Regional stratigraphic and geomorphic evolution of the Paleocene - Early Eocene in the Central North Sea

The Paleocene and Early Eocene stratigraphic succession in the central North Sea records a period of substantial tectonic uplift and several climatic perturbations in the adjacent hinterland. Eastern progradation of the UK shelf and a series of turbidite deposits have previously been linked to several phases of inferred regional uplift. The regional uplift phases caused major increases in sedimentation rates in the North Sea basin and an extensive reorganization of the sediment routing systems. The relative importance of allogenic and autogenic forcings on the sediment supply, depositional patterns and basin-wide geomorphology, however, remains debated. Several authors have suggested that the uplift is a response to activity of the Icelandic Plume.

This study incorporates high-resolution 3D seismic and well-log data to conduct a regional reconstruction of the Paleocene – Early Eocene stratigraphic succession in the central North Sea. We investigate key stratigraphic surfaces to link the temporal along-strike variability of erosion and deposition in the Montrose and Moray Groups. Seismic attribute analysis of over 90 000 km² of 3D seismic data is used to investigate the geomorphology and paleogeography of several interpreted intervals, including clinoform geometry, shelf-edge trajectories, submarine channels, and deep-marine fan systems, providing insights into sediment transport pathways and depositional processes.

Preliminary results indicate pronounced along strike variability throughout the Paleocene and Early Eocene in sediment thickness and geomorphology. In the earliest Paleocene the basin was dominated by deep-marine sedimentation, with several submarine fans being deposited in the Moray Firth, Southern Viking Graben and Central Graben. Throughout the Paleocene, the shelf prograded and the basin was infilled. Thick clinoforms, large submarine fans, and extensive shelf progradation during key stratigraphic intervals indicate increased sediment input, suggesting changes in sediment connectivity between hinterland source areas and offshore sinks driven by variations in erosion and runoff. The presence of erosional fluvial networks incised into older marine sediments indicates subaerial conditions during the latest Paleocene to Early Eocene in the Moray Firth. The subaerial erosional networks are associated with a progradation of the coast by tens of kilometers, suggesting a major base-level change, driven by extensive tectonic uplift. This enables detailed observations of geomorphic responses to tectonic and climatic forcings in the entire fluvial to deep-marine sediment routing system.