Massive Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary deposit, deep-water Gulf of Mexico: New evidence for widespread Chicxulub-induced slope failure

Denne, Richard A.; Scott, Erik D.; Eickhoff, David; Kaiser, James S.; Hill, Ronald J.; Spaw, Joan M.

doi:10.1130/g34503.1

Cited by 63 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…Considering that the two previous cases (the Storegga Slide and the study area) have similar turbidite rates, and other slope failures (volume > 1,000 km 3 ) located in deepwater regions with gentle slope gradients are similar to the northern South China Sea, the turbidite rates calculated in this work can be used as a reference to large slope failures. A large amount of turbidites (e.g., 1,890-5,292 km 3 for Makran Accretionary Complex) would therefore be expected in large-scale slope failures (see Table S2 for the possible turbidite contents of large-scale slope failures [imaged volume ≥ 1,000 km 3 ]; Armandita et al, 2015;Burg et al, 2008;Calvès et al, 2015;Chaytor et al, 2010;Collot et al, 2001;Denne et al, 2013;Dingle, 1977Dingle, , 1980Frey-Martinez et al, 2005;Gee et al, 2006;Haflidason et al, 2004;Hjelstuen et al, 2007;Lamarche et al, 2008;Lee et al, 2004;Leslie & Mann, 2016;Mosher et al, 2012;Niemi et al, 2000;Owen et al, 2010;Piper et al, 1997;Popenoe et al, 1993;Torelli et al, 1997;Trincardi & Argnani, 1990;Vanneste et al, 2006;Wynn et al, 2000). It is worth to note that there are still some uncertainties about the volume estimates for turbidites in the study area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

True Volumes of Slope Failure Estimated From a Quaternary Mass‐Transport Deposit in the Northern South China Sea

Sun

Alves

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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Submarine slope failure can mobilize large amounts of seafloor sediment, as shown in varied offshore locations around the world. Submarine landslide volumes are usually estimated by mapping their tops and bases on seismic data. However, two essential components of the total volume of failed sediments are overlooked in most estimates: (a) the volume of subseismic turbidites generated during slope failure and (b) the volume of shear compaction occurring during the emplacement of failed sediment. In this study, the true volume of a large submarine landslide in the northern South China Sea is estimated using seismic, multibeam bathymetry and Ocean Drilling Program/Integrated Ocean Drilling Program well data. The submarine landslide was evacuated on the continental slope and deposited in an ocean basin connected to the slope through a narrow moat. This particular character of the sea floor provides an opportunity to estimate the amount of strata remobilized by slope instability. The imaged volume of the studied landslide is ~1035 ± 64 km3, ~406 ± 28 km3 on the slope and ~629 ± 36 km3 in the ocean basin. The volume of subseismic turbidites is ~86 km3 (median value), and the volume of shear compaction is ~100 km3, which are ~8.6% and ~9.7% of the landslide volume imaged on seismic data, respectively. This study highlights that the original volume of the failed sediments is significantly larger than that estimated using seismic and bathymetric data. Volume loss related to the generation of landslide‐related turbidites and shear compaction must be considered when estimating the total volume of failed strata in the submarine realm.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

True Volumes of Slope Failure Estimated From a Quaternary Mass‐Transport Deposit in the Northern South China Sea

Sun

Alves

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…Shale volume ( V sh ), synthetic seismic, and biostratigraphic ages are modified from Denne et al . [].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The prevailing theory for the event invokes the Chicxulub asteroid impact as the sole cause of rapid global climatologic and ecologic crisis that occurred at the start of the Cenozoic [e.g., Jablonski and Raup , ; Renne et al , ]. There is a consensus within the geologic community that impact‐initiated processes led to global deposition of the K‐Pg boundary deposit (KPBD) [e.g., Alvarez et al , ; Bralower et al , ; Bralower et al , ; Denne et al , ; Norris and Firth , ; Schulte et al , ], though the theory is not without critics [e.g., Keller , ; Keller et al , ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given this established change in character and thickness with proximity to the Chicxulub crater, the Gulf of Mexico represents a geographic, energetic, and depositional end‐member to the continuum of global KPBD settings. The impact input an estimated 4.2−12 × 10 23 J into the Earth system [ Covey et al , ; Hildebrand et al , ] and likely generated a magnitude 11 earthquake [ Day and Maslin , ] at the site of impact, initiating seismic shaking and ground roll and a megatsunami wave train that likely traversed the gulf within an hour [e.g., Boslough et al , ; Bourgeois et al , ; Denne et al , ; Klaus et al , ; Norris et al , , ; Tada et al , ; Yancey and Liu , ]. Given its proximity to the crater and its exceptional accommodation space, the deepwater gulf was likely a regional sink to the tremendous amount of sediment generated by the impact.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, until recently, data in the gulf have been limited to the basin periphery because of the expense and difficulty of acquiring deepwater data. Hydrocarbon exploration in the past decade has yielded significant borehole and seismic data that can be used to better understand the deepwater response to the impact in the gulf [e.g., Denne et al , ; Scott et al , ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Cretaceous‐Paleogene boundary deposit in the Gulf of Mexico: Large‐scale oceanic basin response to the Chicxulub impact

2016

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Hydrocarbon exploration in the last decade has yielded sufficient data to evaluate the Gulf of Mexico basin response to the Chicxulub asteroid impact. Given its passive marine setting and proximity to the impact structure on the Yucatán Peninsula, the gulf is the premier locale in which to study the near‐field geologic effect of a bolide impact. We mapped a thick (decimeter‐ to hectometer‐scale) deposit of carbonate debris at the Cretaceous‐Paleogene boundary that is ubiquitous in the gulf and readily identifiable on borehole and seismic data. We interpret deposits seen in seismic and borehole data in the deepwater gulf to be predominately muddy debrites with minor turbidites based on cores in the southeastern gulf. Mapping of the deposit in the northern Gulf of Mexico reveals that the impact redistributed roughly 1.05 × 105 km3 of sediment therein and over 1.98 × 105 km3 gulfwide. Deposit distribution suggests that the majority of sediment derived from coastal and shallow‐water environments throughout the gulf via seismic and megatsunamic processes initiated by the impact. The Texas shelf and northern margin of the Florida Platform were significant sources of sediment, while the central and southern Florida Platform underwent more localized platform collapse. The crustal structure of the ancestral gulf influenced postimpact deposition both directly and indirectly through its control on salt distribution in the Louann Salt Basin. Nevertheless, impact‐generated deposition overwhelmed virtually all topography and depositional systems at the start of the Cenozoic, blanketing the gulf with carbonate debris within days.

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Chemostratigraphy Across the Cretaceous‐Paleogene (K‐Pg) Boundary

Sial

Chen

Lacerda

et al. 2018

Chemostratigraphy Across Major Chronological Boundaries

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Massive Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary deposit, deep-water Gulf of Mexico: New evidence for widespread Chicxulub-induced slope failure

Cited by 63 publications

References 13 publications

True Volumes of Slope Failure Estimated From a Quaternary Mass‐Transport Deposit in the Northern South China Sea

True Volumes of Slope Failure Estimated From a Quaternary Mass‐Transport Deposit in the Northern South China Sea

The Cretaceous‐Paleogene boundary deposit in the Gulf of Mexico: Large‐scale oceanic basin response to the Chicxulub impact

Chemostratigraphy Across the Cretaceous‐Paleogene (K‐Pg) Boundary

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