Surface temperature grids for the 3D petroleum systems model of the Williston Basin, USA

A 3D petroleum systems model requires that the temperature at the sediment surface be defined at each geological time step. Generally, surface temperature can be modeled from paleo-elevation or paleo-water depth history, as well as the paleo-latitude of the basin and global climate patterns through time. The PetroMod software, from which the 3D petroleum systems model was generated, uses the Sediment-Water Interface Temperature (SWIT) tool to help define these boundary conditions. In most time steps, the model assumes that paleo-water depth/elevation was flat and uniform across the basin. In these time steps, surface temperatures in the model do not vary across the basin and are determined by the paleo-latitude (taken at the center [...]