INTERPRETING STRATAL ARCHITECTURE IN SHELF-TOP CARBONATE SYSTEMS: AN EXAMPLE FROM THE SEVEN RIVERS FORMATION, McKITTRICK CANYON, NEW MEXICO, USA

摘要

Stratal geometries and platform trajectories in shelf-top carbonates contain a record of past eustatic, tectonic, and oceanographic changes throughout earth history. However, intrinsic structural processes such as faulting, fracturing, and differential compaction complicate the interpretation of strata! architecture in these settings. Large-scale stratal geometries cannot be used to constrain key depositional variables (e.g., water depth and facies relationships) until the relative contribution of specific structural and depositional processes can be quantified. These problems can be overcome using integrated structural and stratigraphic frameworks that employ stepwise reconstruction of shelf-top geometries using facies analysis and high-resolution spatial data.