The lost Devonian sequence - Sequence stratigraphy of the middle Bakken member, and the importance of clastic dykes in the lower Bakken member shale, North Dakota, USA

The here presented model suggests that the Bakken Formation reflects two entire sea-level oscillations. The first encompasses the lower Bakken member shale and the siliciclastic regressive portion of the lowstand only preserved as infill of the clastic dykes. The subsequent transgression deposited the carbonates now blanketing the lower to middle Bakken member transition, and the highstand and subsequent regression plus lowstand are represented by the middle Bakken member. The transgressive surface and therewith the onset of the topmost Bakken transgression is marked by the transition from the middle to the upper Bakken shale member.