The sedimentary framework of the southern basin of Lake George,New York

Information from 240 km of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles has been analyzed to show the bathymetric and subsurface configuration of southern Lake George in the southeastern corner of the Adirondack Mountains, New York. Three units have been identified and sampled in 13 piston cores as long as 7 m and 4 grab samples; they are glacial drift, glaciolacustrine nonorganic clay, and Holocene lake mud rich in organic material. Three deep bedrock basins controlled glacial, glaciolacustrine, and postglacial deposition within the lake. Glaciolacustrine clay is more than 30 m thick in these basins but is generally absent in water depths less than 20 m. An unconformity separates glaciolacustrine clay from overlying Holocene mud in water depths less than 30 m, but the contact is conformable and transitional in deeper water. The unconformity may have originated from subaqueous or subaerial erosion during a low stage of lake level which probably occurred between 10,000 and 700 yr B.P. Holocene lake mud is thin to absent in the shallower waters separating the three basins, but reaches 15-m thickness near the entrance to The Narrows. A new radiocarbon date of 6950 ± 60 yr B.P. was obtained from a wood fragment which was found in the Holocene lake mud. We found no clear evidence of postglacial tectonic disturbances of the lake sediments although recent releveling profiles suggest that the Adirondack Mountains are undergoing contemporary uplift.     

Active mud volcanoes on- and offshore eastern Makran, Pakistan

To study the activity, source and driving force of the venting of fluidized mud in the coastal Makran, we carried out reconnaissance surveys of two active onshore mud volcano fields (Chandragup and Jebel-u-Ghurab) and of a newly born (March 1999) offshore mud volcano (Malan Island). All studied on- and offshore mud volcanoes line up along one southwest/northeast-trending structural lineament, the axis of the Dhak Anticline. Isotopic data point to a bacterial origin of the gas (mainly methane). Mixed benthic foraminiferal faunas and calcareous nannofloras suggest that the source level of the extruded mud is at a sub-surface depth of 2-3 km. Observed mud discharge varied between 0 and 1.4 m³ h^-1 and gas discharge rates between negligible amounts to 1 m³ s^-1. Mud temperatures in the crater lake of Chandragup I are near-ambient temperatures. They rise slightly (Б.5°C) during episodes of modest mud outflow. An area of 160,000 m³ of soft mud was vigorously extruded from the sea floor at a water depth of 10 m within days after 15 March 1999, forming Malan Island. The island was destroyed within a few months after its birth by deep-reaching wave action during the SW monsoon. This was possibly aided by local subsidence of the mud volcano structure due to the volume loss following rapid degassing and mud extrusion.     

Lithofacies and origin of late Quaternary mass transport deposits in submarine canyons, central Scotian Slope, Canada

Mass transport deposits, up to 3·9 m thick, have been identified from piston cores collected from canyon floors and inter-canyon ridges on the central Scotian Slope. These deposits are characterized by four distinct mass-transport facies – folded mud, dipping stratified mud, various types of mud-clast conglomerate, and diamicton. Commonly, the folded and stratified mud facies are overlain by mud-clast conglomerate, followed by diamicton and then by turbidity current deposits of well-sorted sand. Stratified and folded mud facies were sourced from canyon walls. Overconsolidation in clasts in some mud-clast conglomerates indicates that the source sediment was buried 12–33 m, much deeper than the present cored depth, implying a source in canyon heads and canyon walls. The known stratigraphic framework for the region and new radiocarbon dating suggests that there were four or five episodes of sediment failure within the past 17 ka, most of which are found in more than one canyon system. The most likely mechanism for triggering occasional, synchronous failures in separate canyons is seismic ground shaking. The facies sequence is interpreted as resulting from local slides being overlain by mud-clast conglomerate deposits derived from failures farther upslope and finally by coarser-grained deposits resulting from retrogressive failure re-mobilizing upper slope sediments to form debrisflows and turbidity currents.     

