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CONTENTS
Overviews
Mass-transport deposits in deepwater settings: an introduction R. CRAIG SHIPP, PAUL WEIMER, AND HENRY W. POSAMENTIER ................................................................................................. 3 The character and genesis of submarine mass-transport deposits: insights from outcrop and 3D seismic data HENRY W. POSAMENTIER, AND OLE J. MARTINSEN ......................................................................................................................... 7 Interplay of mass-transport and turbidite-system deposits in different active tectonic and passive continental margin settings: external and local controlling factors C. HANS NELSON, CARLOTA ESCUTIA, JOHN E. DAMUTH, AND DAVID C. TWICHELL, JR. ............................................... 39
Geohazards Studies
Processes of submarine slope failure and fluid migration on the Ebro Continental Margin: implications for offshore exploration and development JOSE FREY-MARTNEZ, CLAUDIA BERTONI, JEAN GRARD, AND HUGO MATAS .............................................................. 181 Impact of a large mass-transport deposit on a field development in the upper slope of southwestern Sabah, Malaysia, offshore northwest Borneo HONGBO LU, AND R. CRAIG SHIPP ..................................................................................................................................................... 199
Submarine mass-transport deposits of the Permian Cutoff Formation, West Texas, U.S.A.: internal architecture and controls on overlying reservoir sand deposition ROBERT AMERMAN, ERIC P. NELSON, MICHAEL H. GARDNER, AND BRUCE TRUDGILL ................................................. 235 Mass-transport deposits in the upper Paleocene Chicontepec Formation, Mexico STEPHEN P.J. COSSEY ............................................................................................................................................................................ 269 Heterogeneity of internal structures in a mass-transport deposit, Upper Cretaceous to Paleocene Akkeshi Formation, Hokkaido Island, northern Japan HAJIME NARUSE, AND MAKOTO OTSUBO ....................................................................................................................................... 279
Reservoir Studies
Mass-transport deposits of the deepwater northwestern Borneo margin (Malaysia)characterization from seismic-reflection, borehole, and core data with implications for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation SAM ALGAR, CHRIS MILTON, HYWEL UPSHALL, JON ROESTENBURG, AND PAUL CREVELLO ..................................... 351 Lithofacies analysis and stratigraphic architecture of a deep-water carbonate debris apron: Lower Cretaceous (latest Aptian to latest Albian) Tamabra Formation, Poza Rica Field Area, Mexico ROBERT G. LOUCKS, CHARLES KERANS, XAVIER JANSON, AND M. ALFREDO MARHX ROJANO .................................. 367 Reservoir characterization of sand-prone mass-transport deposits within slope canyons LAWRENCE D. MECKEL, III, MATTHEW ANGELATOS, JOS BONNIE, RODERICK MCGARVA, TONY ALMOND, NEIL MARSHALL, LAURENT BOURDON, AND KAREN AURISCH ............................................................ 391 Reservoir characteristics and classification of sand-prone submarine mass-transport deposits LAWRENCE D. MECKEL, III .................................................................................................................................................................. 423
Topical Studies
Deformation versus deposition of sediment waves in the Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea GARY HOFFMANN, ELI SILVER, SIMON DAY, NEAL DRISCOLL, AND DANIEL ORANGE .................................................. 455 Biostratigraphy of an upper Miocene mass-transport deposit on Demerara Rise, northern South American margin WESLEY C. INGRAM, DAVID C. MOSHER, AND SHERWOOD W. WISE, JR. ............................................................................... 475 Properties of mass-transport deposits as inferred from dynamic modeling of subaqueous mass wasting: a short review FABIO V. DE BLASIO, AND ANDERS ELVERHI .............................................................................................................................. 499 HinlopenYermak Landslide, Arctic OceanGeomorphology, landslide dynamics, and tsunami simulations MAARTEN VANNESTE, CARL B. HARBITZ, FABIO V. DE BLASIO, SYLFEST GLIMSDAL, JRGEN MIENERT, AND ANDERS ELVERHI .................................................................................................................................. 509
THECHARACTERANDGENESISOFSUBMARINEMASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITS:INSIGHTSFROMOUTCROP AND3DSEISMICDATA HENRYW.POSAMENTIER ChevronEnergyTechnologyCompany,1500LouisianaStreet,Houston,Texas77002,U.S.A. email:henry.posamentier@chevron.com AND OLEJ.MARTINSEN StatoilHydroResearch,P.O.Box7200,N5020Bergen,Norway email:OJMA@StatoilHydro.com ABSTRACT:Extensivedeepwatermasstransportdepositsareobservedinbothslopeandbasinfloor settings.Adetailedunderstandingofmasstransportdeposits,intermsofemplacementprocesses, depositionalproducts,andtheirstratigraphicandgeographicdistribution,isvitalbecausetheycan constituteasignificantportionofthestratigraphicsectionindeepwatersettings.Inaddition,mass transportdepositscanplayasignificantroleinhydrocarbonexploration,inasmuchastheycan constituteseal,reservoir,andpossiblysourcefaciesundertherightcircumstances. Differentdatatypesbringtolightdifferentaspectsofmasstransportdeposits.Thispaperfocuseson insightsderivedfromseismicandoutcropdata.Overallgeometriesandarchitectureofmasstransport depositsarereadilyobservablein3Dseismicdata;however,featuresbelowseismicresolutionthatare vitalforprocessandlithologicunderstandingneedtobeobservedinoutcrop.Integratingobservations acrossabroadrangeofscalesbylinkingseismicandoutcropobservationsconstitutesaneffectiveway ofimprovingourunderstandingofwhenandwheremasstransportdepositsarelikelytoform.In addition,thislinkageshedslightondetailsofinternalarchitecturethatcommonlycharacterizesthese deposits. Masstransportdepositscancomprisesheets,lobes,andchannelfills,andcanreach150mormorein thickness.Greaterthicknessesareobservedwheresuccessiveflowsareamalgamated.Thispaper documentsbothinternalarchitecturalorstratigraphicaswellasexternalgeomorphicattributesofsuch deposits,asexpressedinoutcropandimagedby3Dseismicdata. Recognitionofmasstransportdepositsinoutcropisbasedonidentificationofbeddingdeformedby synsedimentaryprocesses,withdeformationrangingfromminimalredistributionoflargeslideblocksto completedisaggregationtypicalofdebrisflowdeposits.Onseismicdata,masstransportdepositscan berecognizedbycertaingeomorphologicaswellasstratigraphicdistinguishingcharacteristics:basal lineargroovedandscouredsurfaces,hummockyreliefatthetop,andinternalchaotictotransparent seismicfacies,withinternalthrustfaultingcommon.
