Architecture, evolution history and controlling factors of the Baiyun submarine canyon system from the middle Miocene to Quaternary in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea

Zhou, Weili; Wang, Yingmin; Gao, Xili; Zhu, Weilin; Xu, Qiang; Xu, Shang; Cao, Jianzhi; Wu, Jin Peng

doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2015.05.015

Cited by 67 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…All these seismic sequences show seawardly dipping reflections with moderate-amplitude and good-continuity parallel configurations. The thickness of these sequences ranges from 20 to 50 m, although most of them have a thickness of *50 m. According to previous interpretations of seismic data in Baiyun deep-water area (Pang et al 2004;Zhou et al 2015), we speculated that sedimentary sequences above HR7 were formed during the Plio-Pleistocene. The seismic profile reveals undulated structures, which consist of continuous, irregularly wavy layered reflections and are in stark contrast to the well stratified sediments beneath the seafloor shallower than 650 m (see Fig.…”

Section: The Eastern Shelf Marginmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…The common mechanisms to produce axial incision are downslope sediment gravity flows derived from the canyon head or generated by mass wasting along the canyon walls (Parsons et al 2007). Previous studies show that the widening and deepening of the canyons resulted from recurrent axial incision during glacial epochs (Zhu et al 2010;Li et al 2015a;Zhou et al 2015), having similar characteristics to the slope-confined canyons in other continental margins (Baztan et al 2005;Puga-Bernabeu et al 2013). Flat floors of the canyons shown by the bathymetric data indicate the present axial incision is weak.…”

Section: Controls On Morphology Of the Canyonsmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…During these two cruises, the bathymetric data were acquired using an EM302 shipborne multibeam echo sounder system at a sonar frequency of 30 kHz and were processed using the CARIS HIPS6.1 software. The available spatial resolution of multibeam bathymetric data is 40 m 9 40 m. Previous studies showed that the bathymetric data derived from the seismic data can be used for imaging the morphology of the sea floor where water depth is larger than 500 m (Long and Bulat 1999;Mosher et al 2006;Chen et al 2015;Zhou et al 2015). Combining the multibeam bathymetric data with the bathymetric data derived from the seismic data, with a spatial density of 12.5 m 9 25 m, we finally got a digital elevation model (DEM) with a cell size of 40 m.…”

Section: Geophysical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regularly-spaced canyons (Zhu et al 2010;Li et al 2015a;Zhou et al 2015) develop in the Baiyun deep-water area on the northern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS) (see Fig. 1c).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1c). These canyons are nearly N-S orientated and well-confined to the deep-water continental slope where water depth ranges from 300 to 2000 m. The interest of these slope-confined canyons is their depositional architecture and special characteristic of unidirectional migration (Zhu et al 2010;Gong et al 2013;Li et al 2013;Zhou et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Slope-confined submarine canyons in the Baiyun deep-water area, northern South China Sea: variation in their modern morphology

Zhou

et al. 2016

Mar Geophys Res

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On the basis of newly collected multibeam bathymetric data, chirp profiles and existing seismic data, we presented a detailed morphological interpretation of a series of slope-confined canyons in water depths of 300-2000 m in the Baiyun deep-water area, northern margin of the South China Sea. Although these canyons are commonly characterized by regular spacing and a straightline shape, they vary in their lengths, starting and ending water depths, canyon relief, slope gradients, wall slope gradients and depth profiles along the axis. The eastern canyons (C1-C8) have complex surface features, low values in their slope gradient, canyon relief and wall slope gradient and high values in their length and starting and ending depth contrasting to the western ones (C9-C17). From the bathymetric data and chirp profiles, we interpret two main processes that have controlled the morphology and evolution of the canyons: axial incision and landsliding. The western part of the shelf margin where there were at least four stages of submerged reefs differs from the eastern part of the shelf margin where sedimentary undulations occurred at a water depth of *650 m. We consider that the variation in morphology of submarine canyons in the study area is the result of multiple causes, with the leading cause being the difference in stability of the upper slope which is related to the submerged reefs and sedimentary undulations.

