Inverse modeling of annealing of fission tracks in apatite 2: Application to the thermal history of the Peace River Arch region, Western Canada sedimentary basin

American Journal of Science

Volumn 297, Issue 10, 1997, Pages 970-1011

  Willett, Sean D ^a   Issler, Dale R ^b   Beaumont, Christopher ^c   Donelick, Ray A ^d   Grist, Alexander M ^c  

^a PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA   (Canada)

^c DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

^d Donelick Analytical Inc   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0031324846     PISSN: 00029599     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2475/ajs.297.10.970     Document Type: Article

References (94)

1. Armstrong, R. L., 1988, Mesozoic and early Cenozoic magmatic evolution of the Canadian Cordillera, in Clark Jr., S. P., Burchfiel, B. C., and Suppe, J., editors, Processes in Continental Lithospheric Deformation: Geological Society of America Special Paper 218, p. 55-91.
2. Armstrong, R. L., and Ward, P. L., 1993, Late Triassic to earliest Eocene magmatism in the North American Cordillera: implications for the Western Interior Basin, in Caldwell, W. G. E., and Kauffman, E. G., editors, Evolution of the Western Interior Basin: Geological Association of Canada Special Paper 39, p. 49-72.
3. Arne, D., 1992, Evidence from apatite fission-track analysis for regional Cretaceous cooling in the Ouachita mountain fold belt and Arkoma basin of Arkansas: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 76, p. 392-402.
4. Arne, D., and Zentilli, M., 1994, Apatite fission track thermochronology integrated with vitrinite reflectance-a review, in Mukhopadhyay, P. K., and Dow, W. G., editors, Vitrinite Reflectance as a Maturity Parameter-Applications and Limitations: American Chemical Society Symposium Series 570, p. 249-268.
5. Aulstead, K. L., and Spencer, R. J., 1985, Diagenesis of the Keg River Formation, northwestern Alberta: fluid inclusion evidence: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 33, no. 2, p. 167-183.
6. Ayalon, A., and Longstaffe, F. J., 1987, Oxygen isotope studies of diagenesis and pore-water evolution in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: evidence from the Upper Cretaceous basal Belly River sandstone, Alberta: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 58, no. 3, p. 489-505.
7. Bachu, S., 1988, Analysis of heat transfer processes and geothermal pattern in the Alberta Basin, Canada: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 93, no. B7, p. 7767-7781.
8. _ 1993, Basement heat flow in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Tectonophysics, v. 222, p. 119-133.
9. _ Bachu, S., 1995, Synthesis and model of formation-water flow, Alberta Basin, Canada: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 79, no. 8, p. 1159-1178.
10. Bachu, S., and Burwash, R. A., 1991, Regional-scale analysis of the geothermal regime in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Geothermics, v. 20, no. 5/6, p. 387-407.
11. _ 1994, Geothermal regime in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, in Mossop, G. D., and Shetsen, I., compilers, Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Calgary, Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and Alberta Research Council, p. 447-454.
12. Bachu, S., and Underschultz, J. R., 1995, Large-scale underpressuring in the Mississippian-Cretaceous succession, southwestern Alberta Basin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 79, no. 7, p. 989-1004.
13. Beaumont, C., 1981, Foreland basins: Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 65, p. 291-329.
14. Beaumont, C., Boutilier, R., Mackenzie, A. S., and Rullkötter, J., 1985, Isomerization and aromatization of hydrocarbons and the paleothermometry of Alberta Foreland Basin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 69, no. 4, p. 546-566.
15. Beckie, K. N., and McIntosh, R. A., 1989, Geology and resources of the Primrose crude bitumen deposits, northeastern Alberta, in Meyer, R. F., and Wiggins, E. J., editors, Proceedings, Fourth UNITAR/UNDP International Conference on Heavy Crude and Tar Sands, v. 2, Geology, Geochemistry: Edmonton, Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority, p. 19-36.
16. Berggren, W. A., Kent, D. V., Swisher III, C. C., and Aubry, M.-P., 1995, A revised Cenozoic geochronology and chronostratigraphy, in Berggren, W. A., Kent, D. V., Aubry, M.-P., and Hardenbol, J., editors, Geochronology, Time Scales and Global Stratigraphic Correlation: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Special Publication 54, p. 129-212.
