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97-490: The University of Texas of the Permian Basin began in 1973 as a university that initially offered only junior, senior, and graduate level programs. Among those who pushed for the establishment of UTPB was the oil industrialist Bill Noël , who with his wife, Ellen Witwer Noël, became major philanthropists of the institution. A rivalry with Odessa College (OC) got underway from the very beginning, when OC students taunted

194-422: A convergent plate tectonic boundary in the gap between an active volcanic arc and the associated trench , thus above the subducting oceanic plate. The formation of a forearc basin is often created by the vertical growth of an accretionary wedge that acts as a linear dam, parallel to the volcanic arc, creating a depression in which sediments can accumulate. Trench basins are deep linear depressions formed where

291-490: A depth of 12,621 feet (3,847 m). In the nearby Apache and Glass Mountains, the basement rock is made of metamorphosed sandstone and Precambrian-aged granite. The entire area is also underlain by layered mafic rocks, which are thought to be a part of Pecos Mafic Igneous Suite, and extends 220 miles (360 km) into the southern US. It has been dated to 1163 mya. Each period from the Paleozoic Era has contributed

388-830: A different formation was formed in the different parts of the Permian Reef Complex. The Cisuralian Epoch contained two ages, the Wolfcampian and the Leonardian , both of which have a geological formation in the Permian Basin named after them. The Wolfcampian Formation lies conformably on top of the Pennsylvanian Formation and is the first formation from the Permian Period. Its composition varies depending on its location in

485-550: A grand gala featuring Rod Stewart on November 1, 2011. In 2018, UTPB announced a new Kinesiology building at a cost of around 37 million dollars. The following year, UTPB announced the opening of its 55 million dollar Engineering building. A Stonehenge replica was added adjacent to the Visual Arts Studio. The university offers bachelor's degrees and master's degrees , through its five colleges and schools: The UT Permian Basin (UTPB) athletic teams are called

582-514: A high probability of preservation. In contrast, sedimentary basins formed on oceanic crust are likely to be destroyed by subduction . Continental margins formed when new ocean basins like the Atlantic are created as continents rift apart are likely to have lifespans of hundreds of millions of years, but may be only partially preserved when those ocean basins close as continents collide. Sedimentary basins are of great economic importance. Almost all

679-445: A load is placed on the lithosphere, it will tend to flex in the manner of an elastic plate. The magnitude of the lithospheric flexure is a function of the imposed load and the flexural rigidity of the lithosphere, and the wavelength of flexure is a function of flexural rigidity of the lithospheric plate. Flexural rigidity is in itself, a function of the lithospheric mineral composition, thermal regime, and effective elastic thickness of

776-601: A max thickness of 660 feet (200 m). During the formation of the Atoka, uplift was still occurring in the region, leading to increased sedimentation as the surrounding highlands were eroded. The increased sedimentation led to the formation of medium- to coarse-grained sandstone. In the Atoka Formation, the first reef structures that formed in the Delaware Basin are visible. The Strawn Formation formed after

873-599: A maximum thickness of 1,150 feet (350 m) but thins out significantly as it approaches the basin margins due to transgressive onlap . The Brushy Canyon Formation also contains small reef patches, ripple marks , and crossed bedded strata , that indicate that the Delaware Basin had a shallow water environment at this time. The next unit of the Delaware Mountain Group is the Cherry Canyon , which had multiple different sub-units and extended into

970-606: A million, and their sedimentary fills range from one to almost twenty kilometers in thickness. A dozen or so common types of sedimentary basins are widely recognized and several classification schemes are proposed, however no single classification scheme is recognized as the standard. Most sedimentary basin classification schemes are based on one or more of these interrelated criteria: Although no one basin classification scheme has been widely adopted, several common types of sedimentary basins are widely accepted and well understood as distinct types. Over its complete lifespan

1067-463: A rapid enough pace to keep up with rising sea levels . The Capitan Reef also found a stable foundation on the reef debris and talus that rested on its slopes, and this foundation allowed the reef to grow outward. In some locations, nutrients and minerals were so abundant that the Capitan Reef grew out almost 50 km from the starting point. The third stage of the Capitan Reef is the death of

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1164-665: A result of isostasy . The long-term preserved geologic record of a sedimentary basin is a large scale contiguous three-dimensional package of sedimentary rocks created during a particular period of geologic time, a 'stratigraphic succession', that geologists continue to refer to as a sedimentary basin even if it is no longer a bathymetric or topographic depression. The Williston Basin , Molasse basin and Magallanes Basin are examples of sedimentary basins that are no longer depressions. Basins formed in different tectonic regimes vary in their preservation potential . Intracratonic basins, which form on highly-stable continental interiors, have

