Preface

**Section 3 Integrated Stratigraphy 79**

**VI** Contents

**Paleobotanical Data 81**

**(Northern Argentina) 129**

Mikhailovna Mashchuk

Pavel Kabanov

Chapter 5 **Stratigraphy of Jurassic Sediments of the Southern Siberian Platform (Russia) Studied through Lithologic and**

Chapter 6 **Stratigraphic Unconformities: Review of the Concept and Examples from the Middle-Upper Paleozoic 101**

Chapter 7 **Integrated Stratigraphy of the Cenozoic Andean Foreland Basin**

Claudia Inés Galli, Ricardo Narciso Alonso and Lidia Beatriz Coira

Andrey Olegovich Frolov, Nikolay Ivanovich Akulov and Irina

This book contains seven chapters dealing with the investigation of seismic and sequence stratigraphy and integrated stratigraphy, including the stratigraphic unconformities, in dif‐ ferent geological settings and using several techniques and methods, including the seismos‐ tratigraphic and the sequence stratigraphic analysis, the field geological survey, the well log stratigraphic interpretation, and the lithologic and paleobotanical data. Book chapters are separated into two main sections: (i) seismic and sequence stratigraphy and (ii) integrated stratigraphy. There are three chapters in the first section, including the application of se‐ quence and seismic stratigraphy to the fine-grained shales, to the fluvial facies and deposi‐ tional environments, and to the Late Miocene geological structures offshore of Taiwan. In the second section, there are three chapters dealing with the integrated stratigraphic investi‐ gation of Jurassic deposits of the southern Siberian platform, with the stratigraphic uncon‐ formities, reviewing the related geological concepts and studying examples from Middle-Upper Paleozoic successions, and, finally, with the integrated stratigraphy of the Cenozoic deposits of the Andean foreland basin (northwestern Argentina). The chapters separated in‐ to two main sections are preceded by an introductory chapter, namely the chapter 1, giving insights into the subject area.

#### **Introductory chapter**

The first chapter "An Introduction to the Seismic and Sequence Stratigraphy and to the Inte‐ grated Stratigraphy: Concepts and Meanings" by Gemma Aiello introduces the concepts of seismic and sequence stratigraphy and of integrated stratigraphy.In this chapter it is clari‐ fied that the sequence stratigraphic studies on the alluvial depositional systems and of the fine-grained shales, shown in this book, are of great actuality in a geological sense, mainly taking into account that the seismo-stratigraphic concepts have been developed on the ma‐ rine deposits of passive-type Atlantic continental margins. The geologic evolution of the passive margins has been briefly introduced. Due to different case histories of this book lo‐ cated in China, the geological structure of the Chinese-type basins has been recalled as mainly controlled by the amalgamation of continental blocks, Paleozoic in age, associated with different insular arcs.

#### **Seismic and Sequence Stratigraphy**

The second chapter, "Sequence Stratigraphy of Fine-Grained Shale Deposits: Case Studies of Representative Shales in the USA and China," by Shu Jiang, Caineng Zou, Wen Lin, Zhenlin Chen, Lei Chen, Lanyu Wu, Wei Dang, and Yajun Li, discusses the importance of sequence stratigraphic studies of fine-grained shale deposits, hosting important oil and gas resources. This chapter points out the main vertical and lateral lithofacies variations and the patterns of well logs, coupled with geochemical and mineralogical data in order to reconstruct the se‐ quence stratigraphic framework of significant shales located in the USA (Barnett shale, Woodford shale, Marcellus shale, Mowry shale, Niobrara shale) and in China (Longmaxi shale, Chang7 shale). The techniques and methods have been shown to aim at recognizing the sequence boundaries, the system tracts, the flooding surfaces, the sets of parasequences, and the parasequences for the reconstruction of the stratigraphic architecture of shales and of the corresponding control factors, including the relative sea-level fluctuations and the sedimentary supply.

The third chapter, "Sequence Stratigraphy of Fluvial Facies: A New Type of Representative from Wenliu Area, Bohai Bay Basin, China," by Jingzhe Li and Jinliang Zhang, deals with the application of sequence stratigraphic concepts to alluvial environments, as an alternative to the classical concepts of sequence stratigraphy, which have been typically developed on the marine environments. The Wenliu area (Bohai Basin, China), developed as a case history in this chapter, hosts a kind of rivers, namely, the distributive fluvial systems (DFS), charac‐ terized by a radiation patterns of the channels coming from a vertex, by a broad convex-con‐ cave upward downfan, and by the intersection of the alluvial system located on the river. A sedimentary model of the Wenliu area is herein proposed, showing that the prevalent lithol‐ ogies are mudstones, sandy mudstones, muddy siltstones, shaley siltstones, and siltstones. Fifty-eight short-term sea-level cycles have been recognized based on sequence stratigraphic setting, which has evidenced the occurrence of both rises and falls of the sea level.

