The Central Submarine Canyon in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northwestern South China Sea: Architecture, sequence stratigraphy, and depositional processes

Gong, Chenglin; Wang, Yingmin; Zhu, Weilin; Li, Weiguo; Xu, Qiang

doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2011.06.005

Cited by 111 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…These sandstones form another set of favorable reservoirs. It is noteworthy that the Central Canyon System, a large axial submarine canyon in the Qiongdongnan Basin, was developed during the Neogene and is sub-parallel to the continental slope with an NEeNEE trend (Gong et al, 2011;Su et al, 2014). Mud diapirs developed beneath the canyon and the basin center area (Fig.…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemistry, origin and accumulation of natural gases in the deepwater area of the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

Huang

Tian

Li³

et al. 2016

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemistry, origin and accumulation of natural gases in the deepwater area of the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

Huang

Tian

Li³

et al. 2016

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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“…From the seismic profiles, three major crosssection morphological types can be classified, including U-shaped, multi-shaped, and V-shaped (Su et al, 2009). Depending on the seismic reflection textures, two sedimentary units could be observed, i.e., the continuous highamplitudes reflectors and the chaotic relatively lower amplitude reflectors, which could be interpreted as turbidites and MTC, respectively (Gong et al, 2011;Li et al, 2011b;Su et al, 2014).…”

Section: Characteristics Of the Ccsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Drilling results demonstrated that the importance of this canyon for the deep-water petroleum exploration Zhu et al, 2012;Wang, 2012). Several pioneering studies focused on describing morphology features and infillings, classifying the types of crosssection morphology, identifying the internal architectures including turbidites and mass transport complex (MTC), and building up some depositional models (Su et al, 2009;Yuan, 2009;Gong et al, 2011;Li et al, 2011a, 2011b, Xu et al, 2012Su et al, 2014). Lin et al (2001) believed the extensive sea level lowering during 10.5 Ma might have led to formations of incised valleys and gravity flows.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yuan (2009) attributed the cause of the CCS to sufficient sediment supply from the Red River since the Miocene, sea level falling, and inversion of the Red River Fault (RRF) at about 5 Ma. Gong et al (2011) discussed the influences of paleo-topography, RRF, Coriolis force, high sedimentation rate since the late Miocene, slope progradation, and sea level changes. Xu et al (2012) reported that intermittent gravity flow dominated by fine-grained clastic materials and increased turbidity current from west to east would be the reasons for the development of the CCS.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Controlling factors on the submarine canyon system: A case study of the Central Canyon System in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea

Cheng

Xie

Wang

et al. 2014

Sci. China Earth Sci.

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Based on an integrated analysis of high-resolution 2D/3D seismic data and drilling results, this study analyzes the tectonicsedimentary evolution of the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB) since the late Miocene, and discusses the controlling factors on the formation and development of the Central Canyon System (CCS). The sediment failures caused by the relative sea level falling might have discharged deposits from the slope to the canyon. The two suits of the infillings, i.e., turbidites and mass transport complex (MTC), were derived from the northwestern source and northern source, respectively. The sediment supplies, which differ significantly among different areas, might have led to the variations observed in the internal architectures. Tectonic transformation around 11.6 Ma had provided the tectonic setting for the CCS and formed an axial sub-basin in the central part of the Changchang Depression, which could be called the rudiment of the CCS. The tectonic activity of the Red River Fault (RRF) at about 5.7 Ma might have strengthened the hydrodynamics of the deposits at the junction of the Yinggehai Basin (YGHB) and the QDNB to trigger a high-energy turbidity current. The MTC from the northern continental slope system might have been constrained by the Southern Uplift, functioning as a barrier for the infillings of the CCS. Thanks to a sufficient sediment supply during the Holocene period and the paleo-seafloor morphology, the relief of modern central canyon with the starving landform in the eastern Changchang Depression might have been accentuated by deposition of sediments and vertical growth along the canyon flanks, where collapse deposits were widely developed. Corresponding to the segmentation of the CCS, the forming mechanisms of the canyon between the three segments would be different. The turbidite channel in the head area had likely been triggered by the abundant sediment supply from the northwestern source together with the fault activity at about 5.7 Ma of the RRF. The formation and evolution of the canyon in the western segment were caused by combined effects of the turbidite channel from the northwestern source, the MTC from the northern continental slope, and the paleo-seafloor geomorphology. In the eastern segment, the canyon was constrained by the tectonic transformation occurring at approximately 11.6 Ma and the insufficient sediment supply from the wide-gentle slope. submarine canyon system, relative sea level change, sediment supply, tectonic activity, Qiongdongnan Basin Citation: Su M, Zhang C, Xie X N, et al. 2014. Controlling factors on the submarine canyon system: A case study of the Central Canyon System in the

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“…Relative sea level changes have also been argued as one of the critical factors controlling deposition patterns inside submarine canyons (Gingele et al 2004;Baztana et al 2005;Antobreh and Krastel 2006;Gong et al 2011). Eustatic changes in the South China Sea contributed to longterm repeated cut-and-fill events of varying magnitude of the Pearl River Canyon.…”

Section: High Sediment Inputmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphotectonics and evolutionary controls on the Pearl River Canyon system, South China Sea

Ding

Li³

et al. 2013

Mar Geophys Res

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The Pearl River Canyon system is a typical canyon system on the northern continental slope of the South China Sea, which has significant implications for hydrocarbon exploration. Through swath bathymetry in the canyon area combined with different types of seismic data, we have studied the morphotectonics and controlling factors of the canyon by analyzing its morphology and sedimentary structure, as well as the main features of the continental slope around the canyon. Results show that the Pearl River Canyon can be separated into three segments with different orientations. The upper reach is NW-oriented with a shallowly incised course, whereas the middle and lower reaches, that are located mainly in the Baiyun Sag, have a broad U-shape and have experienced consistent deposition. Seventeen deeply-cut canyons have developed in the slope north of the Baiyun Sag, playing an important role in the sedimentary processes of the middle and lower reaches of the Pearl River Canyon. These canyons display both asymmetrical V-and U-shapes along their lengths. Numerous buried channels can be identified below the modern canyons with unidirectionally migrating stacking patterns, suggesting that the canyons have experienced a cyclic evolution with several cut and fill phases of varying magnitude. These long established canyons, rather than the upper reach of the Pearl River Canyon, are the main conduits for the transport of terrigenous materials to the lower slope and abyssal basin during lowstand stage, and have contributed to the formation of vertically stacked deep-water fans in the middle reach. Canyon morphology is interpreted as a result of erosive sediment flows. The Pearl River Canyon and the 17 canyons in the slope area north of the Baiyun Sag probably have developed since the Miocene. Cenozoic tectonics, sea level change and sediment supply jointly control the morphology and sedimentary structure. The middle and lower reaches of the Pearl River Canyon developed on the paleo-terrain of the Baiyun Sag, which has been a persistently rapid depositional environment, receiving most of the materials transported via the canyons.

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The Central Submarine Canyon in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northwestern South China Sea: Architecture, sequence stratigraphy, and depositional processes

Cited by 111 publications

References 44 publications

Geochemistry, origin and accumulation of natural gases in the deepwater area of the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

Geochemistry, origin and accumulation of natural gases in the deepwater area of the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

Controlling factors on the submarine canyon system: A case study of the Central Canyon System in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea

Morphotectonics and evolutionary controls on the Pearl River Canyon system, South China Sea

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