Exhumation of the North Atlantic Margin: Timing, Mechanisms and Implications for Petroleum Exploration (Geological Society Special Publication, No. 196)

501 Pages·2002·43.59 MB·English

by  A. G. Dore, J. A. Cartwright, M. S. Stoker, J. P. Turner, N. J. White

Exhumation of the North Atlantic Margin:
Timing, Mechanisms and Implications for
Petroleum Exploration
Geological Society Special Publications
Society Book Editors
A. J. FLEET (CHIEF EDITOR)
P. DOYLE
F. J. GREGORY
J. S. GRIFFITHS
A. J. HARTLEY
R. E. HOLDSWORTH
A. C. MORTON
N. S. ROBINS
M. S. STOKER
J. P. TURNER
Special Publication reviewing procedures
The Society makes every effort to ensure that the scientific and production quality of its books matches
that of its journals. Since 1997, all book proposals have been refereed by specialist reviewers as well as
by the Society's Books Editorial Committee. If the referees identify weaknesses in the proposal, these
must be addressed before the proposal is accepted.
Once the book is accepted, the Society has a team of Book Editors (listed above) who ensure that the
volume editors follow strict guidelines on refereeing and quality control. We insist that individual papers
can only be accepted after satisfactory review by two independent referees. The questions on the review
forms are similar to those for Journal of the Geological Society. The referees' forms and comments
must be available to the Society's Book Editors on request.
Although many of the books result from meetings, the editors are expected to commission papers that
were not presented at the meeting to ensure that the book provides a balanced coverage of the subject.
Being accepted for presentation at the meeting does not guarantee inclusion in the book.
Geological Society Special Publications are included in the ISI Science Citation Index, but they do
not have an impact factor, the latter being applicable only to journals.
More information about submitting a proposal and producing a Special Publication can be found on
the Society's web site: www.geolsoc.org.uk.
It is recommended that reference to all or part of this book should be made in one of the following
ways:
DORE, A. G., CARTWRIGHT, J. A., STOKER, M. S., TURNER, J. P. & WHITE, N. (eds) 2002. Exhumation
of the North Atlantic Margin: Timing, Mechanisms and Implications for Petroleum Exploration. Geo-
logical Society, London, Special Publications, 196.
BLUNDELL, D. J. 2002. Cenzoic inversion and uplift of southern Britain. In: DORE, A. G., CARTWRIGHT,
J. A., STOKER, M. S., TURNER, J. P. & WHITE, N. (eds) Exhumation of the North Atlantic Margin: Tim-
ing, Mechanisms and Implications for Petroleum Exploration. Geological Society, London, Special
Publications, 196, 85-101.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATION No. 196
Exhumation of the North Atlantic
Margin: Timing, Mechanisms and
Implications for Petroleum
Exploration
EDITED BY
A. G. DORE
Statoil, UK
J. A. CARTWRIGHT
Cardiff University, UK
M. S. STOKER
British Geological Survey, Edinburgh, UK
J. P. TURNER
University of Birmingham, UK
and
N. WHITE
Bullard Laboratories, Cambridge, UK
2002
Published by
The Geological Society
London
THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
The Geological Society of London (GSL) was founded in 1807. It is the oldest national geological society in the
world and the largest in Europe. It was incorporated under Royal Charter in 1825 and is Registered Charity 210161.
The Society is the UK national learned and professional society for geology with a worldwide Fellowship (FGS) of
9000. The Society has the power to confer Chartered status on suitably qualified Fellows, and about 2000 of the
Fellowship carry the title (CGeol). Chartered Geologists may also obtain the equivalent European title, European
Geologist (EurGeol). One fifth of the Society's fellowship resides outside the UK. To find out more about the
Society, log on to www.geolsoc.org.uk.
The Geological Society Publishing House (Bath, UK) produces the Society's international journals and books,
and acts as European distributor for selected publications of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists
(AAPG), the American Geological Institute (AGI), the Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA), the Geological
Society of America (GSA), the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM) and the Geologists' Association (GA).
Joint marketing agreements ensure that GSL Fellows may purchase these societies' publications at a discount. The
Society's online bookshop (accessible from www.geolsoc.org.uk) offers secure book purchasing with your credit or
debit card.