1261-658: A result of the closing of a major ocean through continental collision resulting from plate tectonics. As a result the sedimentary record of inactive passive margins often are found as thick sedimentary sequences in mountain belts. For example the passive margins of the ancient Tethys Ocean are found in the mountain belts of the Alps and Himalayas that formed when the Tethys closed. Many authors recognize two subtypes of foreland basins: Peripheral foreland basins Retroarc foreland basins A sedimentary basin formed in association with

1358-575: A single sedimentary basin can go through multiple phases and evolve from one of these types to another, such as a rift process going to completion to form a passive margin. In this case the sedimentary rocks of the rift basin phase are overlain by those rocks deposited during the passive margin phase. Hybrid basins where a single regional basin results from the processes that are characteristic of multiple of these types are also possible. Terrestrial rift valleys Proto-oceanic rift troughs Passive margins are long-lived and generally become inactive only as

1455-702: A source of water, and the Delaware Basin was located near a marginal sea. Thanks to the Hovey Channel, this sea transported water into the Delaware Basin. Global temperatures during this time were warm, as the world climate was changing from icehouse to greenhouse. This rise in global temperatures also led to the melting of ice masses located towards the South Pole, which then led to a rise in sea levels. The Permian Period has been split up into main Epochs , each of which has separate subdivision. In each sub epoch,

1552-859: A specific lithology to the Tobosa Basin, accumulating into almost 6,600 feet (2,000 m) of sediment at the start of the Pennsylvanian Period (323.2–298.9 mya). The Montoya Group is the youngest rock formation in the Tobosa Basin and was formed in the Ordovician Period (485.4–443.8 mya), and sit directly on the igneous and metamorphic basement rocks. The rocks from the Montoya Group are described as light to medium grey, fine to medium grained crystalline calcareous dolomite . These rocks were sometimes inter-bedded with shale , dark grey limestone, and, less commonly, chert .

1649-549: A state-of-the-art Data Communications Teaching Lab for undergraduate and graduate students. The Computer Science Department maintains a computer science research lab and a computer networking research lab. A state-of-the-art building known as the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center is now open in the Midland campus, off Hwy 191 and FM 1788 . Construction began in 2009 and the center opened with

1746-404: A subducting oceanic plate descends into the mantle, beneath the overriding continental (Andean type) or oceanic plate (Mariana type). Trenches form in the deep ocean but, particularly where the overriding plate is continental crust they can accumulate thick sequences of sediments from eroding coastal mountains. Smaller 'trench slope basins' can form in association with a trench can form directly atop

1843-547: A thickness of 1,480 feet (450 m) in some places. Karstification of the Fusselman Formation shows that a drop in sea level occurred, but sea levels rose again during a transgressive event, which lead to the creation of the Wristen Formation. Sea levels would then drop again, which led to major exposure, erosion, and karstification of these formations. The Thirtyone Formation was developed during

1940-651: Is a large sedimentary basin in the southwestern part of the United States . It is the highest producing oil field in the United States, producing an average of 4.2 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2019. This sedimentary basin is located in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico . It is named after the Permian geologic period, the final period of the Paleozoic era, as it contains some of

2037-525: Is a piece of rubber, which thins in the middle when stretched.) An example of a basin caused by lithospheric stretching is the North Sea – also an important location for significant hydrocarbon reserves. Another such feature is the Basin and Range Province which covers most of Nevada, forming a series of horst and graben structures. Tectonic extension at divergent boundaries where continental rifting

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2134-859: Is called the Bone Spring Limestone , which reaches a max thickness of 2,000 feet (600 m) and lies directly below the Capitan Reef Complex . The Bone Spring limestone can be divided into two formations: the Victorio Peak Member, which consists of massive beds of limestone measuring up to 98 feet (30 m); and the Cutoff Shale Member, which is formed from black, platy, siliceous shale and shaley sandstone. The Bone Spring Limestone consists of several fossils, such as bryozoans, crinoids, and spirifers , but lack algae and sponges that are plentiful in

2231-412: Is divided into generalized facies belts differentiated by the depositional environment in which they formed, influenced by sea level, climate , salinity , and access to the sea. Lowering sea level exposes the peritidal and potentially, the shelf margin regions, allowing linear channel sandstones to cut into the shelf, extending beyond the shelf margin atop the slope carbonates, fanning outward toward

