1887

Abstract

Summary

In this study, we reconstruct the Triassic paleogeographic setting of the Northern North Sea (NNS) through time utilizing core logs and age-constrained units, derived from updated palynological data. In the NNS, the Triassic continental sediments of the Hegre Group consist of sandstone and mudstone units. Facies association proportions derived from cores across the basin, coupled with age-constrained units suggest a single or a series of Distributive Fluvial System (DFS) that prograded westwards and were sourced from the eastern, Norwegian margin. The sandstone units represent the progradation, while the mudstone intervals reflect the retrogradation of the DFS. The Norian, Alke Formation of the NNS represents a wide-dispersal floodplain setting resulting from arid conditions. This mudstone unit is time-equivalent to the Jonathan Mudstone Member of the UK Central North Sea. At a regional scale, this preliminary chronostratigraphic framework sets the foundations for unifying the Triassic stratigraphy of the North Sea and may reveal new targets for HC exploration, CO2 and hydrogen storage. Regional correlations are important as they enable subsequent cross-border paleogeographic reconstruction between Central and Northern North Sea with significant emphasis on all climatic alternations throughout the Triassic interval.

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/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.202534021
2025-02-26
2026-01-20
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References

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