Dip Patterns

Basic Types
Introduction

There are several graphical methods of plotting dip computations. This chapter covers interpretation
rules based on the common "tadpole" plot. The head of the tadpole indicates dip magnitude and is
plotted on a dip scale ranging from 0 to 90 versus depth. The tail of the tadpole, which points in the
downdip direction, is plotted on a compass rose (north, up; east to the right; south, down; and west to
the left).
The two or more tadpoles forming a group are derived from the internal structure of sediment layers
deposited in a single depositional environment. All dips on a tadpole plot can be assigned to one of
four basic groups. These groups are the building blocks used to create megapatterns. Mega-patterns,
lithology, and knowledge of the depositional environment are used to make interpretations.
DipGroups

The four dip groups are the red (slope), blue (current), green (constant), and random. These basic
groups are the building blocks of megapatterns, which are used to identify missing or repeat sections
and to interpret stratigraphy. The red, blue, and green patterns are illustrated in Figure 1 , which
shows the borehole, formation-imaging, and dipmeter tadpole plots for each.
Red(Slope)Groups

Red dip groups are composed of two or more adjacent tadpoles with constant azimuths and
downward increasing magnitudes. These groups are generated from sediments deposited on a
sloping surface or from sediments with dips that have been altered by postdepositional movement.
Most red groups result from downdip thickening. Beds deposited on a sloping surface thicken and
become wedge-shaped in the downdip direction; therefore, the dip direction of red groups indicates
the direction of thickening.
Blue(Current)Groups

Blue dip groups are composed of two or more adjacent tadpoles with constant azimuths and
downward-decreasing magnitudes. These groups are generated mainly from sediment layers
deposited as foreset beds. The dip directions of the foreset-generated blue groups indicate the
directions of current flow during deposition. Some blue groups are generated by weathering beneath
erosional surfaces; this process creates downward-flattening features.
Green(Constant)Groups

Green dip groups are composed of two or more adjacent tadpoles with constant magnitudes and
azimuths. These groups are derived from parallel crossbeds or from sediments that were deposited
flat and have subsequently undergone structural uplifting. Green groups are the only dip groups
indicating structural dip today and are the groups sought within zones of least scatter.
RandomGroups

Random dip groups are composed of adjacent tadpoles with random magnitudes and azimuths.
These groups are derived from sediment layers deposited in high-energy environments, such as
shallow water less than 50 ft deep; from layers that have undergone reworking by bioturbation; and
from layers that have undergone postdepositional movement.

Megapatterns
These dip groups are used as building blocks in identifying megapatterns. Megapatterns, lithology,
and depositional environment information are used for determining the location of attributes of faults,
unconformities, and stratigraphic features.
MegaRedDipPatterns

The mega-red dip pattern is a family of the basic dip groups characterized by an increasing downward
magnitude trend and a constant or gradually rotating general azimuth ( Figure 2 ). Individual basic dip
groups may exhibit dips that do not match the general trend. The features in the subsurface that
create mega red patterns on the dip plot include distortions near a fault plane, sand bars, beach
ridges, reefs, and channels of all types.
Normal Faults Two distortion types, rollover and drag, may be present near a normal fault. Rollover,
with dip into the fault, results from sediments slumping into the downthrown side of a fault that was
active at the seafloor during the time of deposition.
Drag zones contain beds dipping in the same direction as the fault plane. The mega-red dip pattern
results from friction between the active downthrown block and the passive upthrown block. Most of the

distortion occurs in the active or down-thrown fault block; however, upthrown drag is occasionally
noted.
Mega-red dip patterns are not always found near the fault plane. Some faults have no downthrown or
upthrown distortion; in these situations there is no dipmeter indication unless there has been tilting of
one of the fault blocks.
Reverse Faults Reverse thrust fault usually exhibit drag on both sides of the fault. The drag zone in
the overthrust block creates a mega-red pattern dipping in the direction of overthrust. The downthrown
dip pattern, if one exists, is a mega-blue pattern. If drag is present on only one side of the fault, it
occurs on the more active, overthrust side.
If a missing or repeat section is at or near the base of a mega-red pattern, the pattern probably results
from some type of distortion near the fault plane. If there is no indication of a nearby missing or repeat
section, then the mega-red pattern probably has a stratigraphic origin.
Additional information from other logs about the depositional environment and lithology is necessary
to determine the stratigraphic feature generating a mega-red pattern.
MegaBlueDipPatterns

