Coupled flexural-dynamic subsidence modeling of a retro-foreland basin, Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

The development of accommodation in sedimentary basins falls into two categories; regional basin-scale subsidence and localized processes. This study presents a modeling approach yielding estimates of regional flexural and dynamic subsidence within a retro-foreland basin. The Canadian Cordillera was chosen for this study because of robust well data and numerous previous studies that can be used to constrain the model.;The dynamic subsidence component matches favorably to estimates based on mantle convection modeling of the subducting plate during the Cretaceous. This dynamic component led to regional accommodation distal to the present-day thrust front in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The flexural component is only important for the proximal basin. The modeling approach presented in this study can be used in other retro-foreland basins to estimate the basin geometry where less data are available to provide an empirical solution. This has direct implications for predicting the distribution of facies in basins.