RGE-PGS Vercors-Nyons field course

RGE-PGS 2020-21

Vercors & Southeast basinField course

October 3 - 9, 2020

Teachers: A. Torres, J-P. Roy

Videos: O. Lerat

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Start

South Vercors uplands and Southeast basinField course outcrops & stops summary

Introduction

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Day #6Wrap up

Objectives:A multi-scale geological analysis on various outcrops in the Southeastern part of France:

• to illustrate the relationship between shelf and basin, via the observation of typical depositional environments:

- platform carbonate- current-driven shelfal sand bodies- deep-sea sedimentation (gravity processes on the slope and in the basin)

• to illustrate the variety of depositional facies and processes in shallow marine, littoral and coastal environments.

Reservoir potential shall be evaluated on each outcrop.

INTRO - page 2/4

Introduction toVercors-Nyons field course

Vercors uplands (area 1)Southeast basin (area 2)outcrops

A multi-scale geological analysis on various selected outcrops in the Southeastern part of France - Vercors uplands and Southeast Valréas basin: 1) Illustrate the relationship between a shelf (carbonate and siliciclastic) and its related basin, via the observation of typical depositional environments: - platform carbonate facies (Urgonian) - gravity-driven shelfal and slope sand bodies - basinal sedimentation: gravitational processes (slope and basin: feeding & by-pass channels, slumps, MTD, deep-sea fans: channels & lobes,...) and pelagic decantation (black shales/marlstones as potential source rocks) 2) Illustrate the variety of depositional facies and related processes in shallow marine, littoral and coastal environments (tidal-dominated, wave-dominated, Gilbert delta, lacustrine deposits, incised valleys,...) 3) Evaluate potential reservoirs geometry and quality4) Place all observations in a global geological context (i.e. relationship between tectonics and sedimentation: Alpine orogeny tectonic cycle) and illustrated with paleogeographic reconstructions

INTRO - page 1/5

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Geological map of Southeastern France

MassifCentral

MassifAlpin

Google Earth geological map of France

To download the geological map of France: 1. go to Google Earth 2. Download the kml file 3. Upload it into Google Earth "Projects" 4. Tick the file to visualize it as an overlay on the satellite base map

INTRO - page 2/5

Download "InfoGeol" smartphone app from BRGMInfoTerre

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Google Earth map

Google Earth

Google Maps

Area 1

Area 2

Stops and outcrops locations:

INTRO - page 3/5

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To load the map: 1. go to Google Earth https://earth.google.com/web/ 2. Download the kmz file 3. Upload it into Google Earth

To load stops locations: 1. go to Google Earth https://earth.google.com/web/ 2. Download the kmz file 3. Upload it into Google Earth

Area 1: South Vercors uplands (Diois: Die area)

INTRO - page 4/5

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Area 2: Southeast basin (Valreas sub-basin)

BassindeValréas

Geological map of Valence area

INTRO - page 5/5

Topographic map of the Baronnies provençales area

Geological evolution of the Baronnies(flyer in French)

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Day #1Vercors carbonate platform(Area 1)

Stop#1 - La Montagnette

(Landscape view from "cabane de 'lEssaure" sheepfold , 1647m) Prograding Barremian-Aptian carbonate platform. Shelf-break clinoforms geometry due to sea level variations.

(Landscape view from Bénevise northern entrance) Carbonate shelf-break clinoforms organization in response to eustatic cycles.

(Roadcut in curve) Deep-sea channel cut through thick pelagic carbonate series.

Stop#2 - Rocher de Combau

Stop#3 - Cirque d'Archiane

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INTRO

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DAY1 - page 1/2

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The Urgonian limestone is a sedimentary facies from the Lower Cretaceous, corresponding to the Aptian and Barremian stages, very abundant in the subalpine ranges (Vercors, Chartreuse massif) and south-eastern France. This facies corresponds to a reefal bioclastic grainstone, built in a shallow sea, in a tropical climate.It is characterized by its very light color, often white. Its strength and white color make it a stone widely used in building. Its name comes from the town of Orgon.

