Economic and Environmental Geology (자원환경지질)

The Korean Society of Economic and Environmental Geology (대한자원환경지질학회)
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Seismic Stratigraphy of Upper Devonian Carbonates Area in Northern Alberta, Canada

캐나다 북부 알버타주 데본기 후기 탄산염암 지역의 탄성파 층서

  • Lee, Min-Woo (Department of Geology and Earth Environmental Sciences, Chungnam National University) ;
  • Oh, Jin-Yong (Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Chungnam National University) ;
  • Yun, Hye-Su (Department of Geology and Earth Environmental Sciences, Chungnam National University)
  • 이민우 (충남대학교 지질환경과학과) ;
  • 오진용 (충남대학교 자연과학연구소) ;
  • 윤혜수 (충남대학교 지질환경과학과)
  • Received : 2011.11.14
  • Accepted : 2011.12.22
  • Published : 2011.12.28
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Abstract

The Upper Devonian Grosmont Formation in northern Alberta, Canada, underlies the erosion unconformity that formed between the Cretaceous and Upper Devonian. The formation is divided into four units on the basis of intercalated shales and showing a typical shelf environment of shallowing-upward. It was possible to separate four units(LG~UG3), considering the seismic interpretation attributes of polarity, continuity, frequency/spacing and amplitude and showing the reflection characteristics of the medium-high amplitude, medium-low frequency, good continuity, and subparallel reflection events. The formation can be interpreted as shelf or platform, based on in-situ core data. However, it is difficult, only with reflection attributes and features, to recognize the boundaries and sedimentary environment of parasequence. Therefore, we try to interprete by parasequence set in this study. The parasequence set was formed by erosion unconformity with systems tracts. The erosion unconformity can be recognized by facies data and karst, erosional surface. Grosmont carbonate deposits ranging from platform and shelf to shelf slope are; by wedge-shaped strata of characterized by complex sigmoid-oblique progradational configurations, reflecting a depositional history of upbuilding and outbuilding in response to sea-level changes. Most of the sedimentary units is interpreted as platforms under regression and lowstand environments that support is evidences. In particular, shale layer at the basal part of the highstand systems tracts represents the regressive to lowstand of sea level.

캐나다 북부 알버타주의 데본기 후기 Grosmont층은 중생대 백악기와 데본기 후기 사이 형성된 침식 부정합면 하부에 위치하며 Ireton층의 셰일에 의해 4개의 단위로 구분되고, 상향 천해화(shallowing-upward)를 보이는 전형적인 대륙붕 환경이다. Grosmont층은 탄성파의 극성, 연속성, 주파수/간격, 진폭 등의 해석요소를 고려하여 4개의 단위(LG, UG1, UG2, UG3)로 구분할 수 있었고 반사파는 중-고진폭, 중-저주파수의 특징을 보이고 반사면은 연속성이 좋으며 서로 평행한 형태로 나타났다. 시추공의 암상자료를 바탕으로 대륙붕 또는 플랫폼(platform) 환경으로 해석할 수 있지만 반사파의 특성이나 형태만으로 순차층의 경계면과 퇴적환경을 인지하기란 쉽지 않기 때문에 이 연구에서는 부순차층세트(parasequence set)로 하여 층서 해석을 시도하였다. 침식 부정합면에 의해 퇴적계 연합체와 함께 부순차층세트가 형성되는데, 침식부정합면은 암상자료와 탄성파상의 카르스트화작용 및 침식면에 의해 그 인지가 가능하였다. 연구지역에 분포하는 Grosmont 탄산염암층은 플랫폼 및 대륙붕 환경으로부터 분지 방향의 플랫폼 주변부을 향하면서 층후가 점차 감소하는 쐐기형태로 발달하며 전진하는 시그모이드-오블리크(sigmoid-oblique) 형태의 음향특성을 갖는 것이 특징적이며, 이는 해수면 변동과 연계되어 퇴적작용이 진행되었음을 지시해주고 있다. 퇴적단위의 대부분은 주로 해퇴 및 저해수면 환경 하에서 형성된 것으로 해석되어 플랫폼 환경을 뒷받침해주는 증거가 된다. 특히, 고해수면 환경 하에서 형성된 퇴적체 하부의 셰일층은 반복되는 해퇴기간 동안 대부분이 박층으로 분포하는 것으로 해석된다.

Keywords

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