2328-401: Is important to keep in mind that tectonics played a major part. During this period, the supercontinent of Pangaea , which lasted from 335 to 175 mya, started undergoing breakup. Pangea was clustered together near the equator and surrounded by the superocean Panthalassa, with the Permian Basin located on its western edge within 5–10 degrees of the equator. Any reef building environment would need

2425-562: Is improbable since the debris came from the reef, which was not dolomitic. The Bell Canyon Formation is the next unit in the Delaware Mountain Group, and it is the age equivalent unit to the Capitan Reef Formation which formed on the shelf. The Bell Canyon Formation consists of "un-fossiliferous, dark-gray to black, platy, fine-grained limestone". All the Cherry Canyon Formation and the bottom part of

2522-591: Is large enough and long-lived enough to create a sedimentary basin often called a pull-apart basin or strike-slip basin. These basins are often roughly rhombohedral in shape and may be called a rhombochasm . A classic rhombochasm is illustrated by the Dead Sea rift, where northward movement of the Arabian Plate relative to the Anatolian Plate has created a strike slip basin. The opposite effect

2619-707: Is more consistent and is characterised as a thick bedded dolomite which integrates into the San Andres Formation as it moves toward the shelf. The middle unit of the Cherry Canyon Formation is the South Wells Member, which is composed of sandstone and integrates itself into the Goat Seep Reef as it moves towards the basin shelf. The upper unit is the Manzanita Member, which consists of dolomite, and gets pinched out underneath

2716-553: Is occurring can create a nascent ocean basin leading to either an ocean or the failure of the rift zone . Another expression of lithospheric stretching results in the formation of ocean basins with central ridges. The Red Sea is in fact an incipient ocean, in a plate tectonic context. The mouth of the Red Sea is also a tectonic triple junction where the Indian Ocean Ridge, Red Sea Rift and East African Rift meet. This

2813-458: Is particularly measurable and observable with oceanic crust, as there is a well-established correlation between the age of the underlying crust and depth of the ocean . As newly-formed oceanic crust cools over a period of tens of millions of years. This is an important contribution to subsidence in rift basins, backarc basins and passive margins where they are underlain by newly-formed oceanic crust. In strike-slip tectonic settings, deformation of

2910-553: Is that of transpression , where converging movement of a curved fault plane causes collision of the opposing sides of the fault. An example is the San Bernardino Mountains north of Los Angeles, which result from convergence along a curve in the San Andreas Fault system. The Northridge earthquake was caused by vertical movement along local thrust and reverse faults "bunching up" against the bend in

3007-416: Is the establishment of the reef and its rapid growth. Due to the slower rates of subsidence of this time, the reef was able to build itself up quickly. Once the reef reached sea level, it began to grow horizontally, since it could not grow vertically anymore. The reef environment during the first stage of development was described as warm (around 68 °F (20 °C)), shallow, high energy, clear water that

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3104-416: Is the only place on the planet where such a triple junction in oceanic crust is exposed subaerially . This is due to a high thermal buoyancy ( thermal subsidence ) of the junction, and also to a local crumpled zone of seafloor crust acting as a dam against the Red Sea. Lithospheric flexure is another geodynamic mechanism that can cause regional subsidence resulting in the creation of a sedimentary basin. If

3201-711: Is thought to indicate the dehydration and rehydration process of the gypsum and anhydrites. There is also evidence of evaporite calcitization . The reef system was buried until it was exposed in the Mesozoic Era as a result of tectonic activity by the Laramide Orogeny . The deep water shale and carbonate reefs of the Delaware and Midland Basins and the Central Basin Platform would become lucrative hydrocarbon reservoirs. The Permian basin

3298-466: Is thus an important area of study for purely scientific and academic reasons. There are however important economic incentives as well for understanding the processes of sedimentary basin formation and evolution because almost all of the world's fossil fuel reserves were formed in sedimentary basins. All of these perspectives on the history of a particular region are based on the study of a large three-dimensional body of sedimentary rocks that resulted from

3395-589: The Atoka Formation . The Morrow is an important reservoir consisting of clastic sediments , sandstones and shales, deposited in a deltaic environment. The Pennsylvanian Period also led to the development of other geologic formations, although none had the importance of the Morrow Formation. The Atoka Formation lies conformably on top of the Morrow Formation, and is characterized by its fossil-rich limestone inter-bedded with shale, reaching

3492-498: The Capitan Formation as it moves into the basin margins. All four members of the Cherry Canyon Formation have undergone dolomitization near the basin margins. This is evident since the calcite / aragonite bioclastic debris that existed as a part of this formation has been preserved as molds in dolomite. It has been suggested by some authors that the clasts and debris might have been dolomitic upon deposition, but that