INTERPLAYOFMASSTRANSPORTANDTURBIDITESYSTEMDEPOSITSINDIFFERENTACTIVETECTONIC ANDPASSIVECONTINENTALMARGINSETTINGS:EXTERNALANDLOCALCONTROLLINGFACTORS
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DAVIDC.TWICHELL,JR. U.S.GeologicalSurvey,384WoodsHoleRoad,QuissettCampus,WoodsHole,Massachusetts02543 1598,U.S.A. email:dtwichell@usgs.gov ABSTRACT:Thevolumeandinterplayofmasstransport(MTD)andturbiditesystemdepositsvarieson differentcontinentalmarginsdependingonlocalandexternalcontrolssuchasactivemarginorpassive margintectonicsettingandclimaticand/orsealevelchange.Erosionandbreachingoflocalgrabensat theshelfedgeofthesouthernBeringSeaproducegiant,gulliedcanyonsandMTDsheetsthatdominate thebasinfloordepositionanddisruptdevelopmentofturbiditesystems.Incontrast,externalcontrols ofgreatearthquakes(>8Mw)alongthePacificactivetectoniccontinentalmarginsofCascadiaand northernCaliforniacauseseismicstrengtheningofthesediment,whichresultsinminorMTDscompared toturbiditesystemdeposits.MessiniandesiccationoftheMediterraneanSeacausedadeeplyeroded EbrosubaerialcanyonandanunstablecentralsegmentwithanMTDsheet,whereasotherstableEbro marginsegmentshaveonlyturbiditesystems.InthenorthernGulfofMexico,thedeltafedMississippi FanandintraslopeminibasinscontainMTDsandturbiditesthatareequallyintermixedfromthelargest scaleswithMTDsheetshundredsofkilometerslongtothesmallestscaleswithbedscentimetersthick. IntheAntarcticWilkesLandmargin,globalclimatecoolingcausedalateOligocenetomiddleMiocene timeoftemperatecontinentalicesheetsthatresultedinmassivedepositionofMTDsonthemargin, whereaslaterpolaricesheetsfavoreddevelopmentofturbiditesystems. Ourcasestudiesprovidethefollowingnewinsights:(1)MTDscandominateentiremargins,dominate segmentsofamargin,beequallymixedwithturbidites,ordominateamarginduringsomegeologic timesandnotothers;(2)onactivetectonicmarginswithgreatearthquakes,themaximumrunout distancesofMTDsheetsacrossabyssalbasinfloorsareanorderofmagnitudeless(~100km)thanon passivemarginsettings(~1000km),andthevolumesofMTDsarelimitedontheabyssalseaflooralong activemargins;(3)wherethemostpreciseradiocarbonagesareavailable,majorMTDepisodesof depositionarecorrelatedwiththemostrapidfallsorrisesofsealevel;(4)gulliedcanyonsfeedingMTD sheetshaveirregularandsteepaxialgradients(59),whereascanyonsfeedingturbiditesystemshavea regulargradedprofileandlesssteepgradients(1to5).OurexamplesofMTDandturbiditesystems provideanaloguestohelpinterpretancientsystems.
ALGERIANMARGINSEDIMENTATIONPATTERNS(ALGIERSAREA,SOUTHWESTERNMEDITERRANEAN) GABRIELADANUNTERSEH IFREMER,GosciencesMarines,LaboratoireEnvironnementsSdimentaires,Plouzan,France AND UniversitdeBretagneOccidentale,IUEMCNRSUMR6538,29280Plouzan,France g.unterseh@fugro.com BRUNOSAVOYE(DECEASED) VIRGINIEGAULLIER LEGEM,UniversitdePerpignan,66860Perpignan,France ANTONIOCATTANEO IFREMER,GosciencesMarines,LaboratoireEnvironnementsSdimentaires,Plouzan,France JACQUESDEVERCHERE UniversitdeBretagneOccidentale,IUEMCNRSUMR6538,29280Plouzan,France KARIMYELLES CRAAG,CentredeRechercheenAstronomie,AstrophysiqueetGophysique,Bouzarah,Alger,Algrie AND MARADJA2003TEAM Abstract:Thepresentstudyprovidesanoverviewofrecentsedimentationpatternsonthecentral Algeriancontinentalmargin.Recentsedimentationpatternswereassessedfrommorphologicalanalysis, whichisbasedonswathbathymetryandechofaciesmapping.Itappearsthatsedimentationalongthe Algerianmarginiscontrolledbytwoprocesses:(1)gravityinducedprocesses,includingboth masstransportdepositsandturbiditycurrents,and(2)hemipelagicsedimentation.Masstransport depositsoccurontheAlgerianmarginatthecanyonheadsandflanks,intheinterfluveareasbetween canyons,alongtheseafloorescarpments,andontheflanksofsaltdiapirs.Masstransportdeposits (MTDs)sampledbycoringconsistofavarietyofsoftandhardmudclastconglomerateandturbidite deposits.MTDsaremostlylocalizedatthetoesofsteepslopes,wherethrustfaultswerepreviously identifiedandmapped.AnalysisofthespatialdistributionofMTDsandtheirrecurrenceintimehelp reconstructthemainpredisposingfactorsandtriggeringmechanisms,andevaluatetheirimpacton evolutionoftheAlgerianmargin.
UPPERQUATERNARYSEAFLOORMASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITSATTHEBASEOFSLOPE,OFFSHORENIGER DELTA,DEEPWATERNIGERIA JASONP.SUTTON RWEDeaUK,90HighHolborn,LondonWC1V6LJ,U.K. email:Jason.Sutton@rwe.com AND ROBERTM.MITCHUM,JR. ChevronCorporation,1600SmithStreet,Houston,Texas,77002,U.S.A. email:mitchrm@chevron.com ABSTRACT:Deepwatermasstransportdeposits(MTDs)areassociatedwithUpperQuaternaryseafloor leveedchannelcomplexesatthemouthofalargecanyonatthebaseofslopeoftheoffshoreNiger delta.Theymakeexcellentanalogsforinterpretingoldersubsurfacefeaturesandreservoirs,andfor geohazardanalysis.Theseleveedchannelcomplexesandmasstransportdepositsareassessedwithina 3Dseismicsurvey,usingdetailedimagesofseafloormapsandstratalsurfaces,artificiallydigitally colored,andverticallyexaggeratedtocreateoptimalimaging.Alargecanyonheadincisesthepresent dayshelfmarginoftheNigerdeltaandtraversesdowntheupperandlowerslopefor45kmtowardsthe southeast.Atthecanyonmouth,alargeapronofleveedchannelcomplexescoverstheslopeandbasin plainforadistanceof30kmwithintheseismicsurvey.Largesedimentwavesoccuronouterleveesof channelbends,attainingheightsof200m.Insomeareas,synclinallimbsofindividualsedimentwaves havebeendeformedbynumerousrotatedblocksalongsmalllistricfaultstoformsmallmappable MTDs. Othermasstransportdepositsoccurassociatedwithandabovetheleveedchannelcomplexes.Lengths oftheMTDsrangefrom1kmtoover16km,andthicknessescommonlyrangefrom100mto200m. Headwardescarpmentsarewellimagedinbothmapandcrosssectionviews.Proximalfaciesofthe MTDsincludesrotatedblocksandlargeangularglideblocks.Thesepassdistallyintosmallerglideblocks andchaoticseismicfaciesinferredtobedebrites.IntermediatepartsoftheMTDshavelongitudinal linearfeaturesparalleltoinferredflowdirection.Distalpatternsconsistoftransversecompressive ridges.OtherMTDstoolargetobecompletelyimagedwithinthe3Dsurveyshowinternalfacies, consistingoflargeangularglideblocksinamatrixofseismicallyvisiblesmallerblocksandchaoticfacies inferredtobedebrites.MultiplecausesofMDTsinthisareaareprobable.Inpossibleorderof importance,theseincludetiltingandoversteepeningofsedimentsbecauseoftectonicuplift,high sedimentationratesatthemouthofthecanyon,andeustaticfallsofsealevel.
CHARACTERIZATIONOFMASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITSONAPLIOCENESILICICLASTICCONTINENTAL SLOPE,NORTHWESTERNSOUTHCHINASEA MANGZHENGZHU ChevronCorporation,6001BollingerCanyonRoad,D1236,SanRamon,California94583,U.S.A. Presentaddress:NEOSGeoSolutions,Inc.,6201StoneridgeMallRoad,Suite450,Pleasanton,California 94568U.S.A. email:mzhu@neosgeo.com STEPHANGRAHAM StanfordUniversity,DepartmentofGeologicalandEnvironmentalSciences,BraunHall, GESBuilding320,Room118,Stanford,California94305,U.S.A. email:sagraham@stanford.edu AND TIMMCHARGUE StanfordUniversity,DepartmentofGeologicalandEnvironmentalSciences,BraunHall, GESBuilding320,Stanford,California94305,U.S.A. email:TimMchargue@gmail.com ABSTRACT:Thecharacteristics,evolutionaryhistory,andtriggeringmechanismsofsuccessivesiliciclastic masstransportdeposits(MTDs)oflateCenozoicageonthenorthwesternSouthChinaSeamarginwere studiedusingboreholeand2D/3Dreflectionseismicdata.Multiplemasstransportdepositsofvarious scalesandmorphologiesformedfromPliocenetoHolocenetimeinhighslopegradientandhigh sedimentationratepartsoftheQiongdongnanandYinggehaibasins.Inplanview,MTDsdocumentedby 3Dseismicdata,depositedbetween3and2Ma,are1to11kmwideand4to29kmlong.Twoseismic geomorphologiccharacteristicsofatypicalMTDcompriseabasalsurfaceanddisplacedmassesof sediments.Internalseismicfaciesofthedisplacedmassconsistofextensionalwedgefaciesinupslope areas,thrustedfaciesinintermediateareas,andchaoticormoundedfaciesindistaldownslopeareas. TheseMTDslikelyweretriggeredbyacombinationofmechanisms.Seaflooroversteepening,rapid accumulationofthicksedimentarydeposits,overpressure,andatectonicallyactivebasinsettingprovide abackgroundfavoringformationofMTDs.Additionally,seismicity,abruptincreaseofsedimentation rates,rapidslopeprogradation,andreleaseofgascontributedtotriggeringmasstransportdeposition inthestudyarea.
3DSEISMICSTRATIGRAPHICINTERPRETATIONOFQUATERNARYMASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITSINTHE MENSAANDTHUNDERHORSEINTRASLOPEBASINS,MISSISSIPPICANYON,NORTHERNDEEPGULFOF MEXICO,U.S.A. JORGEDIAZ SaudiAramco,P.O.Box1142,Dhahran31311,SaudiArabia PAULWEIMER EnergyandMineralsAppliedResearchCenter,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences, UniversityofColorado,Boulder,Colorado803090399,U.S.A. email:paul.weimer@colorado.edu RENAUDBOUROULLEC EnergyandMineralsAppliedResearchCenter,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences, UniversityofColorado,Boulder,Colorado803090399,U.S.A.
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GEOFFDORN TerrraSpark,2525ArapahoeAve,UnitE4PMB544,Boulder,Colorado803026746,U.S.A. ABSTRACT:ThestratigraphicevolutionoftheQuaternarymasstransportdeposits(MTDs)intheMensa andThunderHorseintraslopebasins,MississippiCanyon,northerndeepGulfofMexico,wasinterpreted basedonbasedon378squaremiles(970squarekm)of3Dseismicdatainwaterdepthsrangingfrom 5300to6500feet(1617to1983m).Sevendepositionalsequencesweredefinedinthestudyarea between1.3Matothepresent.Allochthonoussaltsystemshadbathymetricexpressionandinfluenced sedimentthicknessandlocationofdepositionalsystems.SixMTDsarepresentinfiveofthedepositional sequences.MTDsoverlieerosionalboundariesupto30moftheunderlyingsectionhasbeeneroded atthebaseofthedeposits.Thesedepositsconsistprimarilyofchaotic,rotated,andthrustedseismic reflections.Theyvaryinsizeandarealdistributionfromelongatedtomoreequidimensional. TheoldestMTDisinsequence1,overliesthe1.3Macondensedsection,andunderliesaseriesoffive easttrendingchannels.ThisMTDhasaneasterlytrendandrepresentstheinitialdepositionaftera majorreorganizationoftheslopesystem.IntheunderlyingMiocenelowerPleistocenesequences, channelstrendedfromthenorthwesttosoutheast.Sequences2and3consistofsevenadditional channelsthattrendprimarilyfromwesttoeast.ThesecondMTDispresentinsequence3,trendstothe southeast,andtruncatesfourchannels.Aseriesofstackedcondensedsections(ca.0.6to0.08Ma)form athinunitandseparatesequences3and4.Sequence4consistsprimarilyofhemipelagicandoverbank deposits.FourMTDsarepresentinthesequences57.Multiplesetsofthesedepositshavechannelized intoandstackedononeanother.TheseMTDsappeartohavebeensourcedprimarilyfromthewest, similartothechannelsintheunderlyingsequences. ThiscasestudyillustratesthemanyvariationsinMTDsthatarepresentinthesameintraslopesetting. Thesevariationscanoccurintheirsize,shape,thickness,seismicfacies,theamountoferosionattheir base,andtheirtimingofformationwithindifferentpositionsofsealevel.