17. Bustin, R. M., 1991, Organic maturity in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, in Kalkreuth, W., Bustin, R. M., and Cameron, A. R., editors, Recent Advances in Organic Petrology and Geochemistry: A Symposium Honoring Dr. P. Hacquebard: International Journal of Coal Geology, v. 19, p. 319-358.
18. Caldwell, W. G. E., and Kauffman, E. G., editors, 1993, Evolution of the Western Interior Basin: Geological Association of Canada Special Paper 39, 680 p.
19. Cant, D. J., 1988, Regional structure and development of the Peace River Arch, Alberta: a Paleozoic failed-rift system?: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 36, no. 3, p. 284-295.
20. Connolly, C. A., Walter, L. M., Baadsgaard, H., and Longstaffe, F. J., 1990a, Origin and evolution of formation waters, Alberta Basin, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. I. Chemistry: Applied Geochemistry, v. 5, p. 375-395.
21. _ 1990b, Origin and evolution of formation waters, Alberta Basin, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. II. Isotope systematics and water mixing: Applied Geochemistry, v. 5, p. 397-413.
22. Constenius, K. N., 1996, Late Paleogene extensional collapse of the Cordilleran foreland fold and thrust belt: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 108, no. 1, p. 20-39.
23. Corbet, T. F., and Bethke, C. M., 1992, Disequilibrium fluid pressures and groundwater flow in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 97, no. B5, p. 7203-7217.
24. Covey, M. C., Vrolijk, P. J., Pevear, D. R., and Lariviere, A. J., 1994, Direct dating of fault movement in the Rocky Mountain Front Ranges ol southern Alberta: Geological Society of America 1994 Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, Abstracts with Programs, v. 26, p. A-467.
25. Creaney, S., and Allan, J., 1990. Hydrocarbon generation and migration in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, in Brooks, J., editor, Classic Petroleum Provinces: Geological Society Special Publication no. 50, p. 189-202.
26. Creaney, S., Allan, J., Cole, K. S., Fowler, M. G., Brooks, P. W., Osadetz, K. G., Macqueen, R. W., Snowdon, L. R., and Riediger, C. L., 1994, Petroleum generation and migration in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, in Mossop, G. D., and Shetsen, I., compilers, Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Calgary, Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and Alberta Research Council, p. 455-468.
27. Demchuk, T. D., 1990, Palynostratigraphic zonation of Paleocene strata in the central and south-central Alberta Plains: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 27, no. 10, p. 1263-1269.
28. Demchuk, T. D., and Hills, L. V., 1991, A re-examination of the Paskapoo Formation in the central Alberta Plains: the designation of three new members: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 39, no. 3, p. 270-282.
29. Donelick, R. A., and Beaumont, C., 1990, Late Cretaceous-early Tertiary cooling of the Brazeau thrust sheet, Central Foothills, Alberta: implications for the timing of the end of Laramide thrusting in the region: Geological Association of Canada-Mineralogical Association of Canada Annual. Meeting, Program with Abstracts, v. 15, p. A34.
30. Donelick, R. A., Roden, M. K., Mooers, J. D., Carpenter, B. S., and Miller, D. S., 1990, Etchable length reduction of induced fission tracks in apatite at room temperature (∼23°C): crystallographic orientation effects and "initial" mean lengths: Nuclear Tracks and Radiation Measurements, v. 17, p. 261-265.
31. Environment Canada, 1984, Canadian climate normals, v. 9, soil temperature, lake evaporation, days with blowing snow, hail, fog, smoke or haze, and frost.
32. Feinstein, S., Issler, D. R., Snowclon, L. R., and Williams, G. K., 1996, Characterization of major unconformities by paleothermometric and paleobarometric methods: application to the Mackenzie Plain, Northwest Territories, Canada: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 44, no. 1, p. 55-71.
33. Fermer, P. R., and Moffat, I. W., 1992, Tectonics and structure of the Western Canada Foreland Basin, in Macqueen, R. W., and Leckie, D. A., editors, Foreland Basins and Fold Belts: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 55, p. 81-105.
34. Garven, Grant, 1989, A hydrogeologic model for the formation of the giant oil sands deposits of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: American Journal of Science, v. 289, p. 105-166.
35. Green, P. F., Duddy, I. R., Gleadow, A. J. W., and Lovering, J. F., 1989, Apatite fission track analysis as a paleotemperature indicator for hydrocarbon exploration, in Naeser, N. D., and McCulloh, T. H., editors, Thermal Histories of Sedimentary Basins: Methods and Case Histories, New York, Springer Verlag, p. 181-195.