Mega-blue dip patterns are formed when the dip magnitudes of families of
downward but their azimuths remain the same or rotate slowly ( Figure 3 ).
patterns, a few individual basic dip groups may exhibit random azimuths.
depositional environment and lithology obtained from other logs are required
interpretation.

basic groups decrease

As is true of mega-red
Also, local data about
to make a stratigraphic

Mega-blue patterns result from foreset deposition, weathering under erosional surfaces, and
compaction caused by the sinking of a relatively dense mass, such as a sand or coral reef, into softer
underlying beds. Dip direction of foreset beds indicates the direction of sediment transport or current
flow. The dips created by compaction indicate the direction to the thickest portion of the overlying
mass. Fore-set deposition occurs in delta-dominated environments, tide/ wave-dominated
environments, longshore current sand waves, submarine fans, tidal flats, and at or near the axes of
any type of channel.

IdentifyingMegapatterns

Basic dip groups that do not form megapatterns terminate at or near a vertical or slightly inclined line
(Figure 4 ). Basic dip groups that form megapatterns terminate at successively higher magnitudese.g., higher downward for a red, higher upward for a blue--for the length of the pattern. If the deepest
dip group of a megapattern has an azimuth different from the azimuth of the general pattern, the
azimuth of the pattern, not the basal group, should be used.
TheoreticalDipPatterns

A series of theoretical dip-versus-lithology patterns can easily be created for any specific environment.
Since the same dip patterns can be created by different stratigraphic features, the theoretical
sketches are grouped by depositional environments (nonmarine, deltaic, interdeltaic, and deepwater) .
A missing and repeat dip response is also included.
The interpretation process can be carried out step by step in the following sequence:

Determine structural dip.

Delete structural dip if necessary.
Identify and describe the attributes of missing and repeat sections.
Make stratigraphic interpretations using lithology and knowledge of the depositional
environment.
If independent knowledge of the depositional environment is unavailable, local "rules of
thumb," using such parameters as bound water resistivity, shale resistivity, and dip
scatter, can be used as environmental indicators.
Structural Dip In order to represent structural dip today, any bedding plane or sediment layer must
have been deposited flat and have undergone only structural uplift since the time of deposition.
Structural dip trends are selected from zones of least dip scatter, since such zones are most likely to
have been deposited in a low-energy environment and thus are most likely to represent structural dip
today. A good rule of thumb is to assume that structural dip trends picked from the dipmeter display

extend horizontally no farther than they do vertically. Dip trends that extend 1000 ft or more can
usually be extended as far horizontally as the closest offset well. However, if numerous faults and
unconformities are present, it may be impossible to find a dip trend that extends 1000 ft vertically.
Structural dip should be deleted before fault and stratigraphic interpretations are made if the dip
magnitude in the zone of interest is less than that of structural dip, or if the dip azimuth in the zone of
interest is different from that of structural dip.
MissingorRepeatSections

