Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, 101 Scientific Results

Austin, Julian; Schlager, Wolfgang

doi:10.2973/odp.proc.sr.101.1988

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The slopes of the Bahamian carbonate platforms in the past were in the focus of studies on carbonate slope depositional systems (Droxler et al, 1983;Droxler and Schlager, 1985;Reijmer et al, 1988;Kenter, 1990;Eberli, 1991;Grammer et al, 1993;Schlager et al, 1994;Kenter et al, 2001). During sea-level highstands, the top of a carbonate platform is occupied by a highly productive carbonate factory and the excess of sediment is exported primarily to the leeward slope (Kendall and Schlager, 1981;Schlager and Ginsburg, 1981;Hine et al, 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sedimentary dynamics and high-frequency sequence stratigraphy of the southwestern slope of Great Bahama Bank

Wunsch

Betzler

Eberli

et al. 2018

Sedimentary Geology

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New geophysical data from the leeward slope of Great Bahama Bank show how contour currents shape the slope and induce re-sedimentation processes. Along slope segments with high current control, drift migration and current winnowing at the toe of slope form a deep moat. Here, the slope progradation is inhibited by large channel incisions and the accumulation of large mass transport complexes, triggered by current winnowing. In areas where the slope is bathed by weaker currents, the accumulation of mass transport complexes and channel incision is rather controlled by the position of the sea level. Large slope failures were triggered during the Mid-Pleistocene transition and Mid-Brunhes event, both periods characterized by changes in the cyclicity or the amplitude of sea-level fluctuations. Within the seismic stratigraphic framework of third order sequences, four sequences of higher order were identified in the succession of the upper Pleistocene. These higher order sequences also show clear differences in function of the slope exposure to contour currents. Two stochastic models emphasize the role of the contour currents and slope morphology in the facies distribution in the upper Pleistocene sequences. In areas of high current influence the interplay of erosional and depositional processes form a complex facies pattern with downslope and along strike facies alterations. In zones with lower current influence, major facies alternations occur predominately in downslope direction, and a layer-cake pattern characterizes the along strike direction. Therefore, this study highlights that contour currents are an underestimated driver for the sediment distribution and architecture of carbonate slopes.

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