3589-604: The Delaware Mountain Group , which can be further subdivided into rock divisions based on location in the Permian Reef Complex. The first formation that makes up the Delaware Mountain Group is the Brushy Canyon Formation , and it lies in the Delaware Basin. The Brushy Canyon Formation is made up of thin interbedded layers of alternating fine grained and massive quartz sandstone, as well as shaley brown to black sandstone. This formation reaches

3686-553: The Devonian Period . This formation is characterized by its limestone, chert, and shale beds, some of which had a peak thickness of 980 feet (300 m). this formation had many different types of limestone, including light-colored siliceous, chert -dominated, crinoid -rich, and sandy limestone. The Thirtyone Formation is very similar to the formation of the Mississippian Period, which is likely because there

3783-524: The Earth's crust where subsidence has occurred and a thick sequence of sediments have accumulated to form a large three-dimensional body of sedimentary rock . They form when long-term subsidence creates a regional depression that provides accommodation space for accumulation of sediments. Over millions or tens or hundreds of millions of years the deposition of sediment , primarily gravity-driven transportation of water-borne eroded material, acts to fill

3880-571: The Fusselman Formation , is mostly made up of light grey, medium to coarse grained dolomite. The thickness of this formation varies from 49 to 164 feet (15 to 50 m), and parts of the Fusselman Formation were also subject to karstification , which indicates a drop in sea level. The second rock group that formed during the Silurian Period is called the Wristen Formation, which is mud, shale, and dolomite rich rock that reaches

3977-548: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission about the construction of a new High-Temperature Teaching and Test Reactor which, if successful, would finish licensing and construction around 2012. It would also be the first university-based research reactor to be built in the US in roughly a decade, and one of the few HTGR type reactors in the world. In late November in 2016 the city of Odessa granted site permission. That

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4074-525: The Ouachita–Marathon thrust belt separated by the Central Basin Platform. The basin contains sediment dating to Pennsylvanian , Wolfcampian ( Neal Ranch and Lenox Hills Formations ), Leonardian ( Avalon Shale ), and early Guadalupian times. The eastward-dipping Delaware basin is subdivided into several formations (figure   2) and contains about 25,000 feet (7,600 m) of laminated siltstone and sandstone . Aside from clastic sediment,

4171-503: The Precambrian supercontinent and the formation of the modern Permian Basin geometry, shallow marine sedimentation onto the ancestral Tobosa Basin characterized the passive margin , shallow marine environment. The Tobosa Basin also contains basement rock that dates back to 1330 million years ago (mya), and that is still visible in the present-day Guadalupe Mountains . The basement rock contains biotite-quartz granite, discovered at

4268-589: The Atoka, also during the Pennsylvanian Period, and reached a max thickness of 660 feet (200 m). In this formation, there was a significant increase in reef mounds . The Strawn Formation is primarily made up of massive limestone, along with "fine to medium-grained sandstone, dark to light-grey shale, and occasional reddish-brown, greenish-gray, bituminous shale". A great number of different fossil types were preserved in this formation, including brachiopods , foraminifera , bryozoans , corals , and crinoids. The Pennsylvanian Period also includes two other formations,

4365-533: The Basin, with the northernmost part being more rich in shale. The thickness of this formation also varies, reaching a maximum of 1,600 feet (500 m). The Wolfcampian is made up primarily of grey to brown shale and fine-grained, chert-dominated, brown limestone. There are also interbedded layers of fine-grained sandstone found within the formation. The primary formation that remains from the Leonardian Age

4462-562: The Bell Canyon Formation have thin interbeds of dark-colored bioclastic limestone and fine-grained sandstone. As these formations move towards the basin margins, the sandstone wedges out and the limestone thickens into massive, meters thick beds, containing reef talus . The Goat Seep Reef Formation lies on the shelf margin and integrates with the Getaway Formation in the basin and the San Andres Formation towards

4559-508: The Canyon and Cisco Formations, which are significant due to the major oil reservoirs discovered in them. The Permian Period was a time of major reef building to transform the Permian Reef Complex into a major reef system, with Permian-aged rock formations making up 95% of the present-day outcrops in the Permian Basin. When considering any type of reef building that occurred in the Permian, it

4656-820: The Capitan Reef being one of the most famous examples. In the Guadalupian, reefs were abundant globally, and grew in places such as the Delaware Basin, the Zechstein Basin in Eastern Europe, along the Tethys Ocean , and in cool water shelves in the Panthalassa Ocean . The end of this golden age for reef building occurred due to the "end-Guadalupian reef crisis", which involved global drops in sea levels and regional salinity fluctuations. The movement and collision of micro-continents during

