Seismic geomorphology as a tool to explore the georesource potential of slope failures—examples from offshore North West Shelf, Australia

Syn‐rift tectono‐stratigraphic development of the Thebe‐0 fault system, Exmouth Plateau, offshore NW Australia: The role of fault‐scarp degradation

“…Fault‐scarp degradation complexes have been documented using field and subsurface data, both onshore and offshore, in areas including the Gulf of Corinth (Ferentinos et al., 1988; Kokkalas & Koukouvelas, 2005), the Gulf of Suez (Badr et al., 2022; Leppard & Gawthorpe, 2006; Sarhan et al., 2014), the Viking Graben (Fraser et al., 2002; Hesthammer & Fossen, 1999; McLeod & Underhill, 1999; Underhill et al., 1997), and East Greenland (Henstra et al., 2016). Footwall scarps are considered an intra‐basin source for syn‐rift sediment (Chiarella et al., 2021; Cullen et al., 2019; Gawthorpe & Leeder, 2000; Scarselli et al., 2022).…”

“…Fault‐scarp degradation products typically accumulate as texturally immature deposits at the base of the syn‐rift sequence in the immediate hangingwall basins (Figure 1b; Chiarella et al., 2021; Cullen et al., 2019; Henstra et al., 2016; McLeod & Underhill, 1999). Several subsurface studies identify fault‐controlled syn‐rift wedges that pinch‐out away from the controlling fault (e.g., Barrett et al., 2021; Bilal et al., 2018; Bilal & McClay, 2021; Hoth et al., 2018; Ravnås & Bondevik, 1997; Scarselli et al., 2022); these deposits are typically characterised by chaotic to low‐continuity internal reflections (Figure 1d; Barrett et al., 2021; Bilal et al., 2018; Hoth et al., 2018; Mann‐Kalil et al., 2023). Deposits with such characteristics have been previously referred to as slope aprons (e.g., Henstra et al., 2016), talus wedges (e.g., Bilal et al., 2018), fan deltas (e.g., Lewis et al., 2017), or debris flows (e.g., Henstra et al., 2016), which we collectively refer to by the more generic term fault‐controlled base‐of‐scarp deposits (sensu Chiarella et al., 2021).…”