EGU2020-21627
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-21627
EGU General Assembly 2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Basin subsidence and Miocene/Pliocene sedimentary change in the Browse Basin, NW Australia

Sebastian Thronberens1, Stefan Back1, Lars Reuning2, and Julien Bourget3
Sebastian Thronberens et al.
  • 1RWTH Aachen University, Geological Institute, Germany (sebastian.thronberens@emr.rwth-aachen.de)
  • 2Institute for Geoscience, CAU Kiel University, Germany
  • 3Clastic Sedimentology & Seismic Stratigraphy, TOTAL E&P – Geo-Technology Solutions, France

The upper Miocene to Pliocene interval of the Browse Basin on the Australian North West Shelf (NWS) records a significant paleo-environmental change in its sedimentary record concerning the decay of middle to late Miocene tropical reefs. Seismic observations towards the Pliocene show a clear landward migration of carbonate build-ups in the eastern part of the basin, and very high subsidence rates seem to have outpaced most reef growth in distal shelf-edge positions. Nevertheless, the Scott Reef and the Seringapatam Reef were able to withstand shelf-edge drowning, which indicates a significant contribution of inversion-related uplift for reef survival. The contribution of basin subsidence as a driving factor for this reef decay and survival is still discussed and has not been studied in detail. This study provides an estimate for the laterally and through time changing late Miocene/Pliocene subsidence pattern. A 3D paleo-environmental reconstruction was generated by 3D quantitative backstripping, integrating 3D paleo-waterdepth information derived from seismic-based depositional system interpretation. The base of this analysis is a giant 2D and 3D seismic-reflection data set (>130.000 km²) integrated with borehole data (logs, cores, cuttings), new Sr-isotope dating, X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and microfacies analyses, supporting paleo-bathymetric correction and ties to global sea-level data. The seismic-reflection data is covering a study area extending over 130.000 km² and is supported by industry borehole data (logs, cores, and cuttings), SR-Isotope dating, X-Ray diffractometry (XRD) and microfacies analysis.

How to cite: Thronberens, S., Back, S., Reuning, L., and Bourget, J.: Basin subsidence and Miocene/Pliocene sedimentary change in the Browse Basin, NW Australia, EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4–8 May 2020, EGU2020-21627, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-21627, 2020

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