杭州湾北岸水下岸坡微地貌特征及其海床侵蚀指示意义

旁侧声纳图像和多波束水下地形测量清晰地揭示了杭州湾北岸水下岸坡4种微地貌形态,分别为冲沟、凹坑、沙波、光滑海底。金山深槽内海底扰动、切割十分强烈,微地貌以冲沟、凹坑为主,局部成沙波片发育。深槽外缘的水下平地微地貌特征主要表现为光滑海底和冲沟交替出现,局部也有沙波分布。旁侧声纳图像和底质综合分析表明杭州湾北岸水下地貌面貌是水动力和泥沙来源共同作用的结果：一方面,冲沟、凹坑和沙波代表的水流方向与涨潮流方向一致,指示了强劲的潮流对海床的侵蚀和改造;另一方面,由于底流水动力较强、底质沉积物粒径较细,冲沟得以普遍发育,而沙波仅在局部的砂质海床中出现。水下岸坡微地貌分布显示了海床侵蚀与地貌格局和水深条件密切相关,表现为主槽内冲刷和改造后再沉积作用较强,主槽外缘的水下平地冲刷作用明显变弱,出现弱能条件下的光滑海底;水下平地中,浅水区冲沟较为发育,深水区则以光滑海底为主。总体而言,杭州湾北岸水下岸坡侵蚀性微地貌广泛分布,海床处于侵蚀状态。     

水下沉积物重力流与海底扇相模式研究进展

水下沉积物重力流将大量沉积物搬运至海底,形成了地球上最大的沉积体系——海底扇。综合前人研究成果,梳理水下沉积物重力流的基本概念、分类和识别标志,介绍了现代观测的重要结果和海底扇相模式的研究进展。浊流和碎屑流是重力流最主要的两类流体,浊流为逐层沉积,发育正粒序;碎屑流为整体沉积,垂向无序。由浊流转换为碎屑流的重力流称混合流,陆上洪水入海(湖)形成的浊流称异重流。现代观测的结果表明:浊流底部存在高密度层,横向结构并不都是涌浪型,浊流的持续时间可以长达1周。海底扇通常采用组构分析和层级分类进行研究,由水道、天然堤、朵体、远洋—半远洋沉积和块体搬运沉积组成。水道侧向延伸窄,发育侵蚀结构;天然堤由薄层泥—粉砂质浊积岩组成,横向呈楔形变薄;朵体侧向延伸宽,颗粒粒度集中,侵蚀结构较少。水道的层级从低到高依次为水道单元、水道复合体和水道复合体群。朵体的层级从低到高依次为层、朵体元素、朵体和朵体复合体。     

酒西盆地下白垩统下沟组重力流水下扇沉积

重力流水下扇由四种岩相组成:1.砾岩相,属水下碎屑流沉积;2.砾质泥岩相,是多成因的;3.砂岩相,系高密度浊流沉积;4.粉砂岩泥岩相,为低密度浊流和正常湖泊沉积。细分为十五种亚相。岩相的空间配置关系表明水下扇是由突变性洪水事件(和水下滑坡)-水下碎屑流-高密度浊流-低密度浊流的重力流系列形成。本文对重力流沉积从层序结构、沉积体形态、岩相变化和构造控制诸方面进行了探讨。     

海底冲沟——深水沉积输运系统的"毛细血管"

海底冲沟作为比海底峡谷、水道地貌尺度小1个数量级的微地貌,与海底峡谷、水道共同构成了完整的深水沉积输运系统。由于调查数据分辨率的限制,在前人研究中,海底冲沟的重要作用一直被忽视。海底冲沟是深水沉积输运系统的“毛细血管”,数量巨大,主要分布在大陆坡、岛礁边缘、河口冲积扇前缘、海底峡谷和水道内部,与深水工程安全、岛礁安全、深水沉积体系和深水油气储层预测息息相关。从识别特征、沉积环境、影响因素和形成机理等方面,系统介绍了海底冲沟的研究进展;从分布区域、坡度、形态和沉积特征等方面,探讨了海底冲沟与海底峡谷和水道之间的区别与联系,并给出了区分三者的方法。通过归纳不同沉积环境的海底冲沟特征,将其定义为：在坡度大于2°的地形中,重力流成因、直线型的微地貌尺度沟槽,具有宽度小、深度浅、长度短和形态笔直（弯曲度接近于1）的特点,其中,片状浊流成因的海底冲沟还具有相互平行和等间距分布的集群特征。     

