A 3-D ground-penetrating radar and wavelet transform analysis of the morphology of shoreface deposits in the Upper Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone Member, Utah

摘要

Wavelengths of hummocky cross-stratified (HCS) beds (a common sedimentary feature of storm-dominated shorefaces) are documented for the first time using measurements in three-dimensional (3-D) ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data for a well-developed Upper Cretaceous lower-shoreface succession at Dry Wash in the Ferron Sandstone Member, Utah. The shallow-marine sequence consists of upward-thickening HCS sand beds alternating with interstorm deposits. The thickness variation of the storm beds indicates locally steadily growing storm intensity with at least four cycles. Weakly coarsening-upward (mud to very fine-grained sand) fair-weather background deposits suggest a slow progradation of deposition with no significant change in environment.