Overview of overpressure in Bengal Basin,India

Abnormally high formation pressures are encountered worldwide, ranging in geological age from Cenozoic to Paleozoic, within a depth range of few hundred meters to as deep as six thousand meters while carrying out exploratory drilling by E and P companies. Several causes can increase formation fluid pressure i.e. rapid loading of sediments results compaction disequilibrium, thermal expansion of fluids, compression and/or upliftment of strata by tectonic forces, generation of oil and gas from organic matter and its volume expansion due to high thermal stress within the restricted pore volume in subsurface condition. Few global examples on overpressure occurrences have been compiled in the paper with special reference to Bengal Basin. Emphasis has been given on methodology and interpretation on abnormal pressure detection in Bengal Basin with a compiled data package on generated curves (Geologs), charts, tables in a systematic way to understand the depth/stratigraphic horizons proved/interpreted as proved or likely to be within transition and overpressure regime. The integrated analysis indicates that the wells drilled in the east of Eocene hinge zone in the onshore and offshore parts of Bengal Basin have penetrated overpressure formation within Miocene in the depth range of 2800 m to 5340 m and the mud weight used to control this overpressure zone was more than 2.0 sp gr mud. The generated Geologs can be used as reference to understand the regime of transition and overpressure, as a valuable document for exploration drilling planning and monitoring. The generated model curve (modified using available data after Hottman and Johnson, 1956 curve) using sonic departure (i.e. Δt_ob(sh) −Δt_n(sh)) from drilled wells may be used as an additional tool to find out the expected formation pressure gradient and equivalent mud weight in all future wells. The correlation of wells based on the trend of dcs and σ logs will be useful for predicting transition and overpressure top provided all the parameters required for calculating dcs and σ log recorded smoothly during drilling phase. The study has brought out the detail procedure to generate the pressure profile in the future wells. The generation of pressure profile of a well prior to drilling has got immense importance in oil industry. The drilling of the well should be done by maintaining the optimum mud weight generated from the pressure profile. In case, during drilling, formation pressure is more than the mud pressure, resulted gas kicks or worse, blowouts of the well. Excessively high mud pressure can fracture the formation and cause lost circulation. The oil and gas companies, worldwide, attributed 15% losses due to various problems associated with drilling complications, mostly related to improper pressure prediction of a well. The losses include loss of material as well as drilling process continuity, called non-productive time (NPT). The generation of accurate pressure profile reduces drilling problems, cuts exploration and development costs and allows billions of dollars now spent on losses to be better spent-building and replacing reserves.     

山东商河地区地热井钻效分析

商河县地热井资源丰富,蕴藏量巨大,其热储含水层主要为新近系馆陶组以及古近系的东营组。通过区内施工的4个地热井的钻效分析,认为：①采用电动机作为动力的4#地热井施工工期明显优于其他3口采用柴油机作动力的;②本区构造较简单,断层稀少,分阶段使用PDC钻头可以将施工工期大大缩短;③泥浆泵的泵量达到或接近钻孔的环空最低上返速度时,可有效携带岩屑,建议泥浆岩屑上返速度不低于0．5m/s;④使用Ф127mm钻杆代替Ф89mm钻杆,可使钻杆的抗扭强度增加,保证施工的安全;⑤地面使用泥浆罐配备除泥器间断性除泥,保证泥浆液面高于泥浆泵阀室,泥浆靠自重流入泥浆泵阀室内,降低了泥浆泵从循环沉淀池抽吸功耗与节省吸人阀磨损。对比结果可为该区进行地热井施工提供借鉴。     

Deep-water sediment wave fields, bottom current sand channels and gravity flow channel-lobe systems: Gulf of Cadiz, NE Atlantic

