Migration pathways in the Central North Slope foreland basin, Alaska USA: solute and thermal constraints on fluid flow simulations

Abstract The North Slope foreland basin, Alaska, USA is an east–west asymmetrical trough‐shaped basin adjacent to the Brooks Range fold‐thrust mountain belt. Lower Cretaceous age rocks make up much of the sediment fill, including flysch‐like marine turbidites and shales of the Torok and Fortress Mountain formations and marine and sandstones, shales and conglomerates of the overlying Nanushuk group. Lower Cretaceous age rocks were deposited on top of a Palaeozoic and Mesozoic age passive margin sequence. We have conducted numerical simulations of fluid flow driven by topographic recharge in the Central North Slope foreland basin. These simulations are constrained by salinity estimates from well logs, location of oil and gas fields, vitrinite reflectance and heat flow measurements. Our model results indicate that there are two south to north pathways for fluid migration. The primary pathway for fluid movement is downward through the Fortress Mountain formation, then upwards along the interface between the Fortress Mountain and Torok Formation and finally northward through the permeable Nanushuk group. A smaller mass of groundwater moves along sands below the Torok formation and into offshore sediments north of Alaska. Very little meteoric water enters the underlying Palaeozoic rocks in our simulations, which could explain the presence of deep saline pore waters. Our results also show that permafrost is a primary control on the pathway and rate of fluid flow by controlling the distribution of surface recharge and discharge. For example, areas of high heat flow and low saline waters along the arctic coast may represent upward groundwater discharge because of the absence of permafrost. As surface temperatures were warmer in the Miocene, the absence of permafrost would produce a more local fluid circulation pattern and less transfer of heat energy from south to north.