4753-444: The Central Basin Platform, which is encircled by faults, and the Midland and Delaware Basins on either side. Mississippian sediments are absent either due to erosion or nondeposition. Marine shales were deposited in the center of the Delaware, Midland and Val Verde basins, while the basins' periphery saw the deposition of shallow marine, carbonate shelf and limestone sediments. The Early Pennsylvanian Morrow Formation underlies

4850-437: The Delaware Basin and the surrounding shelf environments. The Cherry Canyon Formation can be subdivided into four sub-units, each of which will be discussed briefly. The Lower Getaway member is a limestone that has different characteristics based on its location in the Delaware Basin, and contains patch reefs close to the basin margin. These reefs are often found on limestone conglomerate and breccias . The Upper Getaway Member

4947-551: The Delaware and Midland Basins that grade up-dip into siltstones and evaporites . The Eastern and Northwestern Shelves are subdivided into the San Andres , Grayburg , Queen , Seven Rivers , Yates , and Tansill Formations . The San Simon Channel is a narrow syncline that separated the Central Basin Platform from the Northwestern Shelf during Leonardian and Guadalupian times. The Sheffield Channel separates

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5044-430: The Delaware basin also contains carbonate deposits of the Delaware Mountain Group , originating from the Guadalupian times when the Hovey Channel allowed access from the sea into the basin. The westward-dipping Midland Basin is subdivided into several formations (figure 4) and is composed of laminated siltstone and sandstone. The Midland Basin was filled by a large subaqueous delta that deposited clastic sediment into

5141-1052: The Falcons. The university is a member at the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) since the 2016–17 academic year. The Falcons previously competed in the D-II Heartland Conference from 2006–07 to 2015–16; in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1998–99 to 2005–06; and as an NAIA Independent from 1995–96 to 1997–98. The teams' uniforms reflect

5238-408: The Guadalupian, the Permian Basin had adequate water circulation with fresh water coming in from the Hovey Channel. Evaporite growth along the bottom portions of the basin showed that the water column was most likely stratified and euxinic , meaning the water was both anoxic and sulfidic . The passageways between the Delaware and Midland Basins were restricted due to tectonic changes, and this caused

5335-693: The Midland Basin, consisting of 1,804 feet (550 m) of limestone accumulated in the Pennsylvanian and 1,099 feet (335 m) in the Permian , with 15 significant petroleum reservoirs from 6,099 feet (1,859 m) to 9,902 feet (3,018 m) in depth. The reef complex consists of Upper Pennsylvanian Strawn, Canyon and Cisco limestones, overlain by Lower Permian Wolfcamp sandstones and shales of terrigenous origin prograding northeast to southwest. The first production well, Seabird Oil Company of Delaware No.   1-B J.   C. Caldwell,

5432-495: The Montoya Group sequence is made up of carbonate limestone and dolomite which is described as dense, impermeable, and non-porous, and is more commonly found in the Glass Mountains outcrop, with thickness varying from 151 to 509 feet (46 to 155 m). During the Silurian Period, the Tobosa Basin experienced dramatic changes in sea level which led to the formation of multiple rock groups. The first of these groups, called

5529-574: The Shelf. This formation is described as 1,150 feet (350 m) thick, one mile (1,600 m) long, and made up entirely of massive dolomite. In the bottom half of the formation, the dolomite is stratified into massive beds. This formation also contains molds of organisms destroyed by the dolomitization process. The Guadalupian Epoch is one of the most successful in history in terms of reef building, since most Permian reefs reached their maximum in size, diversity, extent, and abundance during this Epoch, with

5626-429: The Tobosa Basin being divided into three sections: the Delaware Basin, the Midland Basin, and the Central Basin Platform. The end of the Mississippian Period also led to the beginning of the formation of the modern Permian Reef Complex. The legacy of the early to mid Paleozoic is almost 6,600 feet (2,000 m) of sediments that were accumulated due to almost uninterrupted sedimentation. The Pennsylvanian Period marked

5723-473: The UTPB students that they were too old to produce a streaker . A student finally agreed, and with only his head covered, streaked across the campus. In 1991 the university began accepting freshmen and sophomore applicants, and in 2000, the J. Conrad Dunagen Library and Lecture Center was completed, featuring a twenty-station multimedia lab and classroom. During 2006, the university was holding discussions with

5820-482: The associated accretionary prism as it grows and changes shape creating ponded basins. Pull-apart basins is are created along major strike-slip faults where a bend in the fault geometry or the splitting of the fault into two or more faults creates tensional forces that cause crustal thinning or stretching due to extension, creating a regional depression. Frequently, the basins are rhombic, S-like or Z-like in shape. A broad comparatively shallow basin formed far from