Abstract A study of the seafloor of the Gulf of Cadiz west of the Strait of Gibraltar, using an integrated geophysical and sedimentological data set, gives new insights into sediment deposition from downslope thermohaline bottom currents. In this area, the Mediterranean Outflow (MO) begins to mix with North Atlantic waters and separates into alongslope geostrophic and downslope ageostrophic components. Changes in bedform morphology across the study area indicate a decrease in the peak velocity of the MO from >1 m s^?1 to <0·5 m s^?1. The associated sediment waves form a continuum from sand waves to muddy sand waves to mud waves. A series of downslope‐oriented channels, formed by the MO, are found where the MO starts to descend the continental slope at a water depth of ≈700 m. These channels are up to 40 km long, have gradients of <0·5°, a fairly constant width of ≈2 km and a depth of ≈75 m. Sand waves move down the channels that have mud wave‐covered levees similar to those seen in turbidite channel–levee systems, although the channel size and levee thickness do not decrease downslope as in typical turbidite channel systems. The channels terminate abruptly where the MO lifts off the seafloor. Gravity flow channels with lobes on the basin floor exist downslope from several of the bottom current channels. Each gravity flow system has a narrow, slightly sinuous channel, up to 20 m deep, feeding a depositional lobe up to 7 km long. Cores from the lobes recovered up to 8·5 m of massive, well‐sorted, fine sand, with occasional mud clasts. This work provides an insight into the complex facies patterns associated with strong bottom currents and highlights key differences between bottom current and gravity flow channel–levee systems. The distribution of sand within these systems is of particular interest, with applications in understanding the architecture of hydrocarbon reservoirs formed in continental slope settings.     

CONTRIBUTION TO THE GEOCHEMISTRY OF CRUDE OILS AND GASES FROM THE MUD VOLCANO ZONE OF THE KEYMIR-CHIKISHLYAR AREA OF WESTERN TURKMENIA

The paper describes crude oils and gases from mud volcanoes and oils and gases from producing horizons at depth in the same area. It is shown that the mud volcano gases and oils (the oils particularly) can be correlated with those in strata from 500 m. to more than 2,600 m deep. The mud volcano gases are somewhat modified by hypergene processes. Analytical data in tabular form is given.--B. W. Nelson.     

Distribution and characters of the mud diapirs and mud volcanoes off southwest Taiwan

In order to identify the mud diapirs and mud volcanoes off SW Taiwan, we have examined ∼1500 km long MCS profiles and related marine geophysical data. Our results show ten quasi-linear mud diapirs, oriented NNE–SSW to N–S directions. Thirteen mud volcanoes are identified from the multibeam bathymetric data. These mud volcanoes generally occur on tops of the diapiric structures. Moreover, the active mud flow tracks out of mud volcanoes MV1, MV3 and MV6 are observed through the high backscatter intensity stripes on the sidescan sonar images. The heights of the cone-shaped mud volcanoes range from 65 m to 345 m, and the diameters at base from 680 m to 4100 m. These mud volcanoes have abrupt slopes between 5.3° and 13.6°, implying the mudflow is active and highly viscous. In contrast, the flat crests of mud volcanoes are due to relative lower-viscosity flows. The larger cone-shaped mud volcanoes located at deeper water depths could be related to a longer eruption history. The formation of mud diapirs and volcanoes in the study area are ascribed to the overpressure in sedimentary layers, compressional tectonic forces and gas-bearing fluids. Especially, the gas-bearing fluid plays an important role in enhancing the intrusion after the diapirism as a large amount of gas expulsions is observed. The morphology of the upper Kaoping Slope is mainly controlled by mud diapiric intrusions.     