After determining and (if necessary) deleting structural dip, the next step is interpreting missing and
repeat sections. Missing sections result when normal faults, angular unconformities, disconformities,
or diastems are present. Repeat sections result from compressional faulting and folding.
Since stratigraphic features and faults can generate identical dip patterns, an independent input as to
locations of probable missing sections is desirable before making missing-section interpretations.
Normal faults may generate red dip patterns that dip either toward or away from the fault plane. Dip
patterns on the downthrown side of growth faults, which result from rollover into the fault, dip toward
the fault plane. The vertical extent of such patterns can be used as a minimum fault displacement
indicator. Nongrowth normal faults that occurred after some formation compaction had taken place
create red dip patterns that dip in the same direction as the fault plane. These result from a drag zone
immediately downthrown to the fault.
Reverse and thrust faults, which generate "right-side-up" repeats on the logs, create red-over-blue dip
patterns. The patterns dip in the direction of overthrust, and the fault plane is located at their junction.
Overturned folds also create log repeat sections, but one repeat is a mirror image of the other.
From the bottom up on Figure 1 , the first missing and repeat section is a diastem or disconformity.
Since the angular difference across such features is less than one-half of a degree, they are not easily
recognized on dipmeter plots. The small blue pattern shown beneath the missing section is the result
of some type of weathering.
The next repeat section results from an overturned fold. The log response of the repeat section
produces a mirror image with the repeat section upside down with respect to the first log response. In
this example, there is a dip reversal across the fold; this is not always the case.
A reverse or thrust fault also produces a repeat log response, with the repeat right side up with
respect to the first log response. Both the red pattern in the upper, or overthrust, block and the blue
pattern in the downthrown block are the result of drag. The dip direction of the overthrust red pattern
is the same as the direction of over-thrust (to the east in this example).
The next upward dip decrease is the result of a period of postdepositional uplift that created a portion
of the underlying 25 northeast structural trend. There was no erosion of the uplifted beds. Deposition,
which continued without a break, then produced onlapping beds. The overlying 20 east structural
trend was produced by a later period of uplift. Such features are common in sediments deposited in
deepwater environments.
The next upward dip increase, from 20 east to 10 east, occurs across an angular unconformity. The
blue dip pattern drawn below the unconformity results from some type of weathering and occurs most
of the time. Since this small blue pattern is identical to patterns produced by stratigraphic events, it
should not be considered a diagnostic unconformity indicator.
There is independent input that a fault exists within the section of 10 east structural dip. Since there
are no associated red or blue patterns, this is a middle-aged normal fault that has no distortion near
the fault plane. However, a sudden structural dip change occurs when one fault block has been tilted.
There is also independent input that another fault is located just uphole. A red dip pattern, which
terminates at the probable fault location, is present in this example. If the vertical extent of the red
pattern is more than 200 ft, the pattern is almost certainly the result of dip into the downthrown side of
a growth fault The dip direction is toward the upthrown block (example: upthrown to the northeast). If
the vertical extent of the red pattern is less than 200 ft, the red pattern may result from either rollover
into a growth fault or drag on the downthrown side of a later fault. When the pattern results from drag,
the dip direction is toward the downthrown side and normal to the fault strike.
ContinentalEnvironment

Figure 1 illustrates some continental environment depositional features and their associated dip
patterns. From bottom up, the group of tadpoles indicating east structural dip is derived from
sediments deposited essentially flat in an upper delta plain environment. Sands deposited in such an
environment may contain secondary porosity because some plant-produced acids are capable of
dissolving sand grains.

Flood-plain sediments produce a "bag-of-nails" dip scatter. Few (if any) dips reflecting structural dip
are found within such sediments.
Next is an eolian sand. The illustrated dip patterns have constant (angle of repose) dip trends
underlain by blue patterns. This is a typical dip response from transverse and barchan dunes. The dip
direction indicates the prevailing wind direction at the time of deposition (from west to east in this
example).
Longitudinal dunes produce red or blue patterns whose dip directions are normal to the prevailing
wind direction. Dome and parabolic dunes produce mainly red patterns dipping in the prevailing wind
direction.
Swamp or marsh deposits generally produce blank zones because bedding planes have been
destroyed by rooting and bioturbation.
Stream channels filled with clay plugs produce red dip patterns within shale sections. The patterns dip
toward the channel thalweg.
When stream channels are filled with sand instead of clay, possibly during a marine transgression, a
red dip pattern found at the base of the sand dips toward the thalweg and normal to the strike of the
channel (example: thalweg to the northeast, and northwest-southeast strike). This dip pattern is
overlain by a blue pattern whose dip is 90 from that of the underlying red pattern. This dip direction
indicates the current flow direction within the channel (example: direction of flow to the southeast).
Point-bar sands exhibit a number of internal blue dip patterns whose dips are in the direction of
current flow. A red pattern that dips toward the thalweg may also be present just above the point bar. If
the beds that produce the blue dip patterns are thicker than 3 ft, the blue patterns probably result from
accretion depositions that dip toward the thalweg rather than from trough crossbeds that dip downcurrent.
ContinentalShelf,DeltaDominatedEnvironment