5917-847: The basin. Aside from clastic sediment, the Midland Basin also contains carbonate deposits originating from the Guadalupian times when the Hovey Channel allowed access from the sea into the basin. The Central Basin Platform (CBP) is a tectonically uplifted basement block capped by a carbonate platform . The CBP separates the Delaware and Midland Basins and is subdivided into several formations, from oldest to youngest Neal Ranch , Lennox Hills , Abo , Yeso , Glorieta , San Andres , Grayburg , Queen , Seven Rivers , Yates , and Tansill Formations (Figure   5). The sequence mainly comprises carbonate reef deposits and shallow marine clastic sediments. The Eastern and Northwestern Shelves are composed of shelf edge reefs and shelf carbonates flanking

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6014-459: The basin. The tidal flats during a lowstand contain aeolian sandstones and siltstones atop supratidal lithofacies of the transgressive systems tract. The basin fill during a lowstand is composed of thin carbonate beds intermingled with sandstone and siltstone at the shelf and sandstone beds within the basin. Sedimentary basin Sedimentary basins are region-scale depressions of

6111-577: The beginning of geological processes that would shape the Permian Basin into what we see today. Rifting events during the Cambrian Period (early Paleozoic) left fault zones in the region. These fault zones acted as planes of weakness for faulting that was later initiated by the Ouachita Orogeny . These fault zones caused the Tobosa Basin to be transformed, due to tectonic activity, into the Permian Reef Complex, which comprises three parts:

6208-425: The break up of Pangea also caused the destruction of many Guadalupian Reefs. Even with the number of reefs from that epoch that have been destroyed, there are over 100 Guadalupian reefs that remain in the world, the most from any Permian epoch. The growth of the Capitan Reef, which is referred to as a "massive member" due to it being formed from massive limestone, can be described in three stages. The first stage

6305-455: The contractor failed to identify an underground aquifer that could cause the building supports to sink. Construction was delayed while the contractor reinforced the building supports after drilling into the aquifer; however, the building opened in time for the Fall 2011 semester. The building houses classrooms, multiple laboratories including two large demonstration labs, a 200-seat lecture hall, and

6402-443: The depression. As the sediments are buried, they are subject to increasing pressure and begin the processes of compaction and lithification that transform them into sedimentary rock . Sedimentary basins are created by deformation of Earth's lithosphere in diverse geological settings, usually as a result of plate tectonic activity. Mechanisms of crustal deformation that lead to subsidence and sedimentary basin formation include

6499-401: The earth's surface over time. Regional study of these rocks can be used as the primary record for different kinds of scientific investigation aimed at understanding and reconstructing the earth's past plate tectonics (paleotectonics), geography ( paleogeography , climate ( paleoclimatology ), oceans ( paleoceanography ), habitats ( paleoecology and paleobiogeography ). Sedimentary basin analysis

6596-425: The edge of a continental craton as a result of prolonged, broadly distributed but slow subsidence of the continental lithosphere relative to the surrounding area. They are sometimes referred to as intracratonic sag basins. They tend to be subcircular in shape and are commonly filled with shallow water marine or terrestrial sedimentary rocks that remain flat-lying and relatively undeformed over long periods of time due to

6693-439: The effect is believed to be twofold. The lower, hotter part of the lithosphere will "flow" slowly away from the main area being stretched, whilst the upper, cooler and more brittle crust will tend to fault (crack) and fracture. The combined effect of these two mechanisms is for Earth's surface in the area of extension to subside, creating a geographical depression which is then often infilled with water and/or sediments. (An analogy

6790-423: The end of the Permian Period, the supercontinent of Pangaea was beginning its break up, which drastically changed the conditions that were previously favourable for reef growth. Change in tectonics limited the exchange of sea water in the Hovey Channel, which then led to a salinity increase in the Permian Basin. The reef could not survive this drastic change in water salinity , and was therefore destroyed. Up until

6887-405: The fill of one or more sedimentary basins over time. The scientific studies of stratigraphy and in recent decades sequence stratigraphy are focused on understanding the three-dimensional architecture, packaging and layering of this body of sedimentary rocks as a record resulting from sedimentary processes acting over time, influenced by global sea level change and regional plate tectonics. Where

6984-425: The lithosphere occurs primarily in the plane of Earth as a result of near horizontal maximum and minimum principal stresses . Faults associated with these plate boundaries are primarily vertical. Wherever these vertical fault planes encounter bends, movement along the fault can create local areas of compression or tension. When the curve in the fault plane moves apart, a region of transtension occurs and sometimes