36. Green, P. F., Duddy, I. R., Gleadow, A. J. W., Tingate, P. R., and Laslett, G. M., 1986, Thermal annealing of fission tracks in apatite 1. A qualitative description: Chemical Geology (Isotope Geoscience Section), v. 59, p. 237-253.
37. Greenwood, D. R., and Wing, S. L., 1995, Eocene continental climates and latitudinal temperature gradients: Geology, v. 23, no. 11, p. 1044-1048.
38. Hacquebard, P. A., 1977, Rank of coal as an index of organic metamorphism for oil and gas in Alberta, in Deroo, G., Powell, T. G., Tissot, B., and McCrossan, R. G., editors, The Origin and Migration of Petroleum in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, Alberta-A Geochemical and Thermal Maturation Study: Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 262, p. 11-22.
39. Hitchon, B., 1984, Geothermal gradients, hydrodynamics, and hydrocarbon occurrences, Alberta, Canada: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 68, no. 6, p. 713-743.
40. Hitchon, B., Bachu, S., and Underschultz, J. R., 1990, Regional subsurface hydrogeology, Peace River Arch area, Alberta and British Columbia, in O'Connell, S. C., and Bell, J. S., editors, Geology of the Peace River Arch: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 38A, p. 196-217.
41. Issler, D. R., Beaumont, C., Willett, S. D., Donelick, R. A., Mooers, J. and Grist, A., 1990, Preliminary evidence from apatite fission-track data concerning the thermal history of the Peace River Arch region, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, in O'Connell, S. C., and Bell, J. S., editors, Geology of the Peace River Arch: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 38A, p. 250-269.
42. Jones, F. W., Lam, H. L., and Majorowicz, J. A., 1985, Temperature distributions at the Paleozoic and Precambrian surfaces and their implications for geothermal energy recovery in Alberta: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 22, no. 12, p. 1774-1780.
43. Kamp, P. J., and Green, P. F., 1990, Thermal and tectonic history of selected Taranaki Basin (New Zealand) wells assessed by apatite fission track analysis: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 74, p. 1401-1419.
44. Leckie, D., 1986, Petrology and tectonic significance of Gates Formation (Early Cretaceous) sediments in northeast British Columbia: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 23, no. 2, p. 129-141.
45. Lerbekmo, J. F., Demchuk, T. D., Evans, M. E., and Hoye, G. S., 1992, Magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the continental Paleocene of the Red Deer Valley, Alberta, Canada: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 40, no. 1, p. 24-35.
46. Longstaffe, F. J., and Ayalon, A., 1991, Mineralogical and O-isotope studies of diagenesis and porewater evolution in continental sandstones, Cretaceous Belly River Group, Alberta, Canada: Applied Geochemistry, v. 6, p. 291-303.
47. Longstaffe, F. J., Tilley, B. J., Ayalon, A., and Connolly, C. A., 1992, Controls on porewater evolution during sandstone diagenesis, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: an oxygen isotope perspective, in Houseknecht, D. W., and Pittman, E. D., editors, Origin, Diagenesis, and Petrophysics of Clay Minerals in Sandstones: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication no. 47, p. 13-34.
48. Loveseth, G. E., and Pfeffer, B. J., 1992, Geothermal resources of the Alberta Plains: Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 2423, 19 p.
49. Machel, H. G., Cavell, P. A., and Patey, K. S., 1996, Isotopic evidence for carbonate cementation and recrystallization, and for tectonic expulsion ol fluids into the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Geological Society of Am erica Bulletin, v. 108, no. 5, p. 1108-1119.
50. Macqueen, R. W., and Leckie, D. A., editors, 1992, Foreland Basins and Fold Belts: Tulsa, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 55, 460 p.
51. Magara, K., 1978, Compaction and Fluid Migration-Practical Petroleum Geology: New York, Elsevier, 319 p.
52. Majorowicz, J. A., 1993, Climate change inferred from analysis of borehole temperatures: first results from Alberta Basin, Canada: Pageoph, v. 140, no. 4, p. 655-666.
53. Majorowicz, J. A., and Jessop, A. M., 1981, Regional heat flow patterns in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin: Tectonophysics, v. 74, p. 209-238.
