Van Tuyl Lecture, Berthoud 241/ Zoom, 4-5 PM

Arnoud Slootman, CSM Geology & Geological Engineering Post-Doctorate

Carbonate Platform Slopes: Outcrops, Experiments and Models

Resedimented carbonates are important building blocks of carbonate platforms and adjacent slopes. Shallow-water carbonate environments may be prolific producers of skeletal and non-skeletal sediments. Excess sediment is exported off-platform and may accumulate onto platform slopes and the basin floor. While shallow-water carbonates have historically been a focus of academic research and industry exploration, slope and basin-floor carbonates have gained interest over the past few decades as it has been demonstrated that these ‘unconventional’ deep-water carbonates may host significant subsurface fluid reservoirs.

The nature of carbonate sediment is largely controlled by the evolution of organisms with CaCO3 skeletons and changes in oceanographic conditions. Yet, carbonate sediment occurs in practically any marine carbonate depositional environment from shallow to deep water, and from the tropics to the poles throughout geologic time. Carbonate sand and gravel attain the wildest particle shapes and may maintain very high intra-particle porosity (think about a snails). Recent research projects at CoRE focus on slope carbonates, flume experiments and sediment-transport models. In this talk we will look as some peculiarities of transported carbonates.

This lecture is scheduled in a hybrid format. If you would like to join the meeting please:

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