In the example in Figure 1 , delta-dominated means that some, if not all, of the stratigraphic features
deposited in a deltaic environment were preserved in their original forms rather than in reworked
forms. The bottom sand is channel-like and was formed by the compaction of underlying muds. All
dips of the red dip pattern (faulting has been eliminated) found within the sand dip toward the axis and
normal to the strike of the sand. Because of compaction of the sediments below the sand, a blue dip
pattern dipping toward the channel axis is usually found beneath the sand in the underlying shales.
Other logs exhibit gradients (downward-decreasing resistivity, increasing interval transit time) in the
underlying shales. Sands formed by compaction may be more than 2000 ft thick.
Crevasse splays generate blue dip patterns pointing in the direction of current flow (example: direction
of flow to the southeast). A sand deposited as a distributary mouth-bar and topped by a scour channel
exhibits a red-over-blue dip pattern that dips in the same direction. The blue pattern dips in the
direction of current flow (example: direction of flow to the east-southeast) and the red pattern dips
toward the scour channel axis (example: axis to the east-southeast), which usually has a very limited
areal extent. In general, when adjacent red-over-blue patterns dip in the same direction, the red
pattern can be ignored.
Whenever a distributary mouth-bar sand undergoes shallow-water reworking, a bag-of-nails dip
scatter is produced. Such sands tend to be clean with good porosities and permeabilities.
When all the original depositional features of a distributary channel are preserved, they produce a red
dip pattern at the base of the sand, overlain by a blue pattern. The pattern azimuths are 90 apart.
The red pattern dips toward the channel axis and normal to the channel strike (example: axis to east
and north-south strike) The blue pattern dip indicates flow down the channel (example: flow from north
to south). A distributary mouth-bar produces a blue dip pattern whose direction is that of current flow
(example: flow from northwest to southeast) .
When the blue pattern magnitude variation is 10 or more, the distributary mouth-bar tends to be
elongated in the direction of dip (inertia-dominated environment). When the dip variation is less than
10, the distributary mouth-bar tends to be fan or crescent shaped (friction-dominated environment).
Distributary mouth-bars and crevasse splays look the same on dipmeter plots.
ContinentalShelf,TideorWaveDominatedEnvironment

Figure 1 illustrates some of the stratigraphic features and associated dip patterns that are found in a
continental shelf, tide- or wave-dominated environment. Many of these features are the result of
reworking of previously deposited deltaic sediments.

At the bottom of the figure, parallel seaward-dipping cross-beds are produced by beach rock that
forms in a carbonate environment at the saltwater-freshwater interface along shorelines.
An oolitic bar is identified by a red pattern immediately above the bar (assuming, of course, that it was
not penetrated on the crest). The red pattern dips toward the pinch-out and normal to the strike of the
bar (example: pinchout to the northeast, and northwest-southeast strike) . Dips within the oolitic bar
are immaterial.
A reef also exhibits a red pattern above its top and a blue pattern in the underlying beds. Few, if any,
meaningful dips are found within reefs. The overlying red pattern dips toward the pinchout and normal
to the strike of the reef. The blue pattern, which results from compaction, dips toward the thicker part
of the reef (example: pinchout is to the east-northeast and the reef strikes north-northwest, southsoutheast) .
A buried beach ridge exhibits a red dip pattern immediately above the top of the ridge and numerous
dips within the beach-ridge sand. The red pattern dips toward the shaleout and normal to the strike of
the beach ridge (example: shaleout to northeast, and northwest-southeast strike) .
A sand bar that formed at the wave breakpoint also exhibits a red dip pattern above the sand but few
dips within the sand (reworking increases the electrical homogeneity) . The red pattern dips toward
the shaleout and normal to the strike of the bar (example: shaleout to the northeast, and northwestsoutheast strike) .
In Figure 2 the bottom sand was deposited as a slip-face sand on the landward side of a beach. The
internal blue dip pattern dips landward and normal to the beach strike (example: land to west, and
north-south beach strike).
The next sand was deposited as beach dunes and contains varying dips resulting from festoon
crossbedding. Formations on the berm crest of a beach can be deposited flat and would later indicate
structural dip.
Runnel sands may exhibit blue patterns derived from mega-ripples whose dip azimuths approximate
the beach strike. Small-scale ripples may produce either blank zones or random dips. The example
beach strike is north-south, indicated by south-dipping blue patterns derived from megaripples.
A beach-face sand contains seaward-dipping parallel cross-beds (example: parallel crossbeds dipping
5 east indicate that seaward was to the east during deposition).
Upper shore face sands contain a few parallel seaward-dipping crossbeds (example: 1 and 2 east
dips indicate that seaward was to the east during deposition). Lower shore face sands contain mainly
blank zones and random dips that result from high-energy environments and extensive bioturbation.
Longshore current sand waves exhibit blue dip patterns dipping in the direction of transport and
parallel to the nearby fossil shoreline (example: dips to south indicate transport from north to south
along a north-south striking shoreline).
A tidal flood delta, or washover, fan generates landwarddipping blue dip patterns (example: westdipping blue patterns indicate that land was to the west during deposition).
Ebb deltas produce seaward-dipping blue patterns (example: east dip indicates that seaward was to
the east at the time of deposition).
DeepwaterDepositionalEnvironment

