CSPG05FT Fluvial Architecture and Reservoir Considerations of Anastomosed and Meander River Deposits (Lower Tertiary Porcupine Hills and Upper Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formations), Southern Alberta
Architecture of the fluvial anastomosed channels in the Porcupine Hills Formation, stratigraphically similar to the Paskapoo Fm. that underlies Calgary, is best exposed where Willow Creek cuts through the north end of the Porcupine Hills, 15 km west of Stavely or 100 km south of Calgary. These early Tertiary (66.5-63 ma) rocks consist of narrow channel-fills average 12 m thick by 120 m wide (width/thickness rations about 10:1). Crevasse-splay sheet sandstones are greater than 1000 m in lateral extent but are 0.5 to 2.0 m thick. Overbank, shallow lacustrine, poorly-cemented siltstones comprise the remaining rocks. Outcrops consist of 70% siltstone and 30% sandstone and dominate the synclinal axis of the Alberta foreland. Four outcrops, the largest measuring 1000m long by 100m high, will be examined in day one.
In contrast, meander belt river deposits, the Dinosaur Park Formation, similar to the McMurray Fm and Mannville and Belly River groups, are exposed in Dinosaur Provincial Park, 35 km northeast of Brooks, 170 km east of Calgary. Stratigraphy, sedimentology, lateral continuity, lateral accretion direction and paleo-current direction exhibit reconstructed classic meander lithofacies and architecture, in these upper Cretaceous (76.5-75 ma) rocks. The nearly horizontal stratigraphic interval is exposed in a myriad of badland outcrops in steep slopes and cliffs providing exceptional 3-D views of a paleo-meander belt. The low gradient paleo meander belt thickness averages 7.5 to 8.0 m by approximately 1600 m wide, resulting in width/thickness ratios of 200:1. While lateral accretion point bar sandstone dominates the strata, counter point bar deposits of siltstone and abandoned channel-fills of sandstone and sequences of alternating sandstone and siltstone comprise the remainder of the strata. One of the 4-meander lobes examined contains earthquake-deformed and disarticulated strata, interpreted as a large lateral spreads ground failures, likely caused by shaking associated with contemporaneous faulting in the Sweetgrass Arch or salt collapse. An understanding of the nature and lateral relationships of these various lithofacies is important in hydrocarbon exploration and developments in ancient fluvial sequences of the Mannville and Belly River rocks.
This 2-day field trip will travel via 6-passenger vans, departing from the University of Calgary Earth Sciences Building at 9:00 AM following a 1-hour lecture (anastomosed depositional model) at 8:00 AM in ES-443 and return to McMahon Stadium (east side) at about 6:00 PM the next day. A second 1-hour lecture (meander river model) will be given at the end of the first day at our hotel in Brooks. This field trip will cover about 6-km of hiking over rough and steep terrain each day, and is not recommended for persons in poor physical health or fitness. Lunch and breakfast (second day only), drinking water, lectures, transport and field guides are included in the trip. Lunch and dinner in the first day are not included.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Derald G. Smith, Ph. D. (retired and consultant):
Professor Emeritus: Department of Geography, The University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4; Home Phone: (403) 239-0255; E-mail: dgsmit@ucalgary.ca
Professor: the University of Calgary for 35 years, retired in 2006
Taught, carried out research, primary supervisor for 45 graduate students and post docs
RESEARCH SPECIALIZATION:
Geomorphologist, Sedimentologists, Stratigrapher of Fluvial, Deltaic and Tidal Estuarine
Sedimentary depositional systems.
Quaternary Research on paleo-environment reconstructions of glacial lakes and paleo-
floodway outlet systems
UNIVERSITY DEGREES:
1973: Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
1966: M.A., The University of Montana, Missoula
1965: B.A., The University of Montana, Missoula
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dr. Peter Putnam, P.Geol, Sr. Vice President, Geoscience
B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., Geology, University of Calgary
Peter is a geologist with thirty years of global petroleum experience who has had substantial exposure to all aspects of the thermal recovery business. He currently holds the position of Senior Vice President, Geoscience for Osum. He is also the non-executive chairman of Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd and the chairman and managing director of Central European Petroleum Ltd. Putnam is a past-president of the CSPG.