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D.CALVINCAMPBELL NaturalResourcesCanada,GeologicalSurveyofCanadaAtlantic,1ChallengerDr., Dartmouth,NovaScotia,B2Y4A2,Canada email:cacampbe@nrcan.gc.ca ABSTRACT:AlargesubmarineslidedepositfromthewesternScotianSlopeoffeasternCanadawas imagedona3DseismicreflectiondatasetintheBarringtonexplorationblock.Themasstransport deposit(MTD)formsatongueshapedbodythatis25kmlongand8kmwide,witharunoutdistance fromtheheadscarpof41.5kmandatotalvolumeof12.5km3.Inprofile,itconsistsofachaoticseismic facies.Thisfaciesformsahighlyrugosetopsurfacemorphology,suggestingthattheflowconsistedofan abundanceofintactangularblocks.ItsbaserevealsevidenceoferosiontypicalofsubmarineMTDs,with lineardownslopetrendinggougesandexcavationofapit50mdeep.Thesourceareaandheadscarpof theBarringtonMTDaresomewhatobscuredbypostdepositionalerosion.Additionally,highresolution seismicprofilesshowthatthedepositisdrapedbyapproximately30moflatePleistoceneandHolocene sediment,providinganageestimateof30kaforthefailure.Despitethisdrape,themodernseafloor abovetheMTDstillhasahighlyrugosemorphology,echoingthetopsurfaceofthedeposit. SeismicprofiledatashowaseriesofstackedMTDsunderlyingtheBarringtonMTD,suggestingthat massfailurerecurrenceiscommonongeologictimescales.Althoughitisdifficulttoattributemass failuretriggeringmechanisms,highsedimentationratesduetoproximalshelfglaciersandintense erosioncausingoversteepening,andlikelyestablishedpreconditionsforinstability.Localseismicity, possiblyaresultofglacialrebound,isthemostprobableinitiatingfactor.
LATENEOGENETORECENTSEAFLOORINSTABILITYONTHEDEEPPACIFICMARGINOFTHEANTARCTIC PENINSULA
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ROGERURGELES InstitutdeCienciesdelMar,CSIC,PasseigMaritimdelaBarceloneta,3749,08003Barcelona,Spain email:urgeles@icm.csic.es ABSTRACT:SedimentmasstransportinthePacificmarginoftheAntarcticPeninsulaisstrongly influencedbyitspeculiartectonicandsedimentaryevolution.Analysisofswathbathymetryand multichannelseismicreflectiondatashowsthatthissettingreflectsthepassagefromanactivetoa passivemargin,andthetransitionfromriverdominatedtoglacierdominatedsedimentation.Only contouriticsedimentationpersistedthroughoutthelateNeogeneonthecontinentalrise,whilerapid progradationofsteepwedgescomposedofglacialdiamictonoccursontheslope.Gravitational instabilityandmasstransportprocesses,whichoccuronthecontinentalrise,appeartorelateto physicalpropertiesofcontouritesedimentsdepositedinthishighlatitudesetting. Otherthanminorerosionalgulliesontheupperslope,thereisnoevidenceofmajorincisionssuchas channels,canyons,orslidescarsonasteepcontinentalslope(averages13).Thissituationresultsfrom highshearstrengthoftheslopeformingdiamictondeliveredbygroundedicesheets.Shortrunout massfailureswerethemainsedimenttransportprocesstotheslope.Turbiditycurrents,mostlikely originatedbydownslopeevolutionofmassflows,wereabletogeneratelargedeepseachannelsystems atthebaseofthecontinentalslope.
PROCESSESOFSUBMARINESLOPEFAILUREANDFLUIDMIGRATIONONTHEEBROCONTINENTAL MARGIN:IMPLICATIONSFOROFFSHOREEXPLORATIONANDDEVELOPMENT JOSEFREYMARTNEZ StatoilASA,TNESSTGGPRGE,NO4035,Stavanger,Norway email:jmfr@statoil.com CLAUDIABERTONI Repsol,ExplorationNewVentures,PCastellana,280,4thFloor,Madrid,28046,Spain email:cbertoni@repsol.com JEANGRARD Repsol,DisciplinasGeolgicas,PCastellana,280,1stFloor,Madrid,28046,Spain email:jgerard@repsol.com
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HUGOMATAS Repsol,ExplorationSpain,PCastellana,280,1stFloor,Madrid,28046,Spain email:hmatias@repsol.com ABSTRACT:Thispaperusesthreedimensionalseismicdatatoinvestigatethetypologies,genetics,and mechanismsofsoftsedimentdeformationalprocessesontheEbroContinentalMargin(offshore northeasternSpain).Thestudyfocusesonthetwomajortypesofsoftsedimentdeformationinthe region:slopefailureandfluidescapestructures.Suchprocesseshaveoperatedalmostcontinuously throughoutthepostPleistocenehistoryoftheEbroContinentalMargin,andhaveplayedacriticalrole initsoverallevolutionandconstruction.Thisstudyshowsthatverticalstackingpatternsofsubmarine canyonscreatepreferentialpathwaysforfluidmigrationandslopefailure.Intheseareas,three dimensionalseismicanalysisrevealsapotentialcauseandeffectrelationshipbetweenfocusedfluid migrationandrepeatedslopefailure.Theproposedmodelisthatfocusedfluidflowfromsandswithin stackedsubmarinecanyonsleadstooverpressuregenerationandreductionofsedimentshearstrength, makingsedimentsusceptibletofailure.Thepresenceofawidespreadregionoffluidescapestructures andslopefailuresontheEbroContinentalMarginhasimportantimplicationsforoffshorefacilities.The relativelyhighresolutionprovidedbytheseismicdatahasbeensufficienttobeusedforageohazard assessmentstudy,aimedatexploratorywelldesignandfielddevelopment.Theresultsfromthisstudy haveledtoadetailedprogramofseafloorandnearsurfaceevaluationoveraproposedareainthearea.
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R.CRAIGSHIPP ShellInternationalExplorationandProductionIncorporated,200NorthDairyAshford,Houston, Texas77079,U.S.A. email:craig.shipp@shell.com ABSTRACT:OffshoreofnorthwestBorneo,theoccurrenceofdistinctsubmarinemassfailuresonthe uppercontinentalslopeposesasubstantialchallengetodeepwateroperationsfortheenergyindustry. Thesefeaturesarepartofacomplexofmasstransportdeposits(MTDs)thatoccurinthenearsurface intervalacrossmostoftheuppercontinentalslope,includingalargeareaundergoingfielddevelopment forhydrocarbonproduction.Inthestudyarea,theshallowestandmostprominentfeaturediscernible onconventional3DseismicdataisMTD1,whichhasaprofoundinfluenceonthepresentdayseafloor topography.Thisfeaturehasadistinctivefanlikeoutlineinplanview,amaximumstrikedimensionof approximately6mi(10km),adipextentupto24mi(40km),andamaximumthicknessupto570ft (176m).Thefanlikeexternalformandthepresenceofadiporientederosionalkeelsuggestthatthe depositionalprocesswasalesscoherentdebrisflow,withlittletonooriginalinternalstratigraphy preserved.Thelesscoherentnatureofthisfeatureisfurthersupportedbyakeyobservationthatthis MTDoverrananareaofsubstantialhighbathymetricrelief,whichislocatedintheareaconsideredfora fielddevelopment. LocallyoverlyingMTD1areaseriesofyoungernearseafloorfeatures,termedcanyontofairway corridorsthatdisplayaconfinedupdiptolessconfineddowndipplanviewmorphology.Theseunique featureslocallyerodeandsmooththerugosetopsurfaceofthenearsurfaceMTD1andcanbe interbeddedwiththelowerintervalsoftheusuallyoverlyingdrapedsediments.Developmentofthese latePleistocenecanyontofairwaycorridorssuggeststhatthesefeaturesprobablyformedduringa periodofsealevelfalloratalowstand.Ablanketofthreedistinctintervalsofdrapedsedimentscapthis entiresequence,composedmostlyofmuddyturbiditesgradingupwardintohemipelagicdeposits.The presenthummockyseafloortopographymimicstherugosetopsurfaceoftheshallowlyburiedMTD1, exceptalongitsnortheastlateralmarginandwheresmoothedbycanyontofairwaycorridors.Internally withinMTD1,physicalpropertiesprobablyvarysubstantiallybothlaterallyandvertically,because drapedsediments,turbidites,andoccasionalchannelizedsedimentswereincorporatedinthefailed matrixofthisfeature. Someofthegeohazards,potentiallyaffectingafielddevelopment,areadirectaresultoftheubiquitous occurrenceofMTD1inthestudyarea.Thesepotentialgeohazardsincludelocalsteepslopes,seafloor scarps,andvariablenearseafloorsoilconditions.Understandingtheimpactofeachofthesepotential geohazards,causedprimarilybythepresenceofMTD1,onafielddevelopmentisvitalinputfor selectionofproductionwellsitelocationsandplacementofsubseainfrastructure.
