Geologic time

Several conditions need to be satisfied for the existence of a hydrocarbon accumulation, as indicated in Figure 2.1. The first of these is an area in which a suitable sequence of rocks has accumulated over geologic time, the sedimentary basin. Within that sequence there needs to be a high content of organic matter, the source rock. Through elevated temperatures and pressures these rocks must have reached maturation, the condition at which hydrocarbons are expelled from the source rock. 

Even if all of the elements described so far have been present within a sedimentary basin an accumulation will not necessarily be encountered. One of the crucial questions in prospect evaluation is about the timing of events. The deformation of strata into a suitable trap has to precede the maturation and migration of petroleum. The reservoir seal must have been intact throughout geologic time. If a leak occurred sometime in the past, the exploration well will only encounter small amounts of residual hydrocarbons. Conversely, a seal such as a fault may have developed early on in the field s history and prevented the migration of hydrocarbons into the structure. 

Since faults are zones of inherent weakness they may be reactivated over geologic time. Usually, faulting occurs well after the sediments have been deposited. An exception to this is a growth feu/f (also termed a syn-sedimentary fault), shown in Figure 5.7. They are extensional structures and can frequently be observed on seismic sections through deltaic sequences. The fault plane is curved and in a three dimensional view has the shape of a spoon. This type of plane is called listric. Growth faults can be visualised as submarine landslides caused by rapid deposition of large quantities of water-saturated... 

Dissolution and replacement. Some minerals, in particular carbonates, are not chemically stable over a range of pressures, temperatures and pH. Therefore there will be a tendency over geologic time to change to a more stable variety as shown in Figure 5.12. 

The magnesium ion is made available by migrating pore waters. If the process is continuous on a geologic time scale more and more Mg + is introduced to the system and the porosity reduces again. The rock has been over-dolomitised. 

Alkanes from CH to C4gFlg2 typically appear in crude oil, and represent up to 20% of the oil by volume. The alkanes are largely chemically inert (hence the name paraffins, meaning little affinity), owing to the fact that the carbon bonds are fully saturated and therefore cannot be broken to form new bonds with other atoms. This probably explains why they remain unchanged over long periods of geological time, despite their exposure to elevated temperatures and pressures. 

Quartz-Pebble Conglomerate Deposits. Known quartz-pebble conglomerate ores are restricted to a specific period of geologic time. These ore types occur in basal Lower Proterozoic beds unconformably situated above Archaean basement rocks composed of granitic and metamorphic strata. A number of commercial deposits are located in Canada and South Africa. Some subeconomic occurrences have been reported in Brazil and India... 

Deuterium is abundant in and easily separated from water. There is enough deuterium on earth to provide power for geological time scales. In contrast, tritium is not available in nature, but can be produced from n+ lithium reactions (see Lithium and lithium compounds). Natural Hthium is exhaustible, but sufficient tritium can be provided from it until fusion energy production is efficient enough to involve only D-D reactions ... 

MicrocrystaUine Silicas. Various microcrystalline (cryptocrystalline) materials such as flint, chert, and diatomaceous earth are found ia nature (see Diatomite). These may arise from amorphous silica, often of biogenic origin, which undergoes compaction and microcrysta11i2ation over geologic time. 

It is estimated that the earth s age is in the neighborhood of 4 to 7 billion years. These estimates are basically derived from carbon-14, potassium-40, uranium-235, and uranium-238 dating of earth rocks and meteorites. The meteorites give important data as to the age of our solar system. Geologic time is felt to be represented by the presence of rock intervals in the geologic column (layers of rock formations in vertical depth) or by the absence of equivalent rocks in correlative columns in adjacent locations [25,26]. The two basic factors that are used to determine geologic time are ... 

Succession of flora and fauna refers to the deposition of sedimentary material, which will include the remains of plant and animal life that existed at the time of the deposition of these rock particles. The fossils of these plants and animals will be found in the rock formations that result from the deposition. The presence, absence, or change of the plant and animal life within a sequence of the geologic column provide important information that allows for the correlation of rock formations (and, thereby, relative time) from location to location. Also, the fossil records within sequences give important information regarding the evolution of life through geologic time. 

This system for keeping track of these important units is used as the basis for the standard geologic lime and the evolution of the animal life on earth. (See also Tables 2-26 and 2-27.) Table 2-28 gives the relationship between geologic time and important physical and evolutionary events that are used to aid in the identification of rock units in relative geologic time [26]. 

During geological time, a number of separating and sorting processes—melting, crystallization, solution, precipitation—have concentrated various elements in local deposits. In these, the elements tend to be grouped together in rather stable compounds. These are called minerals. Many of the minerals have compositions similar... 

The failure to identify the necessary authigenic silicate phases in sufficient quantities in marine sediments has led oceanographers to consider different approaches. The current models for seawater composition emphasize the dominant role played by the balance between the various inputs and outputs from the ocean. Mass balance calculations have become more important than solubility relationships in explaining oceanic chemistry. The difference between the equilibrium and mass balance points of view is not just a matter of mathematical and chemical formalism. In the equilibrium case, one would expect a very constant composition of the ocean and its sediments over geological time. In the other case, historical variations in the rates of input and removal should be reflected by changes in ocean composition and may be preserved in the sedimentary record. Models that emphasize the role of kinetic and material balance considerations are called kinetic models of seawater. This reasoning was pulled together by Broecker (1971) in a paper called "A kinetic model for the chemical composition of sea water."... 

The sediment reservoir (1) represents all phosphorus in particulate form on the Earth s crust that is (1) not in the upper 60 cm of the soil and (2) not mineable. This includes unconsolidated marine and fresh water sediments and all sedimentary, metamorphic and volcanic rocks. The reason for this choice of compartmentalization has already been discussed. In particulate form, P is not readily available for utilization by plants. The upper 60 cm of the soil system represents the portion of the particulate P that can be transported relatively quickly to other reservoirs or solubilized by biological uptake. The sediment reservoir, on the other hand, represents the particulate P that is transported primarily on geologic time scales. 

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