Distribution of the Neogene Utsira Sand and the succeeding deposits in the Viking Graben area, North Sea

U. Gregersen, P.N. Johannessen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The sandy quartzose parts of the Utsira Formation, the Middle Miocene to mid Pliocene Utsira Sand, extends north-south along the Viking Graben near the UK/Norwegian median line for more than 450 km and 75-130 km east-west. The Utsira Sand is located in basin-restricted seismic depocentres, east of and below prograding sandy units from the Shetland Platform area with Hutton Sands. The Utsira Sand reaches thicknesses up to ca. 300 m in the southern depocentre and 200 m in the two northern depocentres with sedimentation rates up to 2-4 cm/ka. Succeeding Plio-Pleistocene is divided into seismic units, including Base Upper Pliocene, Shale Drape, Prograding Complex and Pleistocene. The units mainly consist of clay, but locally minor sands occur, especially at toes of prograding clinoforms (bottom-set sands) and in the Pleistocene parts, and the total thickness covering the Utsira Sand is in most places more than 800 m, but thins towards the margins.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)591-606
Number of pages16
JournalMarine and Petroleum Geology
Volume24
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2007

Keywords

  • Neogene
  • Northern North Sea
  • Utsira Sand

Programme Area

  • Programme Area 3: Energy Resources

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