Hubbard, Stephen M.Martin, Harrison Kirby2018-08-152018-08-152018-08-08Martin, H. K. (2018). Stratigraphic Characterization of an Early Cretaceous Channel-belt Avulsion: Implications for Paleoenvironmental Interpretations of the McMurray Formation, Alberta (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32810http://hdl.handle.net/1880/107629Deposits of the Early Cretaceous McMurray Formation, in the southeast Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) Alberta, Canada, compose a world-class archive of fluvial-deltaic deposition. The integration of uniquely dense wireline well log and drill core data provides a unique opportunity to investigate the stratigraphic and spatial distribution of economically-important reservoir sandstone across a large area. A lithostratigraphic framework is used to map stratigraphically-associated deposits across >11,000 km^2. The youngest and best-preserved channel-belt is interpreted to contain the deposits of an ancient channel-belt-scale avulsion. An understanding of avulsion mechanics, derived from previous studies of modern or geologically-recent rivers, allows for investigation of the evolutionary history of the ancient river. This has implications for paleoenvironmental interpretations, including a possible recognition of the effects of the backwater length in a large, shallow Early Cretaceous fluvial-deltaic system. These deposits provide insight into the geologic history of the Western Interior Seaway, the preservation potential of large-scale fluvial features in the stratigraphic record, and their use in the reconstruction of ancient river systems.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.AvulsionPaleoenvironmentMcMurrayChannel-beltFluvialBackwaterGeologymaster thesishttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/32810