钱塘江下切河谷充填物地质特征及浅层生物气的孔隙水压力封闭机理

近年来,在浙江省北部钱塘江河口湾地区发现并开发了大量的晚第四纪浅层生物气藏。末次盛冰期,全球海平面的下降使河流梯度增加,下切作用增强,导致钱塘江下切河谷的形成。下切河谷内的沉积序列从下到上可划分为4种沉积相类型,分别为河床相、河漫滩-河口湾相、河口湾-浅海相和河口湾砂坝相。 所有的商业浅气田和气藏都分布于太湖下切河谷和钱塘江下切河谷及其支谷的河漫滩-河口湾相砂体中。钱塘江下切河谷的河漫滩-河口湾砂体埋深30～80 m,厚3～7 m,被非渗透的黏土包围,可能代表了下切河谷内分布的潮流沙脊。快速堆积的河口湾-浅海相沉积物为生物气藏的形成提供了充足的源岩和良好的保存条件。 河漫滩-河口湾相的黏土层为研究区浅层生物气藏的直接盖层,主要分布在下切河谷内,其埋深、残留地层厚度和孔隙度范围分别为30～80 m、10～30 m和42.2％～62.6％。河口湾-浅海相的淤泥层为间接盖层,覆盖了整个下切河谷,其埋深、残留地层厚度和孔隙度范围分别为5～35 m、10～20 m和50.6％ ～53.9％。黏土层和淤泥层的孔隙水压力远大于下伏砂体的孔隙水压力,其差值可达0.48 MPa。在储集层和盖层分界面即浅气藏的顶部,孔隙水压力值达到最大。黏土层和淤泥层的孔隙水压力可以超过砂质储集层中气体压力和孔隙水压力之和。黏土和淤泥盖层的高孔隙水压力可能是浅层生物气被完全封闭住的最重要因素。直接盖层的封闭能力比间接盖层要好。黏土层和淤泥层的孔隙水压力消散时间很长,有时候很难达到稳定状态,这表明黏土层和淤泥层的渗透性差、封闭性好。随着埋深的增加,其压实程度和封闭性能增加。与黏土层和淤泥层相比,砂层的孔隙水压力消散较快,很容易达到稳定状态,而且消散时间与埋深无关,表明砂层渗透性好、封闭性差。气体一旦进入砂层,孔隙水就不能有效释放,导致砂层的孔隙水压力消散时间比黏土层和淤泥层的要长,这可能与生物气在孔隙水压力释放后的快速补充有关。     

四川盆地早古生代灰泥丘中的微生物及其造岩和成丘作用

作为生物礁的特殊类型,灰泥丘在古生代十分发育,许多学者都认为它们是通过微生物造岩作用而形成的,而且,也在现代湖泊中发现了由兰菌藻的生命活动所形成的灰泥沉积物及灰泥丘。但是国际上一直没有在古生代灰泥丘中发现过细菌等微生物的实体化石,微生物促使碳酸钙沉淀、聚集的能力和机理也不明确。四川盆地北缘寒武纪和志留纪灰泥丘发育,笔者通过扫描电镜及能谱分析,在国际上首次发现了 (川西北志留纪 )灰泥丘中菌藻类微生物的实体化石及其特征的造岩成丘现象,发现的菌藻类微生物实体化石有三种类型 :1.表面光滑的卵形球体型;2.表面粗糙的椭球体型;3.网状结构型。而且,对寒武纪和志留纪灰泥丘凝块石作生物标志化合物分析也证明了其有机质生源为菌藻类微生物。这些凝块石灰泥丘中的菌藻类实体化石都显示了不同的沉积、造岩和成丘功能,因而证实了微生物在形成古生代灰泥丘中具重要作用。     

Early burial mud diapirism and its impact on stratigraphic architecture in the Carboniferous of the Shannon Basin,County Clare,Ireland