7081-405: The lithosphere. Plate tectonic processes that can create sufficient loads on the lithosphere to induce basin-forming processes include: After any kind of sedimentary basin has begun to form, the load created by the water and sediments filling the basin creates additional load, thus causing additional lithospheric flexure and amplifying the original subsidence that created the basin, regardless of

7178-478: The long-lived tectonic stability of the underlying craton. The geodynamic forces that create them remain poorly understood. Sedimentary basins form as a result of regional subsidence of the lithosphere, mostly as a result of a few geodynamic processes. If the lithosphere is caused to stretch horizontally, by mechanisms such as rifting (which is associated with divergent plate boundaries) or ridge-push or trench-pull (associated with convergent boundaries),

7275-508: The most prominent sponges that made up the Capitan Reef was the sponge family Guadalupiidae , a sponge that first appeared on Glass Mountains in the mid Permian and had spread into the Delaware Basin by the late Permian. There were more environmental changes to mark the second stage of the formation of the Capitan Reef. This period of growth was marked by eustatic changes in global sea levels, due to frequent glaciations . The reef experienced major growth vertically at this stage and grew at

7372-458: The oil production activities in the basin. The Permian Basin is also a major source of potassium salts ( potash ). Potash mines are located in Lea and Eddy counties , New Mexico, and are operated by the room and pillar method. Halite (rock salt) is produced as a byproduct of potash mining. The Delaware Basin is the larger of the two major lobes of the Permian Basin within the foreland of

7469-471: The original cause of basin inception. Cooling of a lithospheric plate, particularly young oceanic crust or recently stretched continental crust, causes thermal subsidence . As the plate cools it shrinks and becomes denser through thermal contraction . Analogous to a solid floating in a liquid, as the lithospheric plate gets denser it sinks because it displaces more of the underlying mantle through an equilibrium process known as isostasy . Thermal subsidence

7566-413: The otherwise strike-slip fault environment. The study of sedimentary basins as entities unto themselves is often referred to as sedimentary basin analysis . Study involving quantitative modeling of the dynamic geologic processes by which they evolved is called basin modelling . The sedimentary rocks comprising the fill of sedimentary basins hold the most complete historical record of the evolution of

7663-410: The reef system. Ocean currents in the Permian played a huge role in setting up the climate of the region and for aiding in the growth and death of the Capitan Reef. The climate of the basin region was hot and arid , which is shown in the evaporite deposits that can be found in the back reef region. The end in growth and accumulation of the Permian Reef Complex was influenced by tectonics . During

7760-548: The rest of the Permian Reef Complex. Rocks from the Bone Spring Limestone are predominantly found in the Delaware Basin, but the Victorio Peak Member extends into the shelf margin area. The Guadalupian Epoch was named after the Guadalupe Mountains , since this epoch in the Permian is when reef building was at its most efficient. Lasting from approximately 272–260 mya, this epoch was dominated by

7857-429: The rocks directly and also very importantly allow paleontologists to study the microfossils they contain ( micropaleontology ). At the time they are being drilled, boreholes are also surveyed by pulling electronic instruments along the length of the borehole in a process known as well logging . Well logging, which is sometimes appropriately called borehole geophysics , uses electromagnetic and radioactive properties of

7954-617: The salinity of the water to rise. The growing temperatures in the late Permian combined with the increase in salinity caused the extinction of the Capitan Reef, as well as the formation of evaporites with the basin. The layers of evaporites that formed as a result of increased salinity is called the Castile Formation . This formation consists of alternating layers of gypsum / anhydrite and limestone, as well as massive beds of gypsum/anhydrite, salt , and some limestone. The unit measures almost 4,300 feet (1,300 m) in total and

8051-408: The school colors of orange, white, and black. UTPB competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, and volleyball. Permian Basin (North America) The Permian Basin

8148-486: The sedimentary rocks comprising a sedimentary basin's fill are exposed at the earth's surface, traditional field geology and aerial photography techniques as well as satellite imagery can be used in the study of sedimentary basins. Much of a sedimentary basin's fill often remains buried below the surface, often submerged in the ocean, and thus cannot be studied directly. Acoustic imaging using seismic reflection acquired through seismic data acquisition and studied through

8245-445: The shale beds are "grey to black, hard, platy, pyritic, organic, and very siliceous". The Mississippian Limestone ranges from 49 to 171 feet (15 to 52 m) in thickness, while generally being thinner towards the southern part of the Tobosa Basin. The Barnett Shale is the second formation to have developed during the Mississippian Period. It consists mainly of silty brown shale and fine-grained sandstone and siltstone. This Formation