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WRAPUP

Stop#3 - Cirque d'Archiane

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INTRO

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Day #1 (day 6)

Stop#1 - La Montagnette

Stop#2 - Rocher de Combau

Carbonate shelves

RetrogradationProgradation

Mallorca reef(Kendall)

Landscape scenery

DAY1 - page 2/2

Channel fill

La Montagnette in fog & snow

Day #2 Deep-sea carbonate & clastic series(Area 2)

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INTRO

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Stop#4 - L'Eyzarette

(Roubion meander roadcut)Upper Barremian deep-sea carbonate series: mudstones/marls, and turbidite cut by a by-pass channel.

(Liotoir gully)Aptian pelagic shales, slumps incised by large turbidite channel.

(Roadcut) Aptian turbidite channels with injectite facies in sandstone.

Stop#5 - Les Cosmes

Stop#6 - Crupies

DAY2 - page 1/2

Day #2 (day 7)

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Stop#4 - L'Eyzarette

Stop#5 - Les Cosmes

Stop#6 - Crupies

Architecture of a deep-sea fan

(Reading & Bowman, 1998)

Turbidite channels

Gravity-driven transport processes (Shanmugam et al., 1995)

Flume-tank turbidite

Erosional channel base (mudclasts)

DAY2 - page 2/2

Injectite facies in glauconitic sandstone

Deep-sea architectural elements (SEPM)

MTDs

(Posamentier et al., 2011)

Erosionalfeature

Carbonate turbidite channels

day #3 Baronnies SLOPE & BASIN carbonate & clastic series

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INTRO

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Stop#7 - Col de Palluel

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(Outcrop on raod side)Basin pelagic deposits (Aptian-Albian black shales): potential source rock. After 55 My of deep sedimentation, erosion of ~1000m.

WRAPUP

(Cliff across Blême river)Low-density turbidite distal lobes (late Aptian). Typical Bouma sequence in clean sandstone with abundant flow-generated bedforms and dewatering features.

Stop#8 - Serre d'Autruy

Stop#9 - L'Épine

(Roadcut close to Montclus) "Slumporama". Severe slope instability (alpine tectonics) in Barremian limestones.

(Large rocky plateau) Megaturbidite (Albian): massive sand body with injectites (dykes & sills). "Pumpkin balls" diagenetic cementation facies and polygonal contraction fracture network.

Stop#10 - Brunet

DAY3 - page 1/2

Rain...

Rain...

Day #3

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INTRO

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Stop#10 -Montclus(Brunet)

Stop#7 - Col de Palluel

Stop#8 - Serre d'Autruy

Stop#9 - L'Épine

Deep marine “background” sedimentation

DAY3 - page 2/2

Barremian rhapsody (slumporama)

Partial Bouma sequence in distal lobes

Day #3 (day 8)

day #4Mesozoic shelf & Cenozoic shallow marine series

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INTRO

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Stop#11 - Tour d'Alençon

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(Outcrop close to the castle tower) Albian shelf megaripples and dunes built by deep longshore currents - source of deep-marine turbiditic system.

(Landscape view from crossroad) Structural interpretation and hand sketch of La Lance anticline closure (Mont Rachas).

(Roadcut facing bridge over Lez river) Fractured potential carbonate reservoir (Turonian). Statistical fracture distribution analysis for preferential drains prediction.

WRAPUP

Stop#12 - Béconne

Stop#13 - Montjoux

DAY4 - page 1/2

Special thanks to Imoleayo for the backup videos!

Cretaceous/Miocene unconformityEastern edge (La Lance Western flank) of the basin. Numerous tidal features.

Stop#14 - Venterol

(windy...)

Day #4 (day 9)

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Stop#11 - Tour d'Alençon

Stop#12 - Béconne

Stop#14 - Venterol

Thin section in clean Albian poorly consilidated, galuconitic sandstone

Stop#13 - Montjoux

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Burrowed Turonian limestone

<- Remember Sylvie's course...

