Late Jurassic Synrift System Evolution of Greater Tampen Area and Northern North Viking Graben, North Sea

Supervisor(s): Prof. Robert Gawthorpe, Dr. Tim Cullen, Prof. Haakon Fossen, Prof. Lesli J. Wood (Colorado School of Mines)

Project period: June 2021 – September 2024

Project & Funding: DeepRift, sponsored by Research Council of Norway, AkerBP, Equinor, Wintershall, ConocoPhillips & Neptune

Aims of PhD project: In a series of studies conducted in the northern North Sea's Greater Tampen Spur area, the first investigation aims to document diverse geomorphic features of major footwall blocks and variable fault-controlled scarps, while also defining relationships between syn- and early post-rift depositional systems and adjacent geomorphology, all with the goal of understanding the underlying tectonic, stratigraphic, and surface processes shaping footwall and fault scarp geomorphology. The second study focuses on the Pancake Basin, aiming to comprehend deep-water depositional systems within a rift depocenter, elucidating sediment dynamics from source to sink, and the contributions of local and regional sources. The third study examines high-displacement normal faults, intending to document structural variations along fault segments controlling syn-rift depocenters, and reconstruct fault evolution using growth and kinematic analysis integrated with sediment evolution, providing insights into fault and depocenter development.