STRATALARCHITECTUREANDTEMPORALEVOLUTIONOFAPASSIVEMARGINMASSTRANSPORT DEPOSIT,NEOPROTEROZOICISAACFORMATION,CARIBOOMOUNTAINS,BRITISHCOLUMBIA,CANADA R.W.C.ARNOTT DepartmentofEarthSciences,UniversityofOttawa,140LouisPasteurPvt.,Ottawa,Ontario,K1N6N5, Canada email:warnott@uottawa.ca K.WALLACE DepartmentofEarthSciences,UniversityofOttawa,140LouisPasteurPvt.,Ottawa,Ontario,K1N6N5, Canada Presentaddress:ImperialOilLtd.,2374AvenueSW,Calgary,AlbertaT2P3M9,Canada
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J.LAURIN DepartmentofEarthSciences,UniversityofOttawa,140LouisPasteurPvt.,Ottawa,Ontario,K1N6N5, Canada ABSTRACT:DeepmarinestrataoftheWindermereSupergroup,whichcurrentlyareexposedinanarea over35,000km2inthesouthernCanadianCordillera,weredepositedonthepassivemarginof NeoproterozoicwesternNorthAmerica.IntheIsaacFormationattheCastleCreekstudyarea, stratigraphicevidenceofslopeinstabilityoccursasmassmovement(slumpandslide)andcohesive debrisflowdepositsthatcropoutlocallythroughthe1.5kmthicksuccession.Thesedepositsare particularlycommoninamasstransportdeposit(MTD)upto110mthickthatoccurssandwiched betweentwomajorchannelcomplexes.Interstratifiedwithinthesedepositsarecommoncoarse grainedchannelfillsthatpreferentiallyinfilledirregulartopographyontheseafloor.Inmanyinstances, thisirregulartopographywasmostprobablyrelatedtoearlieremplacementofdebrisflowandslump andslidedeposits.Importantstratigraphiccharacteristicsinthissuccessionsuggestthatthisparticular MTDrepresentsamajorchangeinthenatureofsedimentsupplyandtransportanddepositional processeswithinthebasin.Thesechangesareinterpretedtobecontrolledprincipallybychangesof relativesealevel,whichhadafirstordercontrolonsedimentsupply,sedimentcaliber,andsediment compositiontotheslopeandmoredistalbasinfloor.
SUBMARINEMASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITSOFTHEPERMIANCUTOFFFORMATION,WESTTEXAS,U.S.A.: INTERNALARCHITECTUREANDCONTROLSONOVERLYINGRESERVOIRSANDDEPOSITION
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ABSTRACT:TheWilliamsRanchMemberoftheupperCutoffFormationintheGuadalupeandDelaware Mountains,westTexas,U.S.A.,consistsofsixofflappinglithologicunits.Thedepositsformedduring carbonateturbiditedepositionacrossadrownedEarlyPermiancarbonateplatform.Theyhaveanareal extentofmorethan20,000km2andreachamaximumthicknessofatleast113m.Attheterminal marginoftheolderplatform,thecarbonateturbiditeswerepartiallyredistributedbymasstransport events(MTEs)ontotheslopeandbasinfloor.Depositsformedduringindividualmasstransportevents (MTEbodies)comprisethebulkoftheWilliamsRanchMemberbasinwardfromthedrownedmarginfor atleast28kmalongatransectobliquetodepositionaldip.MTEbodiesareinterbeddedwith undeformedcarbonateturbiditesandcontainsoftsedimentfolds,faults,andextensionaland shorteninglineations,aswellasterminationsurfaces(bedsterminatedfromaboveand/orbelow). Turbiditedepositionandsubsequentmasstransportcausedgeneralbasinwardthickeningofthe WilliamsRanchMemberfromthedrownedmargin,wheretheCutoffFormationismissing,tothebasin floor.
Depositionrespondedto,andmodified,inheritedbathymetricrelief.Comparedtoisopachthins, isopachthicksformedinbathymetriclowsandlocallyformedbathymetrichighs.Isopachthickscontain moreundeformedstrataandshowmoresoftsedimentfolds.Theserelationshipssuggestbetter preservationofstratainstructurallycontrolledinheritedbathymetriclows.Ingeneral,MTEbodiesare preferentiallydepositedinthesepaleobathymetriclows.AminimumofsixverticallystackedMTEbodies arerecognizedinthemainstudyareawiththicknessesrangingfromlessthanonetotensofmeters. MTEbodiesshowageneralStoSSEpaleotransportdirection,withsignificantlocalvariation,reflecting eitherunderlyingbathymetricreliefand/ordifferentsourcelocations.RepeatedMTEsresultedina reductionoftheoverallbasingradientandcreatedlocalpositivebathymetry.Sandfairwaysandponded sheetdepositsintheoverlyingBrushyCanyonFormationarefocusedinbathymetriclows,andsands thinandonlapontobathymetrichighs.
MASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITSINTHEUPPERPALEOCENECHICONTEPECFORMATION,MEXICO STEPHENP.J.COSSEY CosseyandAssociatesInc.,P.O.Box1510,Durango,Colorado81302,U.S.A. email:cosseygeo@aol.com Abstract:ThePaleoceneandEoceneChicontepecFormationcropsoutalongthewesternmarginofthe TampicoMisantlabasin,locatedinnortheasternMexicointhestatesofVeracruz,Hidalgo,andSanLuis Potos.Thissuccessionrecordsdepositioninadeepmarine,forelandbasinbetweentheCretaceous GoldenLaneAtollandtheTertiarySierraMadreOriental.Inthenorthernpartofthisoutcropbelt,slope depositionisrecordedprimarilybydeformedandundeformedthinbeddedturbiditeswithoccasional sandrichlobes,channelfills,anddebrites.Sedimenttransportandslumpingdirectioninthisareawas totheeastandsoutheast.Theslumped,thinbeddedturbiditesshowthecompletespectrumof deformation,includingcoherentslumps,semicoherent,faulted,boudinaged,andchaoticslumps.More thanoneofthesetypesofslumpscanoccurinasingleoutcrop.Alltheslumpshaveextremelyflatupper surfaces,indicatingthatthetopsoftheslumpswereprobablyerodedduringsubsequentbypass sedimentation.Anunusual,flattoppedtoethrustisalsopreservedatoneoftheoutcrops.Alarge, spectacular26mthickdebritehasfaultingatitserosionalmargin,pressureridgesonitstop,andstrong evidencethatthedebrisflowdidnotcreatethevoidthatitoccupies. Thesespectacularoutcropsprovideauniqueopportunitytostudythedetailedinternalcharacteristics andallowevaluationofthereservoirqualityintermsofcontinuityandconnectivity.Evidencefrom theseoutcropsindicatesthatsubseismicscalecoherent,semicoherent,andfaultedslumpscanbe extremelycomplex,andhence,difficulttoidentifywithtypicaloilindustrytechnology,suchas3D seismic,core,andimagelogs.
