Bleaching of Jurassic Navajo Sandstone on Colorado Plateau Laramide highs: Evidence of exhumed hydrocarbon supergiants?

Research Article| December 01, 2003 Bleaching of Jurassic Navajo Sandstone on Colorado Plateau Laramide highs: Evidence of exhumed hydrocarbon supergiants? Brenda Beitler; Brenda Beitler 1 Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Marjorie A. Chan; Marjorie A. Chan 1 Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar William T. Parry William T. Parry 1 Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2003) 31 (12): 1041–1044. https://doi.org/10.1130/G19794.1 Article history received: 05 May 2003 rev-recd: 07 Aug 2003 accepted: 14 Aug 2003 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Brenda Beitler, Marjorie A. Chan, William T. Parry; Bleaching of Jurassic Navajo Sandstone on Colorado Plateau Laramide highs: Evidence of exhumed hydrocarbon supergiants?. Geology 2003;; 31 (12): 1041–1044. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G19794.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Spectacular color variations in the Lower Jurassic Navajo Sandstone reflect stratigraphic and structural control on the spatial distribution of fluid-driven alteration. Field observations and supervised classification of Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) satellite imagery show that the most extensive regional bleaching of the Navajo Sandstone occurs on eroded crests of Laramide uplifts on the Colorado Plateau in southern Utah. Alteration patterns suggest that the blind reverse faults that core the eastern monoclines associated with these uplifts were carriers for hydrocarbons and brought the buoyant fluids to the crests of monoclines and anticlines, where they bleached the sandstone in both structural and stratigraphic traps. The extent of bleaching indicates that the Navajo Sandstone (Navajo Sandstone, Aztec Sandstone, and Nugget Sandstone) may have been one of the largest hydrocarbon reservoirs known. Rapid incision and breaching of this reservoir during Tertiary uplift and erosion of the Colorado Plateau could have released enough carbon into the atmosphere to significantly contribute to global carbon fluxes and possibly influence climate. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.