To find out about joining the Society and benefiting from substantial discounts on publications of GSL and other
societies worldwide, consult www.geolsoc.org.uk, or contact the Fellowship Department at: The Geological Society,
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J OBG: Tel. [phone]; Fax [phone]; Email:
Contents
DORE, A. G., CARTWRIGHT, J. A., STOKER, M. S., TURNER, J. P. & WHITE, N. J. Exhumation of 1
the North Atlantic margin: introduction and background
Mechanisms
JONES, S. M., WHITE, N., CLARKE, B. J., ROWLEY, E. & GALLAGHER, K. Present and past 13
influence of the Iceland Plume on sedimentation
ROHRMAN, M., VAN DER BEEK, P. A., VAN DER HILST, R. D. & REEMST, P. Timing and 27
mechanisms of North Atlantic Cenozoic uplift: evidence for mantle upwelling
NIELSEN, S. B., PAULSEN, G. E., HANSEN, D. L., GEMMER, L., CLAUSEN, O. R., JACOBSEN, B. 45
H., BALLING, N., HUUSE, M. & GALLAGHER, K. Paleocene initiation of Cenozoic uplift in
Norway
GRAVERSEN, O. A structural transect between the central North Sea Dome and the South 67
Swedish Dome: Middle Jurassic-Quaternary uplift-subsidence reversal and exhumation across
the eastern North Sea Basin
BLUNDEL, D. J. Cenozoic inversion and uplift of southern Britain 85
Scandinavia, Greenland and adjacent margin
LlDMAR-BERGSTROM, K. & NASLUND, J. O. Landforms and uplift in Scandinavia 103
HENDRIKS, B. W. H. & ANDRIESSEN, P. A. M. Pattern and timing of the post-Caledonian 117
denudation of northern Scandinavia constrained by apatite fission-track thermochronology
EVANS, D., McGiVERON, S., HARRISON, Z., BRYN, P. & BERG, K. Along-slope variation in the 139
late Neogene evolution of the mid-Norwegian margin in response to uplift and tectonism
STROEVEN, A. P., FABEL, D., HARBOR, J., HATTESTRAND, C. & KLEMAN, J. Reconstructing the 153
erosion history of glaciated passive margins: applications of in situ produced cosmogenic
nuclide techniques
CEDERBOM, C. The thermotectonic development of southern Sweden during Mesozoic and 169
Cenozoic time
JAPSEN, P., BIDSTRUP, T. & LIDMAR-BERGSTROM, K. Neogene uplift and erosion of southern 183
Scandinavia induced by the rise of the South Swedish Dome
HUUSE, M. Cenozoic uplift and denudation of southern Norway: insights from the North Sea 209
Basin
FALEIDE, J. L, KYRKJEB0, R., KJENNERUD, T., GABRIELSEN, R. H., JORDT, H., FANAVOLL, S. & 235
BJERKE, M. D. Tectonic impact on sedimentary processes during Cenozoic evolution of the
northern North Sea and surrounding areas
UK, Ireland and adjacent margin
HALL, A. & BISHOP, P. Scotland's denudational history: an integrated view of erosion and 271
sedimentation at an uplifted passive margin
ANDERSEN, M. S., S0RENSEN, A. B., BOLDREEL, L. O. & NIELSEN, T. Cenozoic evolution of the 291
Faroe Platform, comparing denudation and deposition
STOKER, M. S. Late Neogene development of the UK Atlantic margin 313
GREEN, P. F., DUDDY, I. R. & HEGARTY, K. A. Quantifying exhumation from apatite fission- 331
track analysis and vitrinite reflectance data: precision, accuracy and latest results from the
Atlantic margin of NW Europe
WARE, P. D. & TURNER, J. P. Sonic velocity analysis of the Tertiary denudation of the Irish Sea 355
basin
ALLEN, P. A., BENNETT, S. D., CUNNINGHAM, M. J. M., CARTER, A., GALLAGHER, K., 371
LAZZARETTI, E., GALEWSKY, J., DENSMORE, A. L., PHILLIPS, W. E. A., NAYLOR, D. & HACH,
C. S. The post-Variscan thermal and denudational history of Ireland
Implications for petroleum exploration
DORE, A. G., CORCORAN, D. V. & SCOTCHMAN, I. C. Prediction of the hydrocarbon system in 401
exhumed basins, and application to the NW European margin
PRICE, L. C. Geological and geochemical consequences of basin exhumation, and commercial 431
implications
PARNELL, J. Diagenesis and fluid flow in response to uplift and exhumation 433
CRAMER, B., SCHLOMER, S. & POELCHAU, H. S. Uplift-related hydrocarbon accumulations: the 447
release of natural gas from groundwater
CORCORAN, D. V. & DORE, A. G. Depressurization of hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs in 457
exhumed basin settings: evidence from Atlantic margin and borderland basins
Index 485
Exhumation of the North Atlantic margin:
introduction and background
1 2 3 4 5
A. G. DORE , J. A. CARTWRIGHT , M. S. STOKER , J. P. TURNER & N. J. WHITE
l
Statoil (UK) Ltd, lla Regent Street, London SW1Y 4ST, UK (e-mail:
2 A. G. DORE ETAL.
Historical descriptions of the numerous bordering shelves (e.g. Solheim et al 1996;
strands of subsequent investigation have been Japsen & Chalmers 2000), together with
given by Gabrielsen & Dore (1995), Stuevold redeposition and a widespread change in the
& Eldholm (1996) and Japsen & Chalmers deep-water circulation pattern in the adjacent
(2000). A summary of the key findings is as basins (Stratagem Partners 2002). The Paleo-
follows. cene event appears to have been particularly
significant in the British Isles, whereas the late
• As well as in mainland Norway and Britain, Neogene event seems to have extended from
Cenozoic uplift and/or emergence took place Scandinavia to the Atlantic margin of Britain
in Spitsbergen (Harland 1969), Sweden and and /Ireland. Additionally, compressional
part of Denmark (e.g. Japsen & Chalmers upli/t (inversion) associated with Alpine stress
2000), Ireland (e.g. Naylor 1992), East and/or ridge-push from Atlantic spreading is
Greenland (e.g. Johnson & Gallagher 2000) common throughout much of the area,
and West Greenland (e.g. Mathiesen 1998). In although localized and very variable in effect
other words, it is a circum-North Atlantic (e.g. Murdoch et al 1995; Dore & Lundin
phenomenon. 1996).