Delta fronts are often characterized by high rates of sediment supply that result in unstable slopes and a wide variety of soft‐sediment deformation, including the formation of overpressured and mobile muds that may flow plastically during early burial, potentially forming mud diapirs. The coastal cliffs of County Clare, western Ireland, expose Pennsylvanian (Namurian) delta‐front deposits of the Shannon Basin at large scale and in three dimensions. These deposits include decametre‐scale, internally chaotic mudstone masses that clearly impact the surrounding sedimentary strata. Evidence indicates that these were true mud (unlithified sediment) diapirs that pierced overlying strata. This study documents a well‐exposed ca 20 m tall mud diapir and its impact on the surrounding mouth‐bar deposits of the Tullig Cyclothem. A synsedimentary fault and associated rollover dome, evident from stratal thicknesses and the dip of the beds, define one edge of the diapir. These features are interpreted as recording the reactive rise of the mud diapir in response to extensional faulting along its margin. Above the diapir, heterolithic sandstones and siltstones contain evidence for the creation of localized accommodation, suggesting synsedimentary filling, tilting and erosion of a shallow sag basin accommodated by the progressive collapse of the diapir. Two other diapirs are investigated using three‐dimensional models built from ‘structure from motion’ drone imagery. Both diapirs are interpreted to have grown predominantly through passive rise (downbuilding). Stratal relationships for all three diapirs indicate that they were uncompacted and fluid‐rich mud beds that became mobilized through soft‐sediment deformation during early burial (i.e. <50 m, likely <10 m depth). Each diapir locally controlled the stratigraphic architecture in the shallow subsurface and potentially influenced local palaeocurrents on the delta. The mud diapirs studied herein are distinct from deeper ‘shale diapirs’ that have been inferred from seismic sections worldwide, now largely disputed.     

淤泥质浅滩泥沙临界起动切应力剖面确定

为了确定淤泥质浅滩泥沙的临界起动切应力垂线剖面,采用音叉密度计在淤泥质连云港徐圩浅滩进行了定点密度垂线分布测量,并针对该海域的泥沙利用长水槽和环形槽开展了泥沙起动室内试验。淤泥密度现场结果表明,浅滩泥沙密度与深度满足对数型关系;室内试验得出密度1 050~1 400 kg/m³的泥沙临界起动切应力值为0.1~1.0 Pa,泥沙临界切应力与密度呈指数关系;进而确定了临界起动切应力与深度的关系即临界起动切应力剖面,该剖面关系式可供数学模型模拟淤泥质浅滩的泥沙起动过程参考。     

Test Investigation on Liquefied Deformation Structure in Saturated Lime-Mud Composites Triggered by Strong Earthquakes

Three identical model boxes were made from transparent plexiglass and angle iron. Using the method of sinking water and according to the sedimentary rhythm of saturated calcium carbonate(lime-mud) intercalated with cohesive soil,calcites with particle sizes diameters of ≤ 5 μm,10–15 μm and 23–30 μm as well as cohesive soil were sunk alternatively in water of three boxes to build three test models,each of which has a specific size of calcite. Pore water pressure gauges were buried in lime-mud layers at different depths in each model,and connected with a computer system to collect pore water pressures. By means of soil tests,physical property parameters and plasticity indices(Ip) were obtained for various grain-sized saturated lime-muds. The lime-muds with Ip ranging from 6.3 to 8.5(lower than 10) are similar to liquid saturated silt in the physical nature,indicating that saturated silt can be liquefied once induced by a strong earthquake. One model cart was pushed quickly along the length direction of the model so that its rigid wheels collided violently with the stone stair,thus generating an artificial earthquake with seismic wave magnitude greater than VI degree. When unidirectional cyclic seismic load of horizontal compression-tension-shear was imposed on the soil layers in the model,enough great pore water pressure has been accumulated within pores of lime-mud,resulting in liquefaction of lime-mud layers. Meanwhile,micro-fractures formed in each soil layer provided channels for liquefaction dewatering,resulting in formation of macroscopic liquefaction deformation,such as liquefied lime-mud volcanoes,liquefied diapir structures,vein-like liquefied structures and liquefied curls,etc. Splendid liquefied lime-mud eruption lasted for two to three hours,which is similar to the sand volcano eruption induced by strong earthquake. However,under the same artificial seismic conditions,development of macroscopic liquefied structures in three experimental models varied in shape,depth and quantity,indicating that excess pore water pressure ratios at initial liquefaction stage and complete liquefaction varied with depth. With size increasing of calcite particle in lime-mud,liquefied depth and deformation extent increase accordingly. The simulation test verifies for the first time that strong earthquakes may cause violent liquefaction of saturated lime-mud composed of micron-size calcite particles,uncovering the puzzled issue whether seafloor lime-mud can be liquefied under strong earthquake. This study not only provides the latest simulation data for explaining the earthquake-induced liquefied deformations of saturated lime-mud and seismic sedimentary events,but also is of great significance for analysis of foundation stability in marine engineering built on the soft calcium carbonate layers in neritic environment.     