DAY4 - page 2/2

Wavy laminations in tidal sandstone (Langhian)

- - - 70 My unconformity - - -

Shark teeth indune sandstone

day #5Cenozoic shoreface & continental series

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INTRO

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Stop#15 - Calvary

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(Roadcut)Tidal shoreface deposits & small channel with bioclasts (Serravallian: "Valréas sandstone").

(Outcrop on hill) Storm deposits (Serravallian) in wave-dominated shoreface environment (HCS) incised by a tidal channel with large cross-stratifications and "herringbones".

WRAPUP

(Former quarry)Miocene (Tortonian) fluvial conglomerates (Gilbert delta) deposited in shallow tidal shoreface environment.

Stop#16 - La Garenne

Stop#17 - Le Serre

Stop#18 - La Castanière

(Vineyard meadow)Lacustrine marls rich in black OM, lacustrine mudstone and fluvial conglomerate (Tortonian) with erosional base.

(Cliff in gully)Pliocene (Chabrier) conglomerates (Gilbert delta) in shallow tidal shoreface.

Stop#19 - Les Lintils

DAY5 - page 1/2

Trough cross-bedding

Day #5 (day 10)

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Stops#15, 16, 17, 18 & 19

Lithological log and structural cross-section construction of Nyons area.

Clastic system tracts (Kendall)Formation of incised valleys

DAY5 - page 2/2

Gilbert delta

The Messiniancrisis

day #6field course wrap up

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INTRO

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(Landscape view on La Lance anticline and Nyons basin)

D6WRAPUP

Stop#20 - Saint Rimbert

General panorama of "La Lance" Mesozoic anticline and of Valreas Cenozoic basin (Nyons: eastern edge).

WRAP UP - page 1/2

Pictures!

Last picnic lunchin the field...

ThePontiaswindlegend...

About climate change - Zachos, 2008

Milanković cycles

Please add yours - especially group and outcrop ones. Thanks!

With or without...

[Available until Dec. 31, 2020 only...]

day #6field course wrap up

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INTRO

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(Landscape view on La Lance anticline and Nyons basin)

D6WRAPUP

Stop#20 - Saint Rimbert

General panorama of "La Lance" Mesozoic anticline and of Valreas Cenozoic basin (Nyons: eastern edge).

WRAP UP - page 1/2

Pictures!

Last picnic lunchin the field...

ThePontiaswindlegend...

About climate change - Zachos, 2008

Milanković cycles

Please add yours - especially group and outcrop ones. Thanks!

With or without...

[Available until Dec. 31, 2020 only...]

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INTRO

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Field course report subjects 1. Hydrodynamic processes controlling the deposition of potential reservoirs along a passive margin - from field examples: Southeast Basin, Somme river bay. Groups: 3 & 8 2. Deep-marine deposits / turbidites: gravity processes: facies and reservoir potential. Groups: 5 & 11 3. Reservoir architecture in wave-dominated environment: shoreface facies – theory and field examples. Groups: 2 & 6 4. Sedimentology of reservoirs in tidal-dominated environment – theory and field examples. Groups: 10 & 12 5. Incised valleys: formation and filling; related potential reservoirs facies distribution and geometry. Groups: 4 & 7 6. Tectonic influences on sedimentation: Valreas basin evolution and development of related reservoirs. Groups: 1 & 9 Report format“GEOLOGY” paper (title, length, font size,…) GSA (www.gsapubs.org)- 4 pages (maximum - i.e. 3000 words) of text: Abstract / Introduction / Discussion / Conclusion + References (if any) – 4 points for each + 4 points for document presentation/appearance (general organization, clarity, concision, care/attention). - 4 pages (maximum) of appendices / figures / pictures (quality and relevance with relation to text and topic) All reports will eventually be compiled in a single collective document of which each student will get a personal copy. Deadline: Nov. 6th, 2020

Day #6: additional documents

WRAP UP - page 2/2

Watch

Debris flows

Turbidite flows transformation

Structural & stratigraphic evolution

Bedload transport and bedforms

Gravity deposits

PPT presentations

Geological map

(Refer to PPTs)

(Refer to videos)