54. _ 1993, Relation between basement heat flow and thermal state of the sedimentary succession of the Alberta Plains: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 41, no. 3, p. 358-368.
55. Majorowicz, J. A., Jones, F. W., Ertman, M. E., Osadetz, K. G., and Stasiuk, L. D., 1990, Relationship between thermal maturation gradients, geothermal gradients and estimates of the thickness of the eroded foreland section, southern Alberta Plains, Canada: Marine and Petroleum Geology, v. 7, p. 138-152.
56. Majorowicz, J. A., Jones, F. W., Lam, H. L., and Jessop, A. M., 1985, Regional variations of heat flow differences with depth in Alberta, Canada: Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, v. 81, p. 479-487.
57. Marchioni, D., and Kalkreuth, W., 1992, Vitrinite reflectance and thermal maturity in Cretaceous strata of the Peace River Arch region: west-central Alberta and adjacent British Columbia: Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 2576, 44 p.
58. McIver, E. E., and Basinger, J. F., 1993, Flora of the Ravenscrag Formation (Paleocene), southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and Geological Association of Canada, Palaeontographica Canadiana no. 10, 167 p.
59. McMechan, M. E., 1990, Upper Proterozoic to Middle Cambrian history of the Peace River Arch: evidence from the Rocky Mountains, in O'Connell, S. C., and Bell, J. S., editors, Geology of the Peace River Arch: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 38A, p. 36-44.
60. McMechan, M. E., and Thompson, R. I., 1993, The Canadian Cordilleran fold and thrust belt south of 66°N and its influence on the Western Interior Basin, in Caldwell, W. G. E., and Kauffman, E. G., editors. Evolution of the Western Interior Basin: Geological Association of Canada Special Paper 39, p. 73-90.
61. Mellon, G. B., 1967, Stratigraphy and petrology of the Lower Cretaceous Blairmore and Mannville Groups, Alberta Foothills and Plains: Research Council of Alberta Bulletin 21, 270 p.
62. Morrow, D. W., and Issler, D. R., 1993, Calculation of vitrinite reflectance from thermal histories: a comparison of some methods: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 77, no. 4, p. 610-624.
63. Morrow, D. W., Potter, J., Richards, B., and Goodarzi, F., 1993, Paleozoic burial and organic maturation in the Liard Basin region, northern Canada: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 41, no. 1, p. 17-31.
64. Mossop, G.D., 1980, Geology of the Athabasca oil sands: Science, v. 207, p. 145-152.
65. Mossop, G. D., and Shetsen, I., compilers, 1994, Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Calgary, Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and Alberta Research Council, 510 p.
66. Naeser, C. W., Gleadow, A. J. W., and Wagner, G. A., 1979, Standardization of fission-track data reports: Nuclear Tracks, v. 3, p. 133-136.
67. Norford, B. S., 1990, Ordovician and Silurian stratigraphy, paleogeography and depositional history in the Peace River Arch area, Alberta and British Columbia, in O'Connell, S. C., and Bell, J. S., editors, Geology of the Peace River Arch: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 38A, p. 45-54.
68. Nurkowski, J. R., 1984, Coal quality, coal rank variation and its relation to reconstructed overburden, Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary plains coals, Alberta, Canada: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 68, no. 3, p. 285-295.
69. O'Connell, S. C., and Bell, J. S., editors, 1990, Geology of the Peace River Arch: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 38A, 281 p.
70. Osadetz, K. G., Jones, F. W., Majorowicz, J. A., Pearson, D. E., and Stasiuk, L. D., 1992, Thermal history of the Cordilleran foreland basin in Western Canada: a review, in Macqueen, R. W., and Leckie, D. A., editors, Foreland Basins and Fold Belts: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 55, p. 259-278.
71. O'Sullivan, P. B., and Parrish, R. R., 1995, The importance of apatite composition and single-grain ages when interpreting fission track data from plutonic rocks: a case study from the Coast Ranges, British Columbia: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 132, p. 213-224.
72. Palmer, A. R., compiler, 1983, The Decade of North American Geology 1983, Geologic Time Scale: Geology, v. 11, p. 503-504.
73. Parks, K. P., and Toth, J., 1995, Field evidence for erosion-induced underpressuring in Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary strata, west central Alberta, Canada: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 43, no. 3, p. 281-292.