Chapter 4, "Seismic Stratigraphic Features of the Late Miocene-Present Unconformities and Related Seismic Units, Northern Offshore of Taiwan," by Jih-Hsin Chang, Eason Yi-Cheng Yang, Ho-Han Hsu, Chih-Chieh Su, Char-Shine Liu, Shye-Donq Chiu, Yuan-Wei Li, Yen-Chun Lin, and Jen-Sen Shen, explains the seismostratigraphic features in the northern Tai‐ wan offshore based on seismic profiles. In this chapter, significant seismic unconformities and related seismic units are discussed and interpreted. The regional unconformities are in‐ terpreted to be formed as a response to a mountain collapse and to the end of regional vol‐ canic and tectonic activity, genetically related with the development of Late Neogene basins in the northern Taiwan offshore. The tectonic evolution and the corresponding implications for the post-collisional basins have also been reconstructed.

#### **Integrated Stratigraphy**

Chapter 5, "Stratigraphy of Jurassic Sediments of the Southern Siberian Platform (Russia) Studied through Lithologic and Paleobotanical Data," by A.O. Frolov, N.I. Akulov, and I.M. Mashchuk, presents the results of an integrated stratigraphic study of Jurassic deposits of the Irkutsk Coal Basin through the integration of lithologic and paleobotanical data. The main stratigraphic units of the Irkutsk basin (Cheremkhovskaya Formation, Prisayanskaya Formation, and Kudinskaya Formation) have been studied through the individuation of their lithologic characteristics. Moreover, two new fossil plant assemblages have been indi‐ viduated and described, which were previously unknown. The stratigraphic correlation has been established based on paleobotanical data, correlating the Jurassic deposits of the Ir‐ kutsk basin with the deposits filling the basins located in western Siberia.

Chapter 6, "Stratigraphic Unconformities: Review of the Concept and Examples from the Middle-Upper Paleozoic," by Pavel Kabanov, deals mainly with the disconformities and their geological meaning in stratigraphy. The disconformities have been examined at a seis‐ mic resolution, pointing out that on the seismic sections they appear if the subaerial expo‐ sure has provoked the development of a significant relief or alternatively of incised fluvial channels, which may be identified at the scale of the seismic profile. The evaluation of hia‐ tuses related to disconformities has also been carried out, suggesting that these stratigraphic surfaces are subzonal and do not show index fossils below and above the unconformity it‐ self. The conceptual expression of disconformities is suggested, since they can occur in flood plain successions and in shallow marine successions, both as deposited under a wet climate controlled by an open stream drainage and as deposited in a dry climate and a karst envi‐ ronment. The drowning unconformities, typically occurring in carbonate platform environ‐ ment, have also been studied in this chapter. The case histories include the Permian-Pennsylvanian successions of the Sverdrup Basin (Arctic Archipelago, Canada), the Carboniferous successions of the Moscow Basin (Russia), and the Lower-Middle Devonian successions of the Mackenzie Corridor (northwestern Canada).

quence stratigraphic framework of significant shales located in the USA (Barnett shale, Woodford shale, Marcellus shale, Mowry shale, Niobrara shale) and in China (Longmaxi shale, Chang7 shale). The techniques and methods have been shown to aim at recognizing the sequence boundaries, the system tracts, the flooding surfaces, the sets of parasequences, and the parasequences for the reconstruction of the stratigraphic architecture of shales and of the corresponding control factors, including the relative sea-level fluctuations and the

The third chapter, "Sequence Stratigraphy of Fluvial Facies: A New Type of Representative from Wenliu Area, Bohai Bay Basin, China," by Jingzhe Li and Jinliang Zhang, deals with the application of sequence stratigraphic concepts to alluvial environments, as an alternative to the classical concepts of sequence stratigraphy, which have been typically developed on the marine environments. The Wenliu area (Bohai Basin, China), developed as a case history in this chapter, hosts a kind of rivers, namely, the distributive fluvial systems (DFS), charac‐ terized by a radiation patterns of the channels coming from a vertex, by a broad convex-con‐ cave upward downfan, and by the intersection of the alluvial system located on the river. A sedimentary model of the Wenliu area is herein proposed, showing that the prevalent lithol‐ ogies are mudstones, sandy mudstones, muddy siltstones, shaley siltstones, and siltstones. Fifty-eight short-term sea-level cycles have been recognized based on sequence stratigraphic

setting, which has evidenced the occurrence of both rises and falls of the sea level.

for the post-collisional basins have also been reconstructed.

kutsk basin with the deposits filling the basins located in western Siberia.

