Whole Basin Facies Analysis

Introduction to Whole Basin Facies Analysis

• Understand that Basin Facies Analysis is an important tool in understanding the history of a sedimentary basin.
• Know that the facies of a rock is its total characteristics, both visible and microscopic.
• Understand that distribution of facies within a sedimentary basin can provide valuable clues to decipher the sequence of past geological events.
• Appreciate that the distribution of facies can change vertically and laterally due to changes in depositional environment, and these changes often follow predictable patterns or facies models.

Detailed Facies Analysis

• Remember that detailed facies analysis involves meticulous study of sedimentary rock features including colour, grain size, sorting, rounding, and the presence of fossils.
• Learn that these features can provide insight into the depositional environment, such as whether sediment was deposited in a marine, fluvial, deltaic or aeolian setting.

Vertical Changes in Sediment: Sequence Stratigraphy

• Understand the concept of sequence stratigraphy, the identification and correlation of sedimentary deposits or “sequences” in time and space.
• Know that sequences are usually bounded by unconformities or their correlative conformities, marking changes in sea level or sediment supply.
• Recall that sequence stratigraphy is a powerful tool to interpret the evolution of sedimentary basins over time.

Facies Models and Paleogeography

• Understand how facies models, idealised representations of depositional environments, can be applied to real-world examples to predict lateral facies distributions.
• Discover that these models provide an insight into the paleogeography of the region during deposition.
• Realise that using multiple facies models for different depositional environments allows for an integrated representation of the whole basin.

Practical Implications of Basin Facies Analysis

• Recognise that commercial industries such as oil and gas, groundwater, and mineral exploration heavily rely on the understanding of basin facies.
• Understand the importance of facies analysis in identifying potential reservoir and source rocks for hydrocarbons.
• Learn that whole basin facies analysis can also provide crucial insight into groundwater flow paths and quality within a sedimentary basin.

Basin Facies Analysis and Climate Change Research

• Discover that understanding past climate and sea-level changes within a basin can be achieved through facies analysis.
• Learn that climate and sea-level changes can drastically impact depositional systems thus the sediment distributions within a basin.
• Note that facies analysis can contribute to understanding the impact of climate change on sediment patterns and ecology.