Poster Session #1: UC South Ballroom
STRATIGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE FERRON SANDSTONE MEMBER FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FERRON COALS
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Marc Hendrix
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Geosciences
Abstract / Artist's Statement
The Ferron sandstone was deposited during Late Cretaceous (Turonian – Coniacian) time and is composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited in fluvial-to wave-dominated deltaic and shallow marine environments. The Ferron sandstone near Ferron, UT records part of a large scale regressive marine sequence in which the sediments form generally north-northeast trending clastic wedges that project into the Western Interior Cretaceous seaway. The Ferron sandstone regressive sequence consists of a series of high frequency regressive-transgressive delta cycles, each containing a coal zone near the top. These coals are of significant economic importance in the region because they are a source of natural gas. The coals are also mined along the Wasatch front.
We hypothesise that coalbeds are associated with aggradational coastal plain settings in back-barrier/lagoonal environments, as opposed to the fluvial environments. We will test this hypothesis by examining the ichnology, sedimentology and stratigraphy through sections of the Muddy Creek locality of the Ferron sandstone and reconstructing the paleoenvironmental history. These results will determine the relationship between the coalbeds deposits and base level position.
STRATIGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE FERRON SANDSTONE MEMBER FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FERRON COALS
UC South Ballroom
The Ferron sandstone was deposited during Late Cretaceous (Turonian – Coniacian) time and is composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited in fluvial-to wave-dominated deltaic and shallow marine environments. The Ferron sandstone near Ferron, UT records part of a large scale regressive marine sequence in which the sediments form generally north-northeast trending clastic wedges that project into the Western Interior Cretaceous seaway. The Ferron sandstone regressive sequence consists of a series of high frequency regressive-transgressive delta cycles, each containing a coal zone near the top. These coals are of significant economic importance in the region because they are a source of natural gas. The coals are also mined along the Wasatch front.
We hypothesise that coalbeds are associated with aggradational coastal plain settings in back-barrier/lagoonal environments, as opposed to the fluvial environments. We will test this hypothesis by examining the ichnology, sedimentology and stratigraphy through sections of the Muddy Creek locality of the Ferron sandstone and reconstructing the paleoenvironmental history. These results will determine the relationship between the coalbeds deposits and base level position.