995 &
2000-2005

Leitchenkov (2005)

Regional depositional features

derived from seismic surveys
(from Leitchenkov, 2005)

Leitchenkov, 2005, pers.comm.

DRIFT FORMATION ON THE CONTINENTAL RISE

From Kuvaas et al., 2004 & Leitchenkov pers.comm.

Rebesco et al. 1997

Ross Sea seismic and drilling

In the Ross Sea, there is large variability in seafloor and subsurface geologic and seismic
facies (and varied paleo depositional environments).

Seismic facies look

different with different
resolution seismic data
and can be mapped over
large distances

MCS
Data

SCS
Data

Ross Sea Seismic Facies Map

Brancolini et al.(submitted)

The seismic facies map shows that there are regional systematic variations in sediment deposits.

Ross Sea drilling: recovered mostly marine glacial rocks, indicating that the Ross Sea has
been submerged and that glaciers have been nearby since at least early Oligocene time.
Cape Roberts

CRP
AnDr

Anderson (1999)

Barrett et al. (in press)

ANDRILL

Seismic Interpreters Cookbook

With examples from the Ross Sea Stratigraphic Atlas
AGU Antarctic Research Series, V. 68, 1995

Regional Mapping
Seismic Interpretation techniques
Examine data bases and select seismic profiles

Identify unconformities
and seismic units using
seismic geometries.

Brancolini et al. (1995)

Facies A: partly reflective bodies

bounded by oblique clinoforms that
downlap onto erosional surfaces.

Identify and define

seismic facies

Facies B: stratified, with highamplitude, continuos parallel and

sub-parallel reflectors.
Facies C: intermediate in character
between Facies A and B.

Identify seismic facies on

reflection profiles.

Correlate drillsite information

with seismic data to get ages
and lithologies.

Desantis et al. (1995)

Covert reflection times to depth

along ship tracks
Measure reflection times
to the seafloor .
..and from the seafloor to
subsurface unconformities.
Cochrane et al (1995)

Sonobuoy
seismic
profile

Calculate velocities of subsurface layers

from sonobuoy seismic profiles (and/or
multichannel seismic data)...
use the velocity information to convert
reflection times (in sec.) to depths (in m).

Use water depths from all

tracklines to make a
bathymetric map of the sea
floor. This is atlas plate 1a.

Use total travel times to make

a travel-time map (I.e., a
pseudo structure map).
This is atlas plate 19a.

Use velocity information to convert the

travel-time map to a depth map (I.e., a
structure map).This is atlas plate 19b.

Subtract seafloor depths from

total depths to get a sediment
thickness map (isopach map).
This is atlas plate 22b)

Use seismic characteristics

to make facies maps for
different time periods.

Late Oligocene-Early Miocene time:

Evidence of local glaciers on basement
highs in the middle of the Ross Sea

Desantis et al. (1995).

Middle Miocene time:

Evidence of widespread glaciers on
highs and across the eastern Ross Sea.

The bathymetric map shows the morphology of the seafloor, and

the evidence of large ice streams that carved wide troughs.

Depth maps (I.e., structure contour

map) show locations of
depressions and rises in the
mapped surface.
In this map, at RSU-6 time there
may have been a broad structural
depression with local basement
highs beneath the Eastern Ross
Sea.

Isopach maps give the thickness of sedimentary deposits

between two reference horizons. These maps help to establish
where sediments came from and where they now rest.
In this map, the reference horizons are the seafloor and
unconformity RSU-6. The thickest sediments lie beneath the
outer shelf in a basin that trends E-W.
Why do the thickest sediments trend E-W, but the ridges and
troughs on the seafloor trend N-S?

Backstripping
Taking the clothes layers off the shelf

Laura De Santis
Giuliano Brancolini
Angelo
Camerlenghi
Michele Rebesco

2-D backstripping modelling

of three Antarctic continental margins
(Ross Sea, Antarctic Peninsula, Prydz Bay)

Paleodepth information
Sediment porosity
Compaction coefficent
Sediment thickness
Lithosphere Elastic

Decompaction

Isostatic rebound
Thermal post rift subsidence

Thickness

Age of:
- Post rift onset
- Units boundaries

The Eastern Ross Sea Margin

The sea floor is landward
Sub-aerial deepening
condition and overdeepened

The sea
The
floor
sea isfloor
seaward
is seaward
deepening
deepeningand
andnot
notoverdeepened
overdeepened

END OF LECTURE