马尼拉海沟1.4 ka B.P.以来浊流事件沉积及其成因机制*

浊流是远距离沉积物运输的一种重要方式,海底浊流广泛存在于海底峡谷或海沟。马尼拉海沟位于南海东北部,是一条正在活动的板块汇聚边界。独特的地理位置(亚热带—热带)和气候条件(台风频发),使得马尼拉海沟浊流频发,然而,现今对马尼拉海沟的浊流研究甚少。本研究通过对马尼拉海沟北部水深3747 m处重力柱岩心(GEO6)进行高精度的粒度及沉积学特征分析,探讨马尼拉海沟浊流沉积规律。GEO6岩心底部细颗粒沉积物中浮游有孔虫的¹⁴C的AMS年龄为1405 a B.P.。高精度的粒度分析(0.25 cm)和沉积学特征显示: GEO6岩心记录有至少11次浊流沉积(T1-T11),且这些浊流都有明显的底部粒度最粗(砂质粉砂或砂)、向上粒度逐渐变细的正粒序特征,只有T8沉积体为反粒序特征,可能为异重流沉积。结合区域地质资料,本研究认为1.4 ka B.P.以来,研究区频繁的台风带来了大量陆源松散沉积物堆积在马尼拉海沟上游(高屏峡谷),不稳定的构造环境及地震频发导致这些松散沉积物垮塌并向下游马尼拉海沟输送,在海沟内形成频繁发育的浊流沉积体。     

马尼拉海沟1.4 ka B.P.以来浊流事件沉积及其成因机制*

浊流是远距离沉积物运输的一种重要方式,海底浊流广泛存在于海底峡谷或海沟。马尼拉海沟位于南海东北部,是一条正在活动的板块汇聚边界。独特的地理位置(亚热带—热带)和气候条件(台风频发),使得马尼拉海沟浊流频发,然而,现今对马尼拉海沟的浊流研究甚少。本研究通过对马尼拉海沟北部水深3747 m处重力柱岩心(GEO6)进行高精度的粒度及沉积学特征分析,探讨马尼拉海沟浊流沉积规律。GEO6岩心底部细颗粒沉积物中浮游有孔虫的¹⁴C的AMS年龄为1405 a B.P.。高精度的粒度分析(0.25 cm)和沉积学特征显示: GEO6岩心记录有至少11次浊流沉积(T1-T11),且这些浊流都有明显的底部粒度最粗(砂质粉砂或砂)、向上粒度逐渐变细的正粒序特征,只有T8沉积体为反粒序特征,可能为异重流沉积。结合区域地质资料,本研究认为1.4 ka B.P.以来,研究区频繁的台风带来了大量陆源松散沉积物堆积在马尼拉海沟上游(高屏峡谷),不稳定的构造环境及地震频发导致这些松散沉积物垮塌并向下游马尼拉海沟输送,在海沟内形成频繁发育的浊流沉积体。     

浊流沉积研究的新进展:鲍马序列、海底扇的重新审视

本文在总结前人对浊流沉积研究的基础上,分析前人对浊流与浊积岩、浊流沉积与浊流相模式的对应关系之间的认识,并对鲍马序列进行重新审视。在海底扇研究过程中,鲍马序列已经不能充分反映浊流沉积的全过程。鲍马序列所反应的沉积模式其实是由碎屑流、浊流、底流等多种形式流体组合和改造后的结果,海底扇沉积模式不能笼统归结为浊流沉积作用的结果。在完善重力流、底流等沉积作用的同时,建立一个与沉积作用相互联系的深海沉积系统,以对深海研究提供更好地指导和预测。     

一个典型的水下分流河道砂体展布与油气富集规律

三角洲一般位于海(湖)陆之间的过渡地带，是海(湖)陆相的重要组成部分。鄂尔多斯盆地三叠系延长组储层，由于其特殊的沉积环境．湖底坡降小．河控占主导地位．水下分流河道极为发育．最典型的是白120井区长33储层，由一个单一的水下分流河道组成。该区沉积规律强，各沉积单元发育，中间为河道沉积区，两侧为高于河道的天然堤，外部为漫溢沉积区，末端有4个朵体，中部发育一个小型决口水道。砂体呈指状展布，左右对称，具有三角洲水下分流河道典型的双凸特点。该区的沉积环境控制了砂体的展布和油气的富集程度。通过对该区块的研究，建立了一个完整的水下分流河道的沉积模式，这对于丰富三角洲沉积相的内容具有一定的意义。     