The mud volcanoes of Pakistan

Marine-geologic investigations on the Arabian Sea by Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR) in 1995 and 1998, and land expeditions in 1998 and 1999 to the coastal regions of the Makran Desert/Pakistan have extended the knowledge of the aerial distribution of mud volcanoes. These structures rise from under-compacted formations within the regional accretionary prism, which is built by the subduction of the oceanic crust of the Arabian Sea and its km-thick sedimentary load. The occurrence of mud volcanoes is limited to the abyssal plain near the accretionary front, to the coastal region of the Makran Desert and to a region in the interior of the Desert to the south to southeast of the so-called Hinglay Synform. The location of mud volcanoes in Pakistan is clearly tied to fault systems. Mud volcanoes are conspicuously absent on the lower slope of the accretionary prism, where thick gas hydrate layers have developed. The presence of large gas plumes emerging from the seafloor landward of the gas hydrate stability zone at water depths of less than 800 m points to a redirection of fluids from depth, which might explain the absence of mud volcanoes along the lower slope.     

Mud volcanoes of Italy

The locations and information about the sizes of 61 mud volcanoes on the Italian mainland and Sicily, plus an area of mud diapirism in the Italian Adriatic Sea, are presented. Data about the emission products are also provided. The majority of these mud volcanoes are found where thick sedimentary sequences occur within a zone of tectonic compression associated with local plate tectonic activity: the movement of the Adriatic microplate between the converging African and Eurasian plates. The principal gas emitted by these mud volcanoes is methane, which probably originates from deep within the sediments. Other mud volcanoes, associated with igneous volcanism, produce mainly carbon dioxide. The mud diapirs in the Adriatic Sea are thought to form as a result of the mobilization of shallow gassy sediments. It has been shown that radon emissions from mud volcanoes are indicators of forthcoming earthquake events. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Composition and origin of stromatactis‐bearing mud‐mounds (Upper Devonian,Frasnian), southern Rocky Mountains,western Canada

Stromatactis‐bearing mud‐mounds remain an enigmatic reef type despite being common in Palaeozoic ramp settings. Two well preserved Upper Devonian (Frasnian) mud‐mounds in the Mount Hawk Formation crop out side by side in the southern Rocky Mountains of west‐central Alberta and provide an opportunity to develop a new case study that can be compared with the other coeval examples, such as those well‐known ones in southern Belgium, as well as evaluate competing hypotheses for mud‐mound formation. The southern mud‐mound is 46·2 m thick and 38·6 m wide at the base, whilst the northern one is 53·3 m thick and 72·2 m wide at the base, and they exhibit three or four growth stages indicated by interfingering and onlapping geometries with flanking strata. The biota is diverse, but fossils only occupy 10·7% by volume, among which sponge spicules, echinoderms, ostracods, brachiopods and calcimicrobes belonging to Girvanella and Rothpletzella are the most common. Five microfacies are discriminated in the mud‐mounds: biomicrite, clotted micrite, spiculite, stromatolite and laminite, with clotted micrite comprising the largest proportion. There is no internal vertical or lateral palaeoecological zonation, and the presence of calcimicrobes and calcareous algae throughout indicates accretion entirely within the photic zone, in a deeper ramp setting seaward of a large carbonate platform to the east. Stromatactis is abundant and the cavities were mostly due to excavation by currents rather than physical collapse of spiculate siliceous sponges. Formation of lime mud involved a combination of multiple organisms, mechanisms and processes. Cyanobacteria were integral to mud‐mound frame‐building and accretion because they stabilized the surface, often permineralized to form Girvanella and provided organic matter that was decomposed by bacteria. This induced precipitation of micrite, forming early indurated rigid masses, evidenced by the presence of intraclasts, stromatactis cavities, isopachous marine cements, absence of bioturbation and rare synsedimentary brittle deformation. The same microbial components, invertebrate biota and clotted micrite occur in underlying strata, suggesting that there was a protracted period of potential mud‐mound initiation before the exact conditions arose to trigger it. The ramp setting, antecedent sea floor topography and relative sea‐level likely contributed together to control this. This study indicates that mud‐mound formation was controlled by a combination of processes, but they are essentially a microbial buildup.     