74. Parrish, R. R., 1995, Thermal evolution of the southeastern Canadian Cordillera: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 32, p. 1618-1642.
75. Pearson, D., 1985, Source rock maturity over the Peace River Arch: Institute of Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology, Calgary, Final report to Department of Supply and Services contract OSG85-00184.
76. Porter, J. W., Price, R. A., and McCrossan, R. G., 1982, The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A, v. 305, p. 169-192.
77. Pugh, D. C., 1975, Cambrian stratigraphy from western Alberta to northeastern British Columbia: Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 74-37, 31 p.
78. Putnam, P. E., and Pedskalny, M. A., 1983, Provenance of Clearwater Formation reservoir sandstones, Cold Lake, Alberta, with comments on feldspar composition: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 31, no. 3, p. 148-160.
79. Rahmani, R. A., and Lerbekmo, J. F., 1975, Heavy-mineral analysis of Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene sandstones in Alberta and adjacent areas of Saskatchewan: Geological Association of Canada Special Paper 13, p. 607-632.
80. Ravenhurst, C. E., and Donelick, R. A., 1992, Fission track thermochronology, in Zentilli, M., and Reynolds, P. H., editors, Low Temperature Thermochronology: Mineralogical Association of Canada, Short Course Handbook, v. 20, p. 21-42.
81. Ravenhurst, C. E., Willett, S. D., Donelick, R. A., and Beaumont, C., 1994, Apatite fission track thermochronometry from central Alberta: implications for the thermal history of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 99, no. B10, p. 20023-20041.
82. Ricketts, B. D., editor, 1989, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin-A Case History: Calgary, Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, 320 p.
83. Ross, G. M., Parrish, R. R., Villeneuve, M. E., and Bowring, S. A., 1991, Geophysics and geochronology of the crystalline basement of the Alberta Basin, western Canada: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 28, no. 4, p. 512-522.
84. Smith, L., and Chapman, D. S., 1983, On the thermal effects of groundwater flow 1. Regional scale systems: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 88, p. 593-608.
85. Steiner, J., Williams, G. D., and Dickie, G. J., 1972, Coal deposits of the Alberta Plains, in Mellon, G. B., Kramers, J. W., and Seagel, E. J., editors, Proceedings, First Geological Conference on Western Canadian Coal: Edmonton, Research Council of Alberta, Information Series no. 60, p. 85-96.
86. Stelck, C. R., Burwash, R. A., and Stelck, D. R., 1978, The Vreeland High: a Cordilleran expression of the Peace River Arch: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 26, no. 1, p. 87-104.
87. Stott, D. F., and Aitken, J. D., editors, 1993, Sedimentary Cover of the Craton in Canada: Geological Survey of Canada, Geology of Canada, no. 5, and Geological Society of America, Geology of North America series, v. D-1, 826 p.
88. Suska, M. M., ms, 1963, Mid-Devonian Elk Point Group and Cambrian rocks of north-central Alberta: M.Sc. thesis, University of Alberta, 68 p.
89. Tilley, B. J., Nesbitt, B. E., and Longstaffe, F. J., 1989, Thermal history of Alberta Deep Basin: comparative study of fluid inclusion and vitrinite reflectance data: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 73, no. 10, p. 1206-1222.
90. Vrolijk, P., Donelick, R. A., Queng, J., and Cloos. M., 1992, Testing models of fission track annealing in apatite in a simple thermal setting: site 800, leg 129, in Larson, R. L., Lancelot, Y., and others, editors, Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results: College Station, Texas, Ocean Drilling Program, v. 129, p. 169-176.
91. Willett, S. D. and Issler, D. R., 1992, Apatite fission track thermochronometry applied to the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin-A case history from the Peace River Arch region, in Zentilli, M. and Reynolds, P. H., editors, Low Temperature Thermochronology: Mineralogical Association of Canada, Short Course Handbook, v. 20, p. 157-185.
92. Wolfe, J. A., 1994, Tertiary climatic changes at middle latitudes of western North America: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 108, p. 195-205.
93. Wright, G. N., editor, 1984, The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin-A series of geological sections illustrating basin stratigraphy and structure: Calgary, Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and Geological Association of Canada.
94. Young, H. R., and Doig, D. J., 1986, Petrography and provenance of the glauconitic sandstone, south-central Alberta, with comments on the occurrence of detrital dolomite: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, v. 34, no. 4, p. 408-425.