Spatial variability in depositional reservoir quality of deep-water channel-fill and lobe deposits

Bell, Daniel A.; Kane, Ian A.; Pontén, Anna; Flint, Stephen S.; Hodgson, David M.; Barrett, Bonita J.

doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2018.07.023

Cited by 66 publications

(74 citation statements)

References 102 publications

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“…The coarse-grain size and basal location of the conglomerates with respect to thick-bedded sandstones suggests these beds could have been deposited as channel-base lags (Hubbard et al 2014). Erosionally-based lenticular sandstones grading from cobble-to fine-sandstones are interpreted to represent submarine channel fill (Jobe et al 2017;Bell et al 2018). This facies association is consistent with gravelly-conglomeratic deposits reported elsewhere to represent submarine channel axis deposition Nemec & Steel 1984;Surlyk 1984;Dickie & Hein, 1995;Li et al 2018;McArthur et al 2019;Kneller et al 2020).…”

Section: Siliciclastic Facies Associationssupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Presence of hummocklike laminations could indicate storm-wave influenced deposition (Harms et al 1975), however their presence within a succession containing thick, dark mudstones and frequent sediment gravity flows suggests a deep-marine origin. Anti-dune formation (Mulder et al 2009) and tractional reworking of an aggrading deposit (Mutti 1992;Tinterri et al 2017;Bell et al 2018) have both been interpreted to form similar hummock-like lamination in deep marine environments. Clean sandstones which grade into argillaceous, micaceous sandstones could indicate transitional flow deposits (Sylvester & Lowe 2004;Baas et al 2009;Kane & Pontén 2012).…”

Section: Siliciclastic Facies Associationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mixed systems are formed by a variety of depositional processes (e.g. Mount, 1984;Chiarella et al 2017) and are consequently recognised in a variety of depositional environments, such as: shoreface (Zonneveld et al 1997), lagoonal (Mitchell et al 2001), shelfal (Mount, 1984;Zeller et al 2015), slope (Gawthorpe, 1986) and (Ditty et al 1997;Yose & Heller, 1989;Bell et al 2018;Moscardelli et al 2019). Mixed-systems deposited in deep-marine (below storm-wave base) are usually formed by material shed from a shallower carbonate-producing shelf that periodically received terrigenous sediment ( Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolution of a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate deep-marine system on an unstable margin: the Cretaceous of the Eastern Greater Caucasus, Azerbaijan

Cumberpatch¹,

Soutter²,

Kane³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Mixed siliciclastic-carbonate deep-marine systems, herein termed ‘mixed systems’, are less well documented than their siliciclastic-dominated counterparts, but may be common globally and misinterpreted as transient transition zones between carbonate and siliciclastic deposition. The well-exposed Upper Cretaceous mixed-system of the Buduq Trough, Eastern Greater Caucasus (EGC), Azerbaijan, provides an opportunity to study the interaction between contemporaneous siliciclastic and carbonate deep-marine deposition. The Buduq Trough represents a sub-basin formed within the larger unstable post-rift margin of the EGC. Qualitative and quantitative facies analysis reveals that Upper Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Buduq Trough comprises a Cenomanian-Turonian siliciclastic submarine channel complex, which abruptly transitions into a Coniacian-Maastrichtian mixed-lobe succession. The Cenomanian – Turonian channels are shown to be entrenched in lows on the palaeo-seafloor, with the sequence entirely absent 10 km toward the west, where a Lower Cretaceous submarine landslide complex is suggested to have acted as a topographic barrier to deposition. By the Campanian this topography was largely healed, allowing deposition of the mixed-lobe succession across the Buduq Trough. Evidence for topography remains recorded through opposing palaeocurrents and frequent submarine landslides. The overall sequence is interpreted to represent abrupt Cenomanian-Turonian siliciclastic progradation, followed by ~Coniacian retrogradation, before a more gradual progradation in the Santonian-Maastrichtian. This deep-marine siliciclastic system interfingers with a calcareous system from the Coniacian onwards. These mixed lobe systems are different to siliciclastic-dominated systems in that they contain both siliciclastic and calcareous depositional elements, making classification of distal and proximal difficult using conventional terminology and complicating palaeogeographic interpretations. Modulation and remobilisation also occurs between the two contemporaneous systems, making stacking patterns difficult to decipher. The Buduq Trough is analogous in many ways to offshore The Gambia, NW Africa, and could be a suitable analogue for mixed deep-marine systems globally.