浅水湖盆河控三角洲前缘砂体分布特征与沉积模式探讨--以松辽盆地北部永乐地区葡萄花油层为例

在我国古代的松辽盆地和现代的鄱阳湖等大型坳陷湖盆内发现的浅水湖盆河控三角洲的骨架砂体类型、垂向沉积层序及相带分异等方面与正常三角洲存在很大的差异, 需要进一步深入研究。利用野外露头、现代沉积和地下岩芯、测井、地震等资料精细解剖及分析表明, 浅水湖盆河控三角洲前缘发育大量、密集、窄的水下分流河道砂体, 砂体连续且水下延伸较远, 直至消失变成薄的水下薄层砂(河口坝或席状砂)。每支水下分流河道构成了由中心向两侧及前方:水下分流河道→薄层砂核部→薄层砂边缘→水下分流间湾的平面微(能量)相序列, 形成三角洲前缘“河控带状体”。浅水湖盆河控三角洲前缘不同的相位空间位置具有不同的沉积模式, 由岸向湖依次发育高低水位间过渡带“近岸沉积”模式、近岸浅水带“河控带状体”模式、中岸中等水深带“水下分流河道末端河控薄层砂”模式和远岸深水带“浪控席状砂”模式。     

浊流相关问题的初认识

浊流为沿水下斜坡或峡谷流动的高密度底流,由浊流沉积形成的岩石组合则为浊积岩.对于浊积岩的识别主要依赖于其构造、结构、生物、成分等特征;随着研究程度的加深,对浊流的理解和认识出现了分歧;争论一:浊流的分类,即碎屑流的归属问题;争论二:沉积模式,由于对相模式的不同理解所引起.综合分析认为,研究中应综合考虑研究区沉积、构造等特征,选取适合本研究区和研究目的的分类方案和沉积模式.     

Coarse-grained sediment gravity flow facies in a large supraglacial lake

Near Williams Lake, in the central interior of British Columbia, the Fraser River exposes long sections of late Pleistocene glaciolacustrine sediments selectively preserved within a bedrock trough. The dominant facies types are thick, normally graded gravels and sands that occupy steeply dipping multistorey channels up to 300 m wide and several tens of metres deep. Channels appear to have been simultaneously cut and filled by high density turbidity currents in a glacial lake floored by stagnant ice. Fining upward sediment gravity flow sequences up to 50 m thick may be the product of quasi-continuous ‘surging’ turbidity flows triggered by catastrophic meltwater discharges into the trough or retrogressive failure of ice-cored sediments. Large-scale post-depositional deformation structures, such as synclinal folds, normal faults, sedimentary dyke swarms and dewatering structures, record gravitational foundering of sediment and pore-water expulsion caused by the melt of underlying glacier ice. Melting of buried ice masses along the floor of the trough appears to have controlled the flow paths of turbidity currents by producing sub-basins within the overlying sediment pile. An idealized model of ‘supraglacial’ lacustrine sedimentation is developed that may be applicable to other glaciated areas with similar bedrock topography.     

Sediment accumulation in lake chicot,Arkansas

Lake Chicot is an oxbow lake located along the western side of the Mississippi River in southeastern Arkansas. A major flood in 1927, levee construction, land use changes from bottomland hardwood to agriculture, a large increase in drainage area, and stream channelization have altered the appearance of contributing watersheds and the lake. The lake often has high suspended sediment concentrations making it undesirable for recreation and aquatic production. As part of a coordinated study to determine changes in the lake, sediment accumulation patterns and rates were determined in Lake Chicot using the¹³⁷Cs technique. Major sediment accumulation is occurring near the major inlet and along the thalweg of the oxbow. Average sediment accumulation of 1.8 cm/yr since 1963 was measured for twelve samples. Calculations show sediment accumulation is decreasing. This study has shown that the¹³⁷Cs technique can provide useful planning information for the environmental geologist or reservoir manager. Results of the current study will be used to develop better sediment and water management strategies for Lake Chicot. Contribution of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, in cooperation with the Vicksburg District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.     