Figure 1 illustrates the sedimentary features found in deepwater (continental slope and deeper)
sediments. Often, postdepositional movement occurs within sediments deposited on the continental
slope. This produces a bag-of-nails dip appearance. Structural dip is extremely difficult to determine
from such intervals.
Deposition at the distal end of submarine fans produces alternating sand-shale layers that later can
become low-resistivity pay zones. Dips recorded in this environment indicate structural dip. The
midfan portion of a submarine fan produces blue patterns that indicate sediment transport directions
(example: transport direction was north to south) .
Debris flows produce blank zones or zones of random dips. A submarine channel penetrated near the
edge exhibits a red pattern that dips toward the channel axis and normal to its strike (example: axis to
the east, and north-south strike) . A near-the-axis location within a feeder channel produces only blue
patterns, which indicates flow down the channel (example: south-southwest dipping blue patterns
indicate flow from north-northeast to south-southwest) .
A feeder channel penetration between the axis and channel edge produces the "blue-over-red with
axis 90 apart" dip pattern combination. The red pattern dips toward the channel axis and normal to
the channel strike (example: axis to the east and north-south strike). The blue pattern dip direction

indicates the flow direction down the channel (example: flow direction was from north-northeast to
south-southwest) .
These theoretical patterns show all of the original dip patterns intact. In practice, portions of the
original patterns may have been destroyed by reworking. Also, random dips that behave like noise are
scattered throughout the patterns.
Exercise 1.
The upper 3 m of the log in Figure 1 are in interbedded shales and silts. The lower 4 m are mostly
sand in a fluvial environment.
This exercise requires the student to study the dip curves closely, from a standpoint of similarity
between adjacent side-by-side electrodes and similarity from pad to pad.
Also study the dip results from each of the three systems: CSB, MSD, LOCDIP.
Study the comparison of 5-inch correlation CSB, LOCAL DIP, and 1-foot correlation MSD. What are
the bedding characteristics for each of the four intervals?
Solution 1:
Interval 1
Curve pairs vary from similar to unlike, and the CSB results reflect this fact. Pad-to-pad similarity is
quite poor, causing the MSD dip scatter. Bedding is probably irregular and of very short lateral
extension. There is some stratification, however, as indicated by the similarity of side-by-side curves.
Interval 2
The lower 2 m of this section are well-bedded with small curve contrast. Agreement between systems
is fair, implying some consistency in direction. At the arrow, note that LOCDIP and MSD point north at
9, whereas CSB shows SW crossbedding over that section. This is an excellent example of a
dominant anomaly (see correlations) influencing the dips over the complete 1-ft correlation interval on
the MSD, and the similar LOCDIP response.
Interval 3
Well-bedded, with good basic agreement among systems.
Interval 4
Poor bedding, with noncorrelational conductive anomalies. These are pyrite blebs, very small but very
conductive.

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