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Section: Siliciclastic Facies Associationssupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Siliciclastic Facies Associationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Evolution of a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate deep-marine system on an unstable margin: the Cretaceous of the Eastern Greater Caucasus, Azerbaijan

Cumberpatch¹,

Soutter²,

Kane³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…The finer, better sorted and thinner-bedded nature of this lithofacies compared to thick-bedded sandstones indicates that these beds were deposited beyond the axis of the lobe (off-axis) (Prélat et al 2009;Bell et al, 2018a) (Fig. 8).…”

Section: Fa 2: Lobe Off-axismentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Deep-water lobes are amongst the largest sedimentary bodies on Earth and comprise terrigenous sediment shed from the adjacent continental shelf and slope (e.g., Piper et al, 1999;Talling et al, 2007;Prélat et al, 2010;Clare et al, 2014). They offer a record of Earth's climate and sediment transport history, form valuable hydrocarbon reservoirs, aquifers, and are sites of mineral accumulation (e.g., Weimer and Link, 1991;Hodgson, 2009;Sømme et al, 2011;Bell et al, 2018a). Sediment-gravity-flow evolution across unconfined deep-water settings results in a fairly uniform radial spreading and deceleration of flows, and development of elongate to lobate sedimentary bodies with predictable facies transitions (e.g., Baas, 2004;Hodgson et al, 2009;Spychala et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The stratigraphic evolution of onlap in siliciclastic deep-water systems: Autogenic modulation of allogenic signals

Soutter¹,

Kane²,

Fuhrmann³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Seafloor topography affects the sediment gravity flows that interact with it. Understanding this interaction is critical for accurate predictions of sediment distribution, paleogeography, and structural reconstructions of deep-water basins. The effects of seafloor topography can be seen from the bed scale, through facies transitions toward intra-basinal slopes, to the basin scale, where onlap patterns reveal the spatial evolution of deep-water systems. Basin-margin onlap patterns are typically attributed to allogenic factors, such as sediment supply signals or subsidence rates, with few studies emphasizing the importance of predictable spatio-temporal autogenic flow evolution. This study aims to assess the autogenic controls on onlap by documenting onlap styles in the confined Eocene-to-Oligocene deep-marine Annot Basin of SE France. Measured sections, coupled with architectural observations, mapping, and paleogeographical interpretations, are used to categorize onlap styles and place them within a generic stratigraphic model. These observations are compared with a simple numerical model. The integrated stratigraphic model predicts that during progradation of a deep-water system into a confined basin successive onlap terminations will be partially controlled by the effect of increasing flow concentration. Initially thin-bedded low-density turbidites of the distal lobe fringe are deposited and drape basinal topography. As the system progrades these beds become overlain by hybrid beds and other deposits of higher-concentration flows developed in the proximal lobe fringe. This transition is therefore marked by intra-formational onlap against the underlying and lower-concentration lobe fringe that drapes the topography. Continued progradation results in deposition of lower-concentration deposits in the lobe off-axis, resulting in either further intra-formational onlap against the lobe fringe or onlap directly against the hemipelagic basin margin. Basinal relief is gradually reduced as axial and higher-volume flows become more prevalent during progradation, causing the basin to become a bypass zone for sediment routed down-dip. This study presents an autogenic mechanism for generating complex onlap trends without the need to invoke allogenic processes. This has implications for sequence-stratigraphic interpretations, basin subsidence history, and forward modeling of confined deep-water basins.

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Flow‐process controls on grain type distribution in an experimental turbidity current deposit: Implications for detrital signal preservation and microplastic distribution in submarine fans

Bell

Soutter

Cumberpatch

et al. 2021

The Depositional Record

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Deep‐water depositional systems are the ultimate sink for vast quantities of terrigenous sediment, organic carbon and anthropogenic pollutants, forming valuable archives of environmental change. Our understanding of the distribution of these particles and the preservation of environmental signals, in deep‐water systems is limited due to the inaccessibility of modern systems, and the incomplete nature of ancient systems. Here, the deposit of a physically modelled turbidity current was sampled (n = 49) to determine how grain size and grain type vary spatially. The turbidity current had a sediment concentration of 17%. The sediment consisted of, by weight, 65% quartz sand (2.65 g/cm3), 17.5% silt (2.65 g/cm3), 7.5% clay (2.60 g/cm3) and 5% each of sand‐grade garnet (3.90 g/cm3) and microplastic fragments (1.50 g/cm3). The grain size and composition of each sample was determined using laser diffraction and density separation, respectively. The results show that: (a) bulk grain size coarsened axially downstream on the basin floor challenging the notion that basin floor deposits fine radially from an apex upon becoming unconfined; (b) no sample composition matched the input composition of the flow, indicating that allogenic signals can be autogenically shredded and spatially variable in sediment gravity flow deposits; and (c) microplastic fragments were concentrated in levee and lateral basin floor fringe positions; however, microplastic concentrations in these positions were lower than input, suggesting microplastics bypassed the sampled positions. These findings have implications for: (a) the development of ‘finger‐like’ geometries and facies distributions observed in modern and ancient systems; (b) interpreting environmental signals in the stratigraphic record; and (c) predicting the distribution of microplastics on the sea floor.

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Spatial variability in depositional reservoir quality of deep-water channel-fill and lobe deposits

Abstract: This is a repository copy of Spatial variability in depositional reservoir quality of deep-water channel-fill and lobe deposits.

Cited by 66 publications

References 102 publications

Evolution of a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate deep-marine system on an unstable margin: the Cretaceous of the Eastern Greater Caucasus, Azerbaijan

Evolution of a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate deep-marine system on an unstable margin: the Cretaceous of the Eastern Greater Caucasus, Azerbaijan

The stratigraphic evolution of onlap in siliciclastic deep-water systems: Autogenic modulation of allogenic signals

Flow‐process controls on grain type distribution in an experimental turbidity current deposit: Implications for detrital signal preservation and microplastic distribution in submarine fans

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