海拉尔盆地乌南次凹南屯组层序格架及沉积体系研究

以层序地层学、坡折带分析理论为指导,通过对岩心、测井、录井、地震以及分析化验等资料的综合研究,建立了海拉尔盆地乌南次凹南屯组层序地层格架。将南屯组划分为 2 个三级层序和 8 个四级层序,并在层序格架内进行沉积体系和沉积相划分研究,确定该区主要发育近岸水下扇、扇三角洲、湖底扇和湖泊沉积等 4 种沉积体系。近岸水下扇主要分布在乌南次凹西部陡坡带,扇三角洲分布在东部缓坡带,湖底扇主要分布在中心的深湖相中,而湖泊沉积主要分布在凹陷的中心及近岸水下扇、扇三角洲的侧翼。从乌南次凹西部断阶带到凹陷中心,沉积相由近岸水下扇逐渐变为深湖--半深湖沉积,乌南次凹东部缓坡带到中心,沉积相由扇三角洲沉积逐渐变为滨浅湖、深湖--半深湖沉积,整体呈南北分异、东西成带的格局。不同时期的沉积特征、沉积相展布表现各异,总体表现出水体由浅变深,再变浅,沉积范围逐渐扩大的特点。     

Man-made turbidity currents in Lake Superior

The discharge of taconite tailings into Lake Superior at Silver Bay, Minnesota, produces turbidity current flow. The silty fine-sand tailings fraction transported to the deepest part of the lake has formed a small fan with valleys similar in gross morphology to a submarine fan. Current meters anchored 5 m above the lake floor over the wall and over the levee of a distributary valley on the fan recorded intermittent turbidity current flows during 30 weeks in 1972–73. At least twenty-five discrete periods of observation of turbidity current flow were obtained; single episodes lasted 4?328+ h. Only flows thick enough to overflow the eastern levee of the valley could be observed, and this accounts for the intermittent nature of our observations, as flow within the valleys is expected to be continuous as long as tailings are discharged. Flow velocities were higher near the valley axis where the flow is thicker. Velocities measured over the valley wall averaged 10.8 cm/s for eleven episodes; velocities measured over the levee, more than 1/2 km from the valley axis, only 3.3 cm/s. The maximum velocity during 1300 h of observation did not exceed 31 cm/s. This agrees reasonably well with velocities calculated from channel properties, as commonly done for turbidity currents on deep-sea fans. Current meters tethered above the bottom meters indicate that lake currents normally parallel the shore throughout the water column. With the onset of a turbidity current, currents higher in the water column remain unchanged but velocities near the bottom go to zero, currents then change azimuth by 90° to parallel the downslope (down-valley) direction of the fan, then increase in velocity. During a turbidity current episode, the direction of bottom flow stays relatively constant (± 20° of the down-valley trend) but the velocity oscillates (commonly with 10 cm/s amplitude), periods being of 1/2 h or less to several hours. Turbidity currents generated on Reserve Mining Company's delta are effective in carrying essentially all tailings discharged into the lake into deeper water, where they are deposited.     

Sediment waves in a modern high-energy glacilacustrine environment

A 4·7 km² field of sediment waves occurs in front of the Slims River delta in Kluane Lake, the largest lake in the Yukon Territory. Slims River heads in the Kaskawulsh Glacier, part of the St Elias Ice Field and discharges up to 400 m³ s^?1 of water with suspended sediment concentrations of up to 7 g l^?1. The 19 km long sandur of Slims River was created in the past 400 years since Kaskawulsh Glacier advanced and dammed the lake and the sandur has advanced into Kluane Lake at an average rate of 48 m a^?1. However, this rate is decreasing as flow is diverted from Slims River because of the retreat of the Kaskawulsh Glacier. The sandur and a road constructed on the delta remove coarse‐grained sediment, so the river delivers dominantly mud to the lake. Inflow during summer generates quasi‐continuous turbidity currents with velocities up to 0·6 m s^?1. The front of the delta consists of a plane surface sloping lakeward at 0·0188 (1·08°). A field of sediment waves averaging 130 m in length and 2·3 m in amplitude has developed on this surface. Slopes on the waves vary from ?0·067 (?3·83°, i.e. sloping in the opposite direction to the regional slope) to 0·135 (7·69°). The internal structure of the sediment waves, as documented by seismic profiling, shows that sedimentation on the stoss portion of the wave averages 2·7 times that on the lee portion. Rates of sediment accumulation in the wave field are about 0·3 m a^?1, so these lacustrine waves have formed in a much shorter period of time (less than 200 years) and are advancing upslope towards the delta much more quickly (1 to 2 m a^?1) than typical marine sediment waves. These waves formed on the flat surface of the lake floor, apparently in the absence of pre‐existing forms, and they are altered and destroyed as the wave field advances and the characteristics of the turbidity currents change.     