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MAKOTOOTSUBO ResearchCenterforDeepGeologicalEnvironments,NationalInstituteofAdvancedIndustrialScienceand Technology,TsukubaCentral7,11,Higashi1Chome,Tsukubashi,Ibarakiken,3058567Japan email:otsubom@aist.go.jp ABSTRACT:Analysisofadeepseamasstransportdepositexposedasanearly1.6kmcontinuous outcroprevealsheterogeneousinternalstructuresandexistenceofacompressionalstressfieldduring transportationanddeposition.Depositofgravellymudstone,containinglargedeformedsedimentary blocks(longaxisfromtensofcentimetersupto100m),occursintheUpperCretaceous(Maastrichtian) toPaleoceneAkkeshiFormation,HokkaidoIsland,northernJapan.Theoutcropwasphotographedand sketched,andclastsizesweremeasuredtostudyquantitativelytheinternalstructureofthismass transportdeposit.Thesizedistributionofsedimentaryblocksexhibitsapowerlawdistribution,but meansizeandconcentrationofblocksexhibithighlyvariable,localfluctuations. Thismasstransportexposureexhibitsthreefacies,basedonsizeandspatialarrangementof accumulatedblocks.FaciesAconsistsofrelativelysmallblocks(longaxesapproximately1to10m), supportedbyagravellymudstonematrix.FaciesBconsistsofclastsupportedmoderateblocks(long axes<30m).Generally,blocksinFaciesBaredeformedsignificantly.FaciesCcomprisesmainlylarge blockswithlongaxesupto100m.ConsideringtheevidenceofturbiditesinblocksofFaciesC,these blocksnotonlyslidbutalsorotatedbothhorizontallyandvertically.Insomecases,originalstratigraphy foundwithintheseblocksisinverted.FaciesAandBalternatedowncurrent,whileFaciesCoccursonly atthemoredistalendoftheexposure. Usually,longaxesofblocksareorientedparalleltothebeddingsurface,suggestingalaminarstateof flow.Inaddition,applicationofthemultipleinversemethodtomesoscalefaultsobservedintheblocks revealspossibleinternalpaleostressfieldsthatexistedbeforedeposition.Thisanalysissuggestedtwo differentstressfields:(1)auniaxialcompressionalstressfield,wherethe1axisisorientednormalto beddingsurface,and(2)atriaxialcompressionalstressfield,wherethe1axisisorientedparalleltothe paleocurrentdirection.Thismasstransportdepositapparentlyexperiencedthefirststressfieldwhenit moveddownslope,therebyexpandingitssurfacearea.Itthenexperiencedthesecondstressfieldasit decelerated,becauseofcompressionparalleltopaleocurrentdirection.Aheterogeneousnatureof internalstructuresandcompressionalstressfieldsappeartobecommonfeaturesofmasstransport faciesofdeposits.
ABSTRACT:Masstransportdepositsmayactasbarriersorbafflestofluidflowinthesubsurface,ormay conductfluidsviainternalstructuresorlithologicalconnectivity.Conventionalseismicandboreholedata presentradicallydifferentscalesofobservationtoassessthelikelyfluidflowbehaviorofmasstransport deposits.Seismicscaleoutcropsandhighresolutionseismicdatabridgethisscalegap.Exceptional outcropsoflargemasstransportdepositsareusedtodevelopstrategiestorelatecoreandseismic scaleobservationsforthepurposesofsubsurfacepredictionofreservoir,baffle,orsealpotential,and forpredictionoffluidflowthroughmasstransportdepositsinthesubsurface.Wepresentherean outlineofourapproach,andsomepreliminaryresultsbasedontwosystemsofcontrastingstyles.Oneis a>120mthickdebriteofCarboniferousageinnorthwestArgentina;theotherisanapproximately300 mthickslidecomplexofJurassicCretaceousageinAntarctica.Differencesinthesetwosystemsare
OUTCROPANDSEISMICEXAMPLESOFMASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITSFROMALATEMIOCENEDEEP WATERSUCCESSION,TARANAKIBASIN,NEWZEALAND
MALCOLMARNOTANDGREGH.BROWNE GNSScience,P.O.Box30368,LowerHutt,NewZealand
MARTINCRUNDWELL GNSScience,P.O.Box30368,LowerHutt,NewZealand
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JONROESTENBURG GeotransformationsPtyLtd.,19AdelaideCrescent,HelenaValley,WesternAustralia,6056,Australia
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PAULCREVELLO BPCLimited,28CumberlandSt.,Nassau,N1991,TheBahamas
ABSTRACT:AregionalstudyofdeepwaternorthwestBorneoindicatesthatwithintheLateMioceneto Recentdeepwaterthrustbelt,upto50%ofthesedimentscompriselargescale,remobilizedunits interpretedasmasstransportdeposits(MTDs).Morethan6000km2of3Dseismicdata,20exploration andappraisalwells,andmorethan600mofcorewereexaminedaspartofthisintegratedstudy.The MTDsare10to200mthick,andarecomposedpredominantlyofclaystone,thoughsubordinatesands andsiltstonesarepresent.IntercalatedwiththeMTDsareturbidites,whichformsandstonereservoirs ofthepetroleumdiscoveriesfoundinthearea.Intriguingly,thethickestsandsareoftenfound immediatelyoverlyingtheMTDs,andthereisevidencetosuggestthatthetopographyontopofthe MTDmayinfluencesanddistribution.ThereisalsoseismicstratigraphicevidencesuggestingthatMTDs maybelocallyerosiveandcouldalsoformlateralandverticalsealsandevencontainsourcerocks.In thestudyarea,coreandboreholeimagelogsarethemostreliabledatatypestoidentifytheMTDs, althoughtheovercompactionoftheMTDsoftenmeansthatsimpleboreholedensity,sonic,and resistivitylogscanalsobeused.AvarietyofMTDlithofaciesindicateacontinuumfromdebritic claystoneswithextremelyvariable,incoherent,diparchitecturesintheimagelogstomoresimply foldedclaystones,whichhavemorecoherentdips.OvercompactionoftheMTDsrelativetothe overlyingandunderlyingturbiditesoftencreatesanimpedancecontrastthatcanbemistakenforthatof asandstoneclaystoneinterfaceintheturbidites.Hence,seismicinterpretationinareaswithMTDsis morechallengingandpotentiallymisleadingthaninareaswithoutMTDs.