Chapter 4, "Seismic Stratigraphic Features of the Late Miocene-Present Unconformities and Related Seismic Units, Northern Offshore of Taiwan," by Jih-Hsin Chang, Eason Yi-Cheng Yang, Ho-Han Hsu, Chih-Chieh Su, Char-Shine Liu, Shye-Donq Chiu, Yuan-Wei Li, Yen-Chun Lin, and Jen-Sen Shen, explains the seismostratigraphic features in the northern Tai‐ wan offshore based on seismic profiles. In this chapter, significant seismic unconformities and related seismic units are discussed and interpreted. The regional unconformities are in‐ terpreted to be formed as a response to a mountain collapse and to the end of regional vol‐ canic and tectonic activity, genetically related with the development of Late Neogene basins in the northern Taiwan offshore. The tectonic evolution and the corresponding implications

Chapter 5, "Stratigraphy of Jurassic Sediments of the Southern Siberian Platform (Russia) Studied through Lithologic and Paleobotanical Data," by A.O. Frolov, N.I. Akulov, and I.M. Mashchuk, presents the results of an integrated stratigraphic study of Jurassic deposits of the Irkutsk Coal Basin through the integration of lithologic and paleobotanical data. The main stratigraphic units of the Irkutsk basin (Cheremkhovskaya Formation, Prisayanskaya Formation, and Kudinskaya Formation) have been studied through the individuation of their lithologic characteristics. Moreover, two new fossil plant assemblages have been indi‐ viduated and described, which were previously unknown. The stratigraphic correlation has been established based on paleobotanical data, correlating the Jurassic deposits of the Ir‐

Chapter 6, "Stratigraphic Unconformities: Review of the Concept and Examples from the Middle-Upper Paleozoic," by Pavel Kabanov, deals mainly with the disconformities and their geological meaning in stratigraphy. The disconformities have been examined at a seis‐ mic resolution, pointing out that on the seismic sections they appear if the subaerial expo‐ sure has provoked the development of a significant relief or alternatively of incised fluvial

sedimentary supply.

VIII Preface

**Integrated Stratigraphy**

Chapter 7, "Integrated Stratigraphy of Cenozoic Andean Foreland Basin (Northern Argenti‐ na)," by Claudia Ines Galli, Ricardo Narciso Alonso, and Lidia Beatriz Coira, provides an inte‐ grated stratigraphic study of the Cenozoic deposits filling the foreland basin of the Andean fold and thrust belt (northwestern Argentina). The relationships between sedimentary proc‐ esses and tectonic setting have been evidenced, since the geological history of the foreland basin is strictly related with the tectonic control factor, acting on the development of the allu‐ vial systems occurring in the basin. This integrated stratigraphic study has been carried out integrating different stratigraphic data and methods, including the paleoenvironmental char‐ acters, the types of stratigraphic contacts between the units, the geochronological data refer‐ red to the age of the units, and the paleomagnetic data, constraining the age of the units inferred from geochronology. The pre-Andean basement, underlying the foreland basin fill‐ ing, has been individuated and described in detail. The facies, the stratigraphic architecture, and the sequence stratigraphy of the Los Colorados Formation, the Angastaco Formation, the Palo Pintado Formation, the San Felipe Formation, the Métan Subgroup, the Guanaco Forma‐ tion, and the Piquete Formation have been described in detail.

I thank Mrs. Mirena Calmic and Mrs. Martina Usljebrka, Publishing Process Managers of InTech—Open Science, Open Minds—who have contributed to this book project on stratig‐ raphy with competence and patience, following day after day the editorial activities and making possible the publishing of this book.

> **Dr. Gemma Aiello, PhD** Full-Time Researcher National Research Council of Italy (CNR) Institute of Marine and Coastal Environment (IAMC) Naples, Italy

**Section 1**