Turbidite Megabeds in an Oceanic Rift Valley Recording Jökulhlaups of Late Pleistocene Glacial Lakes of the Western United States

Escanaba Trough is the southernmost segment of the Gorda Ridge and is filled by sandy turbidites locally exceeding 500 m in thickness. New results from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 1037 and 1038 that include accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dates and revised petrographic evaluation of the sediment provenance, combined with high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles, provide a lithostratigraphic framework for the turbidite deposits. Three fining-upward units of sandy turbidites from the upper 365 m at ODP Site 1037 can be correlated with sediment recovered at ODP Site 1038 and Deep Sea Drilling Program (DSDP) Site 35. Six AMS 14C ages in the upper 317 m of the sequence at Site 1037 indicate that average deposition rates exceeded 10 m/k.yr. between 32 and 11 ka, with nearly instantaneous deposition of one approximately 60-m interval of sand. Petrography of the sand beds is consistent with a Columbia River source for the entire sedimentary sequence in Escanaba Trough. High-resolution acoustic stratigraphy shows that the turbidites in the upper 60 m at Site 1037 provide a characteristic sequence of key reflectors that occurs across the floor of the entire Escanaba Trough. Recent mapping of turbidite systems in the northeast Pacific Ocean suggests that the turbidity currents reached the Escanaba Trough along an 1100-km-long pathway from the Columbia River to the west flank of the Gorda Ridge. The age of the upper fining-upward unit of sandy turbidites appears to correspond to the latest Wisconsinan outburst of glacial Lake Missoula. Many of the outbursts, or j?kulhlaups, from the glacial lakes probably continued flowing as hyperpycnally generated turbidity currents on entering the sea at the mouth of the Columbia River.     

Management and sediment dynamics of the St. Lucia Estuary mouth,Zululand, South Africa

St. Lucia Estuary is on the subtropical, predominantly microtidal Zululand coast of South Africa. Lake St. Lucia's surface area fluctuates between 420 and 215 km² and has a mean depth of less than 1 m. The 21-km-long narrows connects Lake St. Lucia with the Indian Ocean. Tidal effects penetrate 14 km up the narrows. The St. Lucia system has changed substantially since the 1930s due to bad farming techniques within its catchment. Large amounts of sediment were deposited in the estuary mouth, resulting in relocation of the Mfolozi River mouth to the south at Mapelane. The St. Lucia catchment was subjected to two devastating floods in the last ten years: Cyclone Domoina during February 1984 and the September 1987 cutoff low flood. After floods scoured out the estuary, marine sand advanced up the estuary at a rate of 1200 m/y as a series of flood-tidal deltas. Over 600,000 m³ of sediment accumulated in the St. Lucia Estuary mouth from February 1988 to November 1989. Of this amount, 466,000 m³ of sediment was removed by dredging, although this has not stopped the shoaling. During high rainfall years, the estuary mouth is able to maintain an open outlet to the sea, but as lake levels drop, shoaling causes the mouth to constrict and eventually close. Without the dredging program the mouth would ultimately close during low rainfall years, causing management problems.     

The prehistory and palaeogeography of the great Indian desert : Bridget Allchin, Andrew Goudie, and Karunakara Hegde. Academic Press, London/New York/San Francisco, 1978, 370 pp., 73 figs., 85 tables, 12 plates. Bibliography, Index, £25/-, U.S. $48.90

Seismic reflection profiles (3.5 kHz) were obtained along more than 3500 km of shiptrack in Lake Superior within the last 2 yr. The acoustic character of profiles is categorized as: (I) a single, strong reflector at the lake floor, (II) a thick, acoustically transparent layer overlying a strong reflector, and (III) relatively thick sediment with internal acoustic reflectors. These profiles, in conjunction with sediment cores from the area, reveal that varved glacial-lacustrine sediment settled out preferentially in a trough between Isle Royale and the north shore, and to a lesser extent in other topographic depressions; bottom currents generated by storm waves prevent clay accumulation on till or bedrock in the open lake wherever the bottom is shallower than 100 m; bottom currents prevent deposition or erode bottom sediment in certain deep-water (> 200 m) valleys; and lacustrine sediment is disturbed by creep or slumping off Grand Portage, Minnesota, and by other processes such as dewatering in many other areas. These factors complicate sedimentation in Lake Superior, and must be considered when investigating any aspect of the lake sediment.     

