The Ostreaelv Formation is divided into four distinct and overall retrograding allostratigraphic units each composed of a characteristic set of tide-influenced, tide-dominated and wave-influenced facies associations. The allostratigraphic units are bounded by subaerial unconformities, interpreted as sequence boundaries, and are up to 75聽m thick and 16 to >20聽km in width. The allostratigraphic units include a sandy heterolithic estuary bay-head delta succession overlain by two sandy tide-dominated estuary fill successions, interbedded with a muddy heterolithic offshore marine succession. Each of the three estuarine allostratigraphic units was accumulated in an incised valley formed during fall in relative sea level and filled during successive transgressions with sediment supplied from marine and reworked fluvial deposits.
In the three incised valleys fluvial sediments were deposited on top of an initial subaerial unconformity surface (SU) and were later reworked by succeeding transgressive ravinement along a transgressive surface (TS), thus creating combined SU/TS sequence boundaries. The data from the Ostreaelv Formation also provides knowledge and conceptual understanding of valley infill processes (tidal current, wave and fluvial energy), and both lateral and vertical variations in lithofacies architecture within incised valleys.
Moreover, the study provides quantitative input data, such as incised valley dimensions, sand-containing capacity, and geometry to subsurface reservoir characterisation and modelling efforts of estuary fill successions.