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Geological Society, London, Special Publications; 2007; v. 277; p. 171-185;
DOI: 10.1144/GSL.SP.2007.277.01.10
© 2007 Geological Society of London

Sedimentary Environment Case Studies

Geometry and seismic geomorphology of carbonate shoreface clinoforms, Jurassic Smackover Formation, north Louisiana

C. R. Handford1 & L. R. Baria2

1 Strata-Search, LLC, , 10209 Brimfield Drive, Austin, TX 78726, USA (e-mail: Handford{at}strata-search.com)
2 Jura Search Inc., , PO Box 997, Jackson, MS 39208, USA (e-mail: bearlear{at}bellsouth.net)

Across much of the Gulf Coast basin of the USA, the Smackover Formation consists of a nearly 100m-thick shoaling upward cycle capped by oolitic/oncolitic packstones and grain-stones. It has long been interpreted as a homoclinal ramp succession, which was analogous to the modern example in the southeastern Arabian Gulf. In a three-dimensional seismic survey in north Louisiana, the shoaling-upward cycle is imaged as basin ward progradational clinoforms (4–7° inclination) with well-defined toplap and downlap surfaces. In map view, amplitude slices show that the clinoform bodies are strike-oriented and continuous. The inclination and width of the clinoform bodies indicate that water depths of up to 90 m were present within 1 km of the shoreline. Such characteristics indicate that the Smackover Formation cannot be classified as a homoclinal ramp in north Louisiana and that the Arabian Gulf is not analogous to the Smackover.