异重流沉积研究进展与展望

【意义】异重流（hyperpycnal flow）是一种源自洪水期河口、受重力驱动而沿沉积盆地底部流动、以准稳态存在的高密度沉积物重力流。异重流沉积研究对于地质科学进步、地质灾害防治和油气勘探开发等具有重要的理论和现实意义，已成为地球科学与工程领域的研究热点之一。【进展与结论】通过对国内外相关研究进展的综合分析，结合国内湖相异重流沉积典型实例研究，认为：（1）异重流的形成需要两种流体之间有足够的密度差、蓄水水体有足够的深度和突发的洪水事件3个基本条件，就输入流体密度条件而言，海相（或咸水）环境要远大于陆相（或淡水）环境；（2）异重流的形成主要受控于构造、气候、地形、物源供给等因素的综合作用，活跃的构造、湿润的气候、陡峭的地形和充足的碎屑物质供给有利于异重流的发生；（3）在不同沉积位置和沉积背景条件下，异重岩（hyperpycnite）的沉积特征不尽相同，故难以用单一的标志来判识不同条件下沉积的异重岩；（4）在靠近（分流）河口近端（扇根），异重流沟道可与水下分流河道相连，以主水道的侵蚀、填充作用为主，形成下切的主水道砂砾岩体，以侵蚀面+滞留沉积+正粒序砂岩为主要鉴别特征，可含动物及植物茎...     

异重流沉积过程和沉积特征研究

异重流是一种与河口相连、密度大于周围水体(湖泊或海洋)沿水底流动的流体,通常在干热气候、少植被的地区洪水期产生,也是一种持续型浊流。综合资料表明,异重流在流动过程中流量振荡频繁,但整体表现为先增强、后衰减的特点。由异重流形成的沉积岩被称为异重岩,其识别标志包括其垂向上为复合韵律,交错层理和块状层理砂砾岩的交替出现,层面富含有机质和陆源植物碎屑以及内部冲刷面发育等。异重流沉积垂向叠加厚度达数十米,平面主要表现为以具有水道、舌状体和堤岸沉积单元的点物源富砂型或富泥型海(湖)底扇为特征。由于异重岩具备形成优质储层的良好条件,因而具有重要的油气地质意义,可以作为有利的勘探目标。     

异重流沉积研究进展

在相关文献调研基础上,综述了异重流沉积研究现状,并结合中生代湖相异重岩研究实例,建立了“沟道-舌状体-朵状体”异重流沉积模式。异重流(hyperpycnal flow)是一种由洪水期河口直接注入、因密度大于汇水盆地水体密度而沿水体底部分层流动的持续型浊流。它呈牛顿流变性质、紊乱流动状态、湍流支撑机制,具有更高的发生频率和稳定的沉积物供给。异重流主要受地形、气候、密度差等因素控制,海洋和湖泊均有发生;水体密度小、近物源、地形高差大、中-小河流发育、构造活动强烈的陆相淡水湖泊更利于异重流的产生,但陆相湖盆异重流沉积并未引起足够的重视。异重流自近端向远端总体呈稀释趋势,依次对应于特定的沉积构造及序列;由异重流形成的沉积岩被称作异重岩(hyperpycnite),以发育由洪水增强-减弱所产生的逆粒序-正粒序组合、层内微侵蚀面、富含陆源有机质区别于其他浊积岩。深入研究异重流沉积,不仅有益于完善重力流沉积理论、分析沉积环境,而且有利于指导深水非常规油气勘探,具有重要的科学价值和现实意义。     

鄂尔多斯晚三叠世湖盆异重流沉积新发现

水下重力流沉积作为重要的油气储层,已成为当前学术研究和油气工业共同关注的焦点.在鄂尔多斯盆地南部延长组长7~长6油层组深湖相沉积中,发现一种不同于砂质碎屑流沉积和滑塌浊积岩的重力流成因砂岩.其沉积特征为一系列向上变粗的单元(逆粒序层)和向上变细的单元(正粒序层)成对出现;每一个粒序层组合内部的泥质含量变化(高-低-高)与粒度变化一致;上部正粒序层与下部逆粒序层之间可见层内微侵蚀界面;砂岩与灰黑色纯泥岩、深灰色粉砂质泥岩互层;粉砂质泥岩层内也表现出类似的粒度变化特征.通过岩芯观察和薄片鉴定,认为该岩石组合形成于晚三叠世深湖背景下的异重流(hyperpycnal flow)沉积.其沉积产物--hyperpycnite(异重岩?)以发育逆粒序和层内微侵蚀面而区别于其它浊积岩,逆粒序代表洪水增强期的产物,上部的正粒序层为洪水衰退期的沉积,逆粒序-正粒序的成对出现代表一次洪水异重流事件沉积旋回;层内微侵蚀面是洪峰期流速足以对同期先沉淀的逆粒序沉积层侵蚀造成的.鄂尔多斯盆地延长组异重岩的发现,不仅为探索陆相湖盆环境下的异重流沉积提供了一个范例,而且对于深水砂体成因研究、储层预测和油气勘探具有理论和现实意义.     

异重流沉积动力学过程及沉积特征

异重流(hyperpycnal flows)是指在汇水盆地水深足够条件下,由于携带大量沉积物颗粒,导致流体密度大于稳定环境水体的密度,流体受浮力影响小,沿盆地底部流动的高密度流体,在海水环境中形成异重流的临界沉积物密度为36~43 kg/m~3(体积浓度1.3%~1.7%)。异重流主要受洪水触发形成;从河口到汇水盆地经过回流区、深度有限流区、潜入区的演化,最终形成异重流;主要经历"早期沉积—侵蚀过路—晚期沉积"的沉降过程,在沉积近端以侵蚀充填沉积为主,远端以持续沉积为主;异重流的形成及其沉积主要受地形、气候、物源的控制,地形高差大、半干旱气候条件、丰富的细粒悬浮沉积物供给有利于异重流形成。