December Luncheon - Dr. John Holbrook, Professor, TCU

Once considered practically abstractions, fluvial systems dominated by upper-flow-regime structures (UFR systems) are now considered common. Accordingly, they have gained consideration as potential reservoirs. Fundamental data and models for reservoir properties of these systems though are still lacking. Triassic strata of the Tecovas and Trujillo formations in the Palo Duro Canyon of West Texas provide an opportunity to develop models for vertical sequences and reservoir architecture of UFR systems, and lend insights into the processes that form UFR systems. Two channel-fill reservoir elements dominate the Dockum Group, a thin channel fill with low-Froude structures and a thicker channel fill with high-Froude structures. Thicker channel-fills (~2 m, aspect ratio ~24) host upper-plane-bed, symmetrical antidune, breaking-antidune, chute-and-pool, and cyclic-step structures. The thinner channel-fill population (<1 m, aspect ratio ~35) comprises upper-plane-bed and some antidune structures. Both channel-fill elements tend to record single cut-and-fill events. Bars are transverse, but include the first recorded…