Brooks, HL, Hodgson, DM orcid.org/0000-0003-3711-635X, Brunt, RL et al. (3 more authors) (2018) Disconnected submarine lobes as a record of stepped slope evolution over multiple sea-level cycles. Geosphere, 14 (4). ISSN 1553-040X
Abstract
The effects of abrupt changes in slope angle and orientation on turbidity current behavior have been investigated in numerous physical and numerical experiments and examined in outcrop, subsurface, and modern systems. However, the long-term impact of subtle and evolving seabed topography on the stratigraphic architecture of deep-water systems requires fine-scale observations and extensive 3-D constraints. This study focuses on the Permian Laingsburg and Fort Brown formations, where multiple large sand-rich systems (Units A–F) have been mapped from entrenched slope valleys, through channel-levee systems, to basin-floor lobe complexes over a 2500 km2 area. Here, we investigate three thinner (typically <5 m in thickness) and less extensive sand-rich packages, Units A/B, B/C, and D/E, between the large-scale systems. Typically, these sand-rich units are sharp-based and topped, and contain scours and mudstone clast conglomerates that indicate deposition from high-energy turbidity currents. The mapped thickness and facies distribution suggest a lobate form. These distinctive units were deposited in similar spatial positions within the basin-fill and suggest similar accommodation patterns on the slope and basin floor prior to the larger systems (B, C, and E). Stratigraphically, these thin units represent the first sand deposition following major periods of shut-down in sediment supply, and are interpreted as marking a partial re-establishment of sand delivery pathways creating “disconnected lobes” that are fed mainly by flows sourced from failures on the shelf and upper slope rather than major feeder channel-levee systems.
Thickness and facies patterns throughout the deep-water stratigraphy suggest seabed topography was present early in the basin formation and maintained persistently in a similar area to ultimately form a stepped slope profile. The stepped slope profile evolved through three key stages of development: Phase 1, where sediment supply exceeds deformation rate (likely caused by differential subsidence); Phase 2, where sediment supply is on average equal to deformation rate; and Phase 3, where deformation rate outpaces sediment supply. This study demonstrates that smaller systems are a sensitive record of evolving seabed topography and they can consequently be used to recreate more accurate paleotopographic profiles.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2018 The Authors. Gold Open Access: This paper is published under the terms of the CC-BY-NC license. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) > Institute for Applied Geosciences (IAG) (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Statoil SLOPE4 Total E&P UK Ltd SLOPE4 BHP Petroleum (Americas) Inc SLOPE4 BP Egypt Company SLOPE4 Maersk Olie og Gas A/S MAERSK VNG Norge AS SLOPE4 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 12 Apr 2018 14:59 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 21:18 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Geological Society of America |
Identification Number: | 10.1130/GES01618.1 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:129366 |