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Palaeogeographical evolution of the Rattray Volcanic Province, Central North Sea

View ORCID ProfileAilsa K. Quirie, Nick Schofield, David W. Jolley, Stuart G. Archer, View ORCID ProfileMalcolm J. Hole, Adrian Hartley, Douglas Watson, View ORCID ProfileRoger Burgess, View ORCID ProfileJessica H. Pugsley, John R. Underhill and Simon P. Holford
Journal of the Geological Society, 177, 718-737, 14 April 2020, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2019-182
Ailsa K. Quirie
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
2Present address: Shell International, Shell Centre, , UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Lead)], [Data curation (Lead)], [Formal analysis (Lead)], [Funding acquisition (Equal)], [Investigation (Lead)], [Methodology (Lead)], [Project administration (Equal)], [Visualization (Lead)], [Writing - Original Draft (Lead)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Lead)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Ailsa K. Quirie
  • For correspondence: ailsa.quirie@shell.com
Nick Schofield
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Supporting)], [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Funding acquisition (Equal)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Project administration (Equal)], [Supervision (Lead)], [Validation (Lead)], [Visualization (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Lead)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
David W. Jolley
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Methodology (Supporting)], [Supervision (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
Stuart G. Archer
3RPS Energy, Goldvale House, 27–41 Church Street West, , UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Supporting)], [Validation (Supporting)], [Visualization (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
Malcolm J. Hole
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Supervision (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Malcolm J. Hole
Adrian Hartley
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Supervision (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
Douglas Watson
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
4Present address: ExxonMobil International, Ermyn House, Ermyn Way, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Visualization (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
Roger Burgess
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
5Present address: Petrostrat, Tan-y-Graig, Parc Caer Seion, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Methodology (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Roger Burgess
Jessica H. Pugsley
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Investigation (Supporting)], [Visualization (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Jessica H. Pugsley
John R. Underhill
6Shell Centre for Exploration Geoscience, Applied Geoscience Unit, Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot–Watt University, , UK
Roles: [Supervision (Supporting)], [Validation (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
Simon P. Holford
7University of Adelaide, Australian School of Petroleum, , , Australia
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Search for this author on this site
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Abstract

The Rattray Volcanics Member, at the triple junction of the North Sea rift, is here subdivided into two informal sub-members based on analysis of core, wireline and seismic data. The Lower and Upper Rattray Volcanics were emplaced during two distinct phases of volcanism separated by a sustained volcanic hiatus. The presence of hyaloclastite and abundant freshwater algae at the base of the Lower Rattray indicates that large lakes were present in the area prior to the volcanism, possibly indicating that collapse of the regional Jurassic Central North Sea dome began prior to volcanism. Pulsed subsidence probably occurred through the duration of the volcanism with lacustrine conditions becoming re-established during the mid-volcanic hiatus. Sediments were deposited across the Rattray Volcanic Province in fluvial systems and floodplain coal swamps after the final cessation of volcanism, with later marine transgression leading to drowning of the area in the Callovian to Oxfordian. In terms of hydrocarbon prospectivity, no evidence is currently found to confirm the presence of an intra-basaltic play analogous to the Rosebank Field in the Faroe–Shetland Basin, although post-volcanic Pentland Formation sedimentary sequences in the Fisher Bank Basin area indicate the possibility of supra-basaltic prospectivity in the triple junction.

Supplementary material: A table containing the complete palynological record is available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4857195

  • © 2020 The Author(s). Published by The Geological Society of London. All rights reserved
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Journal of the Geological Society: 177 (4)
Journal of the Geological Society
Volume 177, Issue 4
July 2020
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Palaeogeographical evolution of the Rattray Volcanic Province, Central North Sea

Ailsa K. Quirie, Nick Schofield, David W. Jolley, Stuart G. Archer, Malcolm J. Hole, Adrian Hartley, Douglas Watson, Roger Burgess, Jessica H. Pugsley, John R. Underhill and Simon P. Holford
Journal of the Geological Society, 177, 718-737, 14 April 2020, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2019-182
Ailsa K. Quirie
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
2Present address: Shell International, Shell Centre, , UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Lead)], [Data curation (Lead)], [Formal analysis (Lead)], [Funding acquisition (Equal)], [Investigation (Lead)], [Methodology (Lead)], [Project administration (Equal)], [Visualization (Lead)], [Writing - Original Draft (Lead)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Lead)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Ailsa K. Quirie
  • For correspondence: ailsa.quirie@shell.com
Nick Schofield
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Supporting)], [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Funding acquisition (Equal)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Project administration (Equal)], [Supervision (Lead)], [Validation (Lead)], [Visualization (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Lead)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
David W. Jolley
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Methodology (Supporting)], [Supervision (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Stuart G. Archer
3RPS Energy, Goldvale House, 27–41 Church Street West, , UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Supporting)], [Validation (Supporting)], [Visualization (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Malcolm J. Hole
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Supervision (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Malcolm J. Hole
Adrian Hartley
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Supervision (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Douglas Watson
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
4Present address: ExxonMobil International, Ermyn House, Ermyn Way, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Visualization (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Roger Burgess
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
5Present address: Petrostrat, Tan-y-Graig, Parc Caer Seion, , UK
Roles: [Formal analysis (Supporting)], [Investigation (Supporting)], [Methodology (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Roger Burgess
Jessica H. Pugsley
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Aberdeen, , UK
Roles: [Investigation (Supporting)], [Visualization (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Jessica H. Pugsley
John R. Underhill
6Shell Centre for Exploration Geoscience, Applied Geoscience Unit, Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot–Watt University, , UK
Roles: [Supervision (Supporting)], [Validation (Supporting)], [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Simon P. Holford
7University of Adelaide, Australian School of Petroleum, , , Australia
Roles: [Writing - Review & Editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site

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Palaeogeographical evolution of the Rattray Volcanic Province, Central North Sea

Ailsa K. Quirie, Nick Schofield, David W. Jolley, Stuart G. Archer, Malcolm J. Hole, Adrian Hartley, Douglas Watson, Roger Burgess, Jessica H. Pugsley, John R. Underhill and Simon P. Holford
Journal of the Geological Society, 177, 718-737, 14 April 2020, https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2019-182
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