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ABSTRACT:Deepwatercarbonatedebrisapronsadjacenttoshallowwaterplatformsarecomplex depositionalfeaturesthatareproducedbydensityflowandsuspensionprocesses.Sedimentissupplied fromtheplatformmarginandfrombiotalivingintheshallowerpartoftheopensea.TheLower Cretaceous(latestAptiantolatestAlbian)TamabraFormationinthePozaRicafieldareaofeastern MexicoisadebrisaprondepositedadjacenttothewesternsideoftheTuxpanPlatformineastcentral Mexico.Itsstratalarchitectureiswelldefinedby3Dseismic,cores,andwirelinelogdata,allowing analysisofdepositionalprocessesthatcreatedthelithofaciesandsequencestratigraphiccontrolson depositionalarchitectureandpatterns.WithintheTamabradebrisapron,anorderlypatternof depositionalunitsreflectsthecontrolofrelativesealevelchangesontheavailabilityofsourcematerial andtypesofdensityflowsgenerated.Thickintervalsofdebrisflowandmudflowdeposits,composedof platformandslopederivedcarbonatemuds,skeletalgrains,andclasts,areinterpretedasbeing depositedduringsealevellowstandsandtransgressionsorduringearlyhighstandswhentheplatform wasrapidlyaggrading,whereasthickintervalsofhyperconcentratedtoconcentrateddensityflowand turbiditedeposits,composedofskeletalsands,areinterpretedashavingbeendepositedwhenthe platformwasfloodedandsheddingduringhighstandsofsealevel.TheTamabradebrisapronisan excellentanalogforcomparingwithothercarbonatedebrisapronsandforuseindecipheringother debrisapronshavingpoordatacontrol.
RESERVOIRCHARACTERIZATIONOFSANDPRONEMASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITSWITHINSLOPECANYONS
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RESERVOIRCHARACTERISTICSANDCLASSIFICATIONOFSANDPRONESUBMARINEMASSTRANSPORT DEPOSITS LAWRENCED.MECKEL,III WoodsideEnergyLtd.,Perth,WesternAustralia,Australia presentaddrsss:TatelyN.V.,PlazaBapindo,MandiriTower,21st.Floor,Suite2102, Jln.Jend.SudirmanKav.5455,Jakarta12190,Indonesia email:trey.meckel@tately.co.id ABSTRACT:Masstransportdepositsareremobilizedsedimentarysuccessionsthatarecommoninthe deepwaterstratigraphicrecord.Becausemasstransportdepositsaretypicallymudprone,fewindustry geoscientistsconsidersandpronemasstransportdepositstomeritsignificantattention.However, recentstudiesconfirmthatmasstransportdepositscanactassignificantreservoirsinoilandgasfields. Furthermore,thesefeaturescanalsorepresentgeohazardsthatwarrantconsiderationindeepwater drillingprograms.Identifyingandcharacterizingsuchdepositsaccuratelyinthesubsurfaceallowsbetter understandingoftheirspatialcontinuity,predictionofreservoirperformance,andgenerationofmodels withrepresentativerockpropertiesawayfromcontrolpoints.Theseimplicationsareespecially importantgiveneverincreasingcostsassociatedwiththedevelopmentofdeepwaterfields.Moreover, thisunderappreciatedplaytypeprovidesunderexploredgreenfieldandbrownfieldpotentialinmany continentalslopetrends. Thispaperusespersonalobservations,aswellaspublishedexamplesfromproducingfields,theseafloor andshallowsubsurface,outcrops,andflumetankexperimentstoillustratespecificcriteriathataidin therecognitionofsandpronemasstransportdepositsinthesubsurface.Noneofthesecriteriais sufficientbyitselftodistinguishbetweenamasstransportdepositandaturbiditesystem;however,in aggregate,thesecriteriaaresufficientlydiagnostictoidentifymasstransportdepositsthatarelikelyto bereservoirprone.Specifically,masstransportdepositscanbedifferentiatedfromturbiditesbyseismic morphology,corescalesandbodyarchitecture,andpetrophysicalproperties,whilesandpronemass transportdepositscanbedifferentiatedfrommorecommonmudpronemasstransportdepositsby relativesize,associatedverticalfaciesassemblages,andwelldata.
DEFORMATIONVERSUSDEPOSITIONOFSEDIMENTWAVESINTHEBISMARCKSEA,PAPUANEWGUINEA
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ABSTRACT:WeexaminefourfieldsofundulatingsedimentintheBismarckVolcanicArc,PapuaNew Guinea,toassesscausalmechanisms.Thepossiblemechanismsincludedeformation,episodicturbidity currents,andcontinuousbottomcurrents.Twoofthefields,oneoffthecoastofDakatauacalderaand oneinKimbeBay,displayanarcuateandirregularmorphologysimilartooneanotherinmultibeam imagery.Insidescanimagery,eachofthesefieldsisproximallyassociatedwithdownslopescour featuresandotherevidenceofturbiditycurrentactivity.Thereisnoevidenceofsignificantbottom currentactivityintheseregions.Wesuggestthatthesetwofieldswereformedbyacombinationof extensionaldeformationandrepeatedturbiditycurrents,basedonaquantitativeanalysisoftheir morphologiesandtheevidenceforturbiditycurrentsineachlocation.Inparticular,theKimbeBayand Dakatauafieldsaremorphologicallydistinctfromafieldofturbiditycurrentsedimentwavesmapped nearbyinHixonBay(TorkoroTroughfield).AlsoinHixonBay,anirregulardepressionnorthofLolobau Islandthatmaybeaslidescarappearstohaveprovidedtheinitialtopographyforasmallturbidity currentsedimentwavefieldgrowingwithinit.Althoughflowsthatformedthesedimentwavefieldsin thestudyareaarenotspecificallydefinedasmasstransportprocesses,theprocessesthat preconditionedallofthesefieldsitesforsubsequentsedimentwaveformationclearlyare.Inthe DakatauaandKimbeBayfields,themasstransportprocessofsedimentcreepinconjunctionwith turbiditycurrentsisthenecessarycombinationofmechanismstogeneratethemorphologyofthe sedimentwavesobserved.LikewiseintheHixonBayfields,aslidescarexhumedbyanearlierextensive massfailureeventwasrequiredtocreatethenecessaryseafloormorphologytoappropriatelyfunnel thesubsequentsedimentwaveformingturbiditycurrents.