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Section: The Eastern Shelf Marginmentioning

confidence: 59%

Section: Controls On Morphology Of the Canyonsmentioning

confidence: 66%

Section: Geophysical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Slope-confined submarine canyons in the Baiyun deep-water area, northern South China Sea: variation in their modern morphology

Zhou

et al. 2016

Mar Geophys Res

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Petrography and geochemistry of Oligocene to Lower Miocene sandstones in the Baiyun Sag, Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea: Provenance, source area weathering, and tectonic setting

Chen

et al. 2018

Geological Journal

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There is a controversy regarding the source area and weathering intensity of Oligocene to Lower Miocene sediments in the Baiyun Sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin.Detrital modes, geochemistry, heavy mineral data, and detrital zircon U-Pb ages were analysed to understand the provenance, source area weathering, and tectonic setting of Oligocene to Lower Miocene sandstones in the Baiyun Sag. Petrographic data reveal that the sandstones were derived from a recycled orogen. With increasing transport distance, sediment maturity increased correspondingly. The Oligocene to Lower Miocene sandstones in the Baiyun Sag have low compositional maturity and have experienced low to moderate weathering. The sediments of the Zhuhai Formation have experienced relatively strong weathering intensity compared with those of the Enping and lower Zhujiang formations. Due to low degree of illitization and differences in the geochemical compositions of the sediments, the continental island arc data from different boreholes in the Baiyun Sag are more irregularly distributed in the A-CN-K plot. The modal composition (e.g., quartz, feldspar, and lithic fragments) and geochemical indices (Al 2 O 3 /TiO 2 ratio; Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 diagram; discriminant F1-F2 diagram; Eu/Eu*, La/Sc, La/Co, Th/Sc, and Th/Co ratios; Hf-La/Th and La/Sc-Co/Th diagrams; and rare earth element patterns) indicate that the sediments in the Baiyun Sag are mainly derived from felsic source rocks. Although the uplift around the Baiyun Sag includes multistage magmatism and basic rocks, it has little influence on the sediment in the depression, and no sediments were transported by the Han River to the Baiyun Sag. Geochemical data and detrital zircon U-Pb ages suggest that the Pearl River was formed in the Early Oligocene and became the main source for the sediments in this area. The river carried felsic material from the South China Coast forming a large delta on the northern slope of the Baiyun Sag. The ratios of Eu/Eu*, La/Sc, La/ Co, Th/Sc and Th/Co, and heavy mineral data indicate that the sediments transported by the Pearl River to the Baiyun Sag were changed from the arc-dominated coastal zone to the interior of the South China Block during the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene and even reached the south-eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (West Yunnan Plateau). The La-Th-Sc and Th-Sc-Zr/10 diagrams suggest that the provenance of these sandstones is evolved continental island arc or an active continental margin setting.

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Mechanisms of submarine canyon formation on the northern continental slope of the South China Sea

Hui

Guo

et al. 2018

Geological Journal

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Submarine canyons are common features on the northern South China Sea (SCS) continental slope. Three main submarine canyon systems were observed by multi‐beam investigation and evaluated by a pre‐existing sedimentary dataset. They include the Xisha Canyon Zone, Shenhu Canyon Zone, and Taiwan Canyon Zone on the northern SCS continental slope which developed from the middle Miocene to the present‐day. Previous analysis implied that an enriched oil‐gas accumulation formed under this region with distinct gravity anomalies or active tectonic activity. Previous interpretation and geodynamics studies have revealed the detailed sedimentary records and the coupled tectonic‐sedimentary processes. However, the timing and mechanism of formation of the canyons on the northern SCS slope are still poorly constrained and vigorously debated, especially the differences among three submarine canyons from west to east that requires allowances for a variety of conflicting datasets. Here, we adopt the high‐resolution multi‐beam relief map and seismic profiles from these three canyon systems to estimate if the SCS slope controlled geometric segmentation and differentiation of canyon formation mechanisms and times. For this purpose, we ascertained that these canyons were initially controlled by the NE‐ to NW‐trending faults as a better constraint on the sediment flow direction. All the submarine canyons in the northern SCS slope extend in a range from NE‐/N–S‐ to NW‐ and E–W‐trending directions associated with the SCS oceanic spreading and the subsequent subduction‐related deformation along the Manila Trench. Furthermore, the present‐day morphology of these canyons implies a remarkable tectonic jump from west to east in the SCS continental slope and a north‐westward recession of the continental slope. Apart from the neo‐tectonic faults, the sea‐level fluctuation, gas hydrate disassociation, sediment source, and transportation channel also yielded dynamic processes and preservation for the submarine canyons. We finally propose a coupling model of the sedimentary and tectonic processes and confirm the spatial and temporal evolution of mechanisms of these canyons.

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Architecture, evolution history and controlling factors of the Baiyun submarine canyon system from the middle Miocene to Quaternary in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea

Cited by 67 publications

References 81 publications

Slope-confined submarine canyons in the Baiyun deep-water area, northern South China Sea: variation in their modern morphology

Slope-confined submarine canyons in the Baiyun deep-water area, northern South China Sea: variation in their modern morphology

Petrography and geochemistry of Oligocene to Lower Miocene sandstones in the Baiyun Sag, Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea: Provenance, source area weathering, and tectonic setting

Mechanisms of submarine canyon formation on the northern continental slope of the South China Sea

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