2008年汶川地震(Ms8.0)非对称同震破碎带的确定:来自WFSD-1随钻流体的证据

地震过程中相当可观的一部分能量消耗于裂隙的活化与形成,来自汶川地震断裂带科学钻探一号孔(WFSD-1)的随钻流体表明,地震新形成的裂隙对应有较强的流体异常,它们为流体的入侵提供了良好的通道。随钻流体呈非对称性分布于主滑移面的两侧,主要的流体异常带集中在主滑移带下方须家河组顶部120 m范围内,该带中气体的含量以及变动的频率明显高于上部相同的宽度范围以及下部沉积岩层,来自地球物理测井的资料同样显示这一带破碎严重并伴随有大量水的侵入,暗示汶川地震形成的裂隙具有非对称性分布的特征。这一特征可能同时受控于断裂上盘彭灌杂岩与下盘须家河组岩层的力学性质差异以及地震破裂过程中形成的非对称性应力分布。     

Physical criteria for distinguishing sandy tsunami and storm deposits using modern examples

Modern subaerial sand beds deposited by major tsunamis and hurricanes were compared at trench, transect, and sub-regional spatial scales to evaluate which attributes are most useful for distinguishing the two types of deposits. Physical criteria that may be diagnostic include: sediment composition, textures and grading, types and organization of stratification, thickness, geometry, and landscape conformity.

Published reports of Pacific Ocean tsunami impacts and our field observations suggest that sandy tsunami deposits are generally < 25 cm thick, extend hundreds of meters inland from the beach, and fill microtopography but generally conform to the antecedent landscape. They commonly are a single homogeneous bed that is normally graded overall, or that consists of only a few thin layers. Mud intraclasts and mud laminae within the deposit are strong evidence of tsunami deposition. Twig orientation or other indicators of return flow during bed aggradation are also diagnostic of tsunami deposits. Sandy storm deposits tend to be > 30 cm thick, generally extend < 300 m from the beach, and will not advance beyond the antecedent macrotopography they are able to fill. They typically are composed of numerous subhorizontal planar laminae organized into multiple laminasets that are normally or inversely graded, they do not contain internal mud laminae and rarely contain mud intraclasts. Application of these distinguishing characteristics depends on their preservation potential and any deposit modifications that accompany burial.

The distinctions between tsunami and storm deposits are related to differences in the hydrodynamics and sediment-sorting processes during transport. Tsunami deposition results from a few high-velocity, long-period waves that entrain sediment from the shoreface, beach, and landward erosion zone. Tsunamis can have flow depths greater than 10 m, transport sediment primarily in suspension, and distribute the load over a broad region where sediment falls out of suspension when flow decelerates. In contrast, storm inundation generally is gradual and prolonged, consisting of many waves that erode beaches and dunes with no significant overland return flow until after the main flooding. Storm flow depths are commonly < 3 m, sediment is transported primarily as bed load by traction, and the load is deposited within a zone relatively close to the beach.     

Iron speciation of sliding mud in Toyama Prefecture, Japan

It has been often observed that black mud recently formed and accumulated in slip planes that are closely associated with a progressing landslide in Japan. Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that the composition of Fe species in the sliding mud is different from those in the debris rock and bedrock. The sliding mud contains more ferrous iron species, which indicates a relatively stronger reducing condition within the sliding zone than within the host rocks. In addition, the composition of Fe species, the total Fe and the volume of sliding mud also change with landslide development. Therefore, detailed Fe speciation in landslide profiles can be a useful approach to understanding the progress of a landslide and may also predict future sliding as well.