BIOSTRATIGRAPHYOFANUPPERMIOCENEMASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITONDEMERARARISE, NORTHERNSOUTHAMERICANMARGIN
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ABSTRACT:TheDemeraraRiseisadeepwaterplateausituatedoffthecoastofSouthAmericainthe equatorialAtlantic.Itsgeographicpositionmakesitssedimentaryrecordadesirabletargetto investigatetectonicandpaleoceanographicsignalsintheAtlanticOcean.Numerousmasstransport deposits(MTDs)wereinterpretedfromseismicreflectionprofilesontheouterreachesoftheplateau. OnesuchMTDwasdrilledandsampledduringOceanDrillingProgramLeg207,Site1261.ThisMTD overliesaregionallycorrelatedmiddletolateMioceneunconformitythatresultedfromextensive erosionthatcausedremovalofupto220mofsedimentdowntoEocenestrata.Calcareousnannofossils wereanalyzedtodeterminetheageofthe59mthickMTDlithologicallydescribedasslope conglomerate.Itsageandcorrespondingstratigraphicsequenceareusedtoinferpossiblecausative factorsinitsemplacement. Theslopeconglomeratecontainshighlycoloredsandycarbonateclastsandsiltysandyturbiditerocks supportedinanannofossilrichhemipelagicclaystonematrix.ThecarbonateclastsareearlyMiocene (nannofossilZoneNN4),andtheclaystonematrixislateMiocene(SubzoneNN11b)inage;stratigraphic relationshipsplacetheslopeconglomeratesequencewithinnannofossilSubzoneNN11b(7.25.5Ma).A normallistricgrowthfaultislocated5kmupslopeofthedrillsite.Thesestratigraphicandstructural relationshipssuggestcausativemechanismsforsedimentmassfailureandgenerationoftheMTDs. Theageofthestudiedslopeconglomerateprovidesanupperagelimit(7.2Ma)fortheregional Mioceneunconformity.TheunconformitycorrelatesintimewithdeepeningofFramStraitoff Greenland,shoalingoftheIsthmusofPanama,andestablishmentofpolarglaciations.Thesechanges resultedinintensificationofbottomwatercurrentsandenhancedupwellingalongcontinentalmargins throughouttheAtlantic.Thiscurrentintensificationpossiblyledtoincreasederosionandgenerationof locallysteepslopesalongtheflanksofDemeraraRise.Probableseismicactivity,asindicatedbythe proximalshallowfault,initiatedsedimentmassfailureandemplacementofthestudiedconglomerate. SimilarerosionandmasstransportactivityisreportedthroughouttheAtlanticduringthisperiodof time,indicatingtheimportanceofthesepaleoceanographicchangestocontinentalmargin development.
PROPERTIESOFMASSTRANSPORTDEPOSITSASINFERREDFROMDYNAMICMODELINGOF SUBAQUEOUSMASSWASTING:ASHORTREVIEW
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Abstract:Wediscussrecentattemptstoinvestigatesomefeaturesofmasstransportdeposits(MTDs) fromadynamicandnumericalmodelingviewpoint.Weselectedsomestudyexamples,suchasthe problemofthelargemobilityofsubmarinemasswasting,emplacementoferraticblocks,andpossible changeofrheologicpropertiesduringflow.Somelubricationmechanismsareneededtoexplain mobilityofsubmarineslides,andinthisrespectwediscusshydroplaningandshearwettingmodels.We showthathydroplaningcouldexplainseveralfeaturesofsmall,cohesivedebrisflowssuchasthe FinneidfjordlandslideinNorway,andemplacementofoutrunnerblocksintheNigerianbasinorthe FaeroeIslands.However,largersubmarineslidesusuallyscourtheseabottomandneedamuchhigher velocitytohydroplane.Forthisreason,additionalmechanismsmustbeinvokedtoexplaindynamicsof thelargestsubmarineslides.InrelationtothegiantStoreggaslideoffNorway,wediscusspossible effectofthehighshearratesduetofrictionwithambientwateronthesurfaceofasubmarineslide. Thismayresultinstrengthlossofsedimentsandremolding,withconsequentincreaseinmobility.At times,amobiledebrisflowmayrafthugeblocksalongitspath,providingafurtherclueastovelocity, impactforces,andblockresistance.Inthisrespect,wediscussacoupleofexamplesfromtheArcticSea andtheBalearicBasin.Wearguethatabetterunderstandingofgeometryandsedimentologic characteristicsofMTDswillrequiremorededicatedstudiesonsubmarineslidedynamicsinthe subaqueousenvironment.Inturn,thisshouldbeachievedwithanintegratedapproachbetweenfield data,experimentalactivity,andnumericalsimulations.
HINLOPENYERMAKLANDSLIDE,ARCTICOCEANGEOMORPHOLOGY,LANDSLIDEDYNAMICS,AND TSUNAMISIMULATIONS
CARLB.HARBITZ NGIInternationalCentreforGeohazards(ICG),P.O.Box3930,UllevlStadion,N0806Oslo,Norway
SYLFESTGLIMSDAL NGIInternationalCentreforGeohazards(ICG),P.O.Box3930,UllevlStadion,N0806Oslo,Norway
JRGENMIENERT DepartmentofGeology,UniversityofTroms,Dramsveien201,N9037Troms,Norway
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ABSTRACT:SwathbathymetrydatafromtheglacierfednorthernSvalbardmarginreveal geomorphologicaldetailsofalargesubmarinelandslide,theHinlopeYermakLandslide.Multipleplanar escarpmentshaveseveralhundredsofmetersofrelief,withamaximumheadwallheightexceeding 1400matthemouthoftheHinlopencrossshelfTrough.Withintheslidescararea,thislandslide createdarugoseseabedgeomorphology,withlittlemasstransportdepositionintheimmediatevicinity ofmajorescarpments.Beyondapronouncedconstriction,occurrenceofsemitransparentacousticunits onseismicprofilesindicatesthatmasstransportdepositsarelikelytheaccumulationofremolded and/orfluidizeddebrisflowsthatareinplaceshundredsofmetersthick.Thesurfaceexpressionofthe masstransportdepositsishummockywithflowstructures,arcuatepressureridges,andraftedblocks. Smallerdebrislobesclosetolandslidesidewallsaretheresultofsecondary,marginalfailures.Atthe outerrimofextensivemasstransportdeposits,numerousraftedblocksrisefromthesemitransparent sedimentunit,andtowerhundredsofmetersabovethesurroundingdebris.Maximumremobilized volumefromtheslidescararea,estimatedfromprelandslidebathymetricreconstruction,is approximately1350km3.Headwallheights,theratioofexcavatedvolumeandslidescararea,andthe heightofraftedblocksarelarge,comparedtootherlandslidesdocumentedonsiliciclasticmargins. Theposition,thickness,andshapeofthemasstransportdepositsillustratehighmobilityofsediments involvedinsubmarinelandsliding.Theirdimensionsrequirenumericalmodelingtounderstandlandslide dynamicsandpotentialtogeneratetsunamis.Insimulationsofsedimentdynamics,largeblocksare raftedbyaloosedebrisflow,derivedfromdisintegratinglandslidematerialintheheadwallarea.The mainfailureprocessfinishesafterapproximately1hour.Theupperslidescarisprobablynotthesource areaforlargeraftedblocks.