8342-521: The southern margin of the Midland Basin from the southern shelf and the Ouachita–Marathon thrust-belt during Leonardian and Guadalupian times. The Hovey Channel is a topographical low located on the southern edge of the Delaware Basin, allowing access to the Panthalassa sea during Guadalupian times. The Hovey Channel was originally an anticline which formed during Precambrian faulting, and

8439-400: The specific sub-discipline of seismic stratigraphy is the primary means of understanding the three-dimensional architecture of the basin's fill through remote sensing . Direct sampling of the rocks themselves is accomplished via the drilling of boreholes and the retrieval of rock samples in the form of both core samples and drill cuttings . These allow geologists to study small samples of

8536-402: The thinning of underlying crust; depression of the crust by sedimentary, tectonic or volcanic loading; or changes in the thickness or density of underlying or adjacent lithosphere . Once the process of basin formation has begun, the weight of the sediments being deposited in the basin adds a further load on the underlying crust that accentuates subsidence and thus amplifies basin development as

8633-546: The world's natural gas and petroleum and all of its coal are found in sedimentary rock. Many metal ores are found in sedimentary rocks formed in particular sedimentary environments. Sedimentary basins are also important from a purely scientific perspective because their sedimentary fill provides a record of Earth's history during the time in which the basin was actively receiving sediment. More than six hundred sedimentary basins have been identified worldwide. They range in areal size from tens of square kilometers to well over

8730-509: The world's thickest deposits of rocks from the period. The Permian Basin comprises several component basins, including the Midland Basin, which is the largest; Delaware Basin , the second largest; and Marfa Basin, the smallest. The Permian Basin covers more than 86,000 square miles (220,000 km ), and extends across an area approximately 250 miles (400 km) wide and 300 miles (480 km) long. The Texas cities of Midland , Odessa and San Angelo serve as headquarters for some of

8827-477: Was completed in 1948. The Permian Basin is the thickest deposit of Permian aged rocks on Earth which were rapidly deposited during the collision of North America and Gondwana ( South America and Africa ) between the late Mississippian through the Permian. The Permian Basin also includes formations that date back to the Ordovician Period , 445 million years ago ( mya ). Prior to the breakup of

8924-596: Was formed during the Lopingian Epoch . The individual layers ( laminae ) of gypsum/anhydrite are between 0.039 inches (1 mm) and 3.9 inches (10 cm) in thickness, which is thought to correlate with the basin salinity on a year by year basis. The Capitan Reef had been altered diagenetically early on in its history, especially after the deposition of the Castile Formation. There is evidence of fabric alteration throughout this formation, which

9021-521: Was free from debris and which had a normal salinity level of 27 to 40 ppt (parts per thousand). The basin water provided plenty of nutrients, since there was continuous upwelling of water that mixed newly brought marine water with anoxic water from the basin floor. The makeup of the reef is described as being built primarily from erect sponges, which have large, rigid skeletons, and abundant red algae , microbial micrite , and inorganic cement . The microbial micrite worked to trap sediment . One of

9118-411: Was little to no change in the environment during this time. The Mississippian Limestone is the main formation to develop during this Period. This formation, similar to the previously mentioned Thirtyone Formation, is composed primarily of limestone and shale. The limestone beds are described as being "brown to dark brown, micro-crystalline to very finely crystalline, commonly sandy, and dolomitic", while

9215-567: Was much thicker than the Mississippian Limestone, ranging from 200 to 460 feet (60 to 140 m). The increased thickness can be explained by increased sedimentation in the area, which was likely caused by tectonic activity in the region. The Ouachita Orogeny occurred during the Late Mississippian, leading to tectonic activity in the region. The subsequent folding and faulting caused by this Orogeny led to

9312-421: Was the first step in official authorization. On April 17, 2008, the university broke ground on a new Science and Technology Complex. The new building houses chemistry, biology, physics, computer science, and information technology programs. The new 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m) building contains 41 labs, 56 offices, six classrooms, and three sunken lecture halls. Despite warnings from a UTPB Geology professor,

9409-550: Was the main source of sea water for the Delaware Basin. The closing of the Hovey Channel towards the end of the Permian Period eventually caused the death of the Permian Reef, as without water being brought in through the Channel, salinity levels rose drastically in the Delaware Basin and the reef could not survive. The Horseshoe Atoll is a westward-tilting arcuate chain of reef mounds 175 miles (282 km) long located in

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