• Cenozoic exhumation also took place in • Critically for the petroleum industry, several
basins peripheral to the landmasses. It was North Atlantic basins containing commer-
recognized early that the huge expanse of shelf cially significant hydrocarbon resources were
forming the Barents Sea was exposed both uplifted and exhumed during Cenozoic
subaerially and eroded during late Cenozoic time, with profound implications for the
time (Nansen 1904; Harland 1969). To this quantity and nature of the hydrocarbons
have subsequently been added the Horda discovered. These effects have been system-
Platform, Stord Basin and Farsund Basin of atically studied in the Barents Sea (Nyland
offshore Norway (e.g. Ghazi 1992; Jensen & et al 1992) and to some extent in the east Irish
Schmidt 1993), the West Shetland Inner Sea (Cowan et al 1999), but in terms of
Moray Firth and East Irish Sea Basins in UK overall applicability to uplifted terranes are
waters (described by, for example, Lewis el al still underestimated.
(1992), Parnell et al (1999), Hillis et al
(1994) and Rowley & White (1998), respect- Despite this rapid increase in the under-
ively), the Slyne-Erris and North Celtic Sea standing of the exhumation of the North
Basins off the Irish coast (described by Atlantic borderlands, there are still many
Scotchman & Thomas (1995) and Murdoch unknowns. The relative intensity of the various
et al (1995), respectively) and numerous phases, and their variation in importance
others. Early Cenozoic uplift and subaerial geographically, are still only understood in a
exposure also took place along the volcanic very general sense. Although there is no
highs marginal to the newly developing shortage of postulated uplift mechanisms, there
North Atlantic, areas now submerged to is still a scarcity of observational evidence and
depths of a kilometre or more (e.g. Eldholm modelling studies to establish beyond reason-
et al 1989). able doubt which are the primary causes of
• From the numerous studies now carried out, exhumation, and how these may vary from
both local and regional, it is clear that the area to area. Tied to these problems is the
circum-North Atlantic uplift and erosion was larger-scale question of whether the circum-
variable in magnitude, location and timing. It North Atlantic is unique or whether its
could thus perhaps be argued that the behaviour is typical for passive margins.
phenomenon represents a patchwork of effects There have been several attempts in recent
deriving from many unrelated causes. Never- years to bring together researchers to address
theless, as integration between the various these questions, and compilations have been
studies improves, it seems that at least two published that are the direct antecedents of this
events had regional significance: (1) a book (see particularly Jensen et al (1992),
Paleocene episode of widespread emergence Solheim et al (1996) and Chalmers & Cloetingh
in NW Europe coincident with North Atlantic (2000)). These proceedings, however, have
opening and the initial effects of the Iceland tended to focus on one particular geographical
Plume (e.g. White 1988;Brodie&White 1995); area or one particular exhumation phase. There is
(2) a Neogene (mainly Plio-Pleistocene) an acknowledged need to bring together
episode with no obvious tectonic cause, disciplines that have traditionally remained
emphasized by rapid glacial erosion and apart (e.g. geomorphologists and offshore
isostatic adjustment of landmasses and seismic interpreters; Paleogene and Neogene
INTRODUCTION 3
Fig. 1. Topographic and bathymetric map of the eastern North Atlantic, showing the location of studies
represented in this volume. The papers are numbered as follows: 1, Jones et al.\ 2, Rohrman et al.;3, Nielsen et al.\
4, Graversen; 5, Blundell; 6, Lidmar-Bergstrom & Naslund; 7, Hendricks & Andriessen; 8, Evans et al.\ 9,
Stroeven et al.\ 10, Cederbom; 11, Japsen et aL\ 12, Huuse; 13, Faleide et aL\ 14, Bishop & Hall; 15, Andersen
et al\ 16, Stoker; 17, Green et al; 18, Ware & Turner; 19, Allen et al\ 20, Dore et al\ 21, Price; 22, Parnell; 23,
Cramer et al.; 24, Corcoran & Dore. For papers that attempt onshore-off shore event correlation, the area of
interest is represented by the same number onshore and offshore.
workers; Scandinavian and British-Irish
Exhumation and other terms: some
research schools) before an integrated story can
definitions
emerge. By providing an interdisciplinary set of
studies over a wide latitudinal range of the NW Terms such as exhumation, erosion and denuda-
European margin (Fig. 1), this volume represents tion have a varied usage in the literature and are
an initial step in this direction. often used interchangeably. Numerous attempts