鄂尔多斯盆地环县地区上三叠统延长组长63砂层组沉积微相特征及新认识

通过岩心的详细观察,结合测井、录井资料综合分析,在环县地区上三叠统延长组长6₃砂层组中,识别出了三角洲前缘、前三角洲和深湖3种亚相,和水下分流河道、支流间湾、河口砂坝、远砂坝、前三角洲泥、砂质碎屑流沉积、浊流沉积、液化流沉积、滑塌沉积和深湖泥10种微相。编绘了一系列沉积微相连井剖面图和长6₃砂层组的沉积微相平面展布图,表明研究区西部、北部及东北部发育三角洲前缘亚相,研究区中部和东南部发育深湖亚相。在深湖亚相中除了深湖泥外,发育大量的砂质碎屑流和浊流等重力流沉积。作者首次提出了源于浅水区的砂级沉积物是通过前三角洲上的一系列水道搬运至深湖区形成重力流沉积的。综合以上研究成果,建立起了该区的沉积模式。论文最后分析了研究区的油气潜力,指出水下分流河道和砂质碎屑流沉积两种微相的储集性能最好。由于本区砂体横向尖灭现象普遍,可形成一些规模较大的岩性圈闭,是岩性油气藏勘探的有利目标区。     

The formation of large mudwaves by turbidity currents on the levees of the Toyama deep-sea channel, Japan Sea

The development of mudwaves on the levees of the modern Toyama deep‐sea channel has been studied using gravity core samples combined with 3·5‐kHz echosounder data and airgun seismic reflection profiles. The mudwaves have developed on the overbank flanks of a clockwise bend of the channel in the Yamato Basin, Japan Sea, and the mudwave field covers an area of 4000 km². Mudwave lengths range from 0·2 to 3·6 km and heights vary from 2 to 44 m, and the pattern of mudwave aggradation indicates an upslope migration direction. Sediment cores show that the mudwaves consist of an alternation of fine‐grained turbidites and hemipelagites whereas contourites are absent. Core samples demonstrate that the sedimentation rate ranged from 10 to 14 cm ka^?1 on the lee sides to 17–40 cm ka^?1 on the stoss sides. A layer‐by‐layer correlation of the deposits across the mudwaves shows that the individual turbidite beds are up to 20 times thicker on the stoss side than on the lee side, whereas hemipelagite thicknesses are uniform. This differential accretion of turbidites is thought to have resulted in the pattern of upcurrent climbing mudwave crests, which supports the notion that the mudwaves have been formed by spillover turbidity currents. The mudwaves are interpreted to have been instigated by pre‐existing large sand dunes that are up to 30 m thick and were created by high‐velocity (10°ms^?1), thick (c. 500 m) turbidity currents spilling over the channel banks at the time of the maximum uplift of the Northern Japan Alps during the latest Pliocene to Early Pleistocene. Draping of the dunes by the subsequent, lower‐velocity (10^?1ms^?1), mud‐laden turbidity currents is thought to have resulted in the formation of the accretionary mudwaves and the pattern of upflow climbing. The dune stoss slopes are argued to have acted as obstacles to the flow, causing localized loss of flow strength and leading to differential draping by the muddy turbidites, with greater accretion occurring on the stoss side than on the lee slope. The two overbank flanks of the clockwise channel bend show some interesting differences in mudwave development. The mudwaves have a mean height of 9·8 m on the outer‐bank levee and 6·2 m on the inner bank. The turbidites accreted on the stoss sides of the mudwaves are 4–6 times thicker on the outer‐bank levee than their counterparts on the inner‐bank levee. These differences are attributed to the greater flow volume (thickness) and sediment flux of the outer‐bank spillover flow due to the more intense stripping of the turbidity currents at the outer bank of the channel bend. Differential development of mudwave fields may therefore be a useful indicator in the reconstruction of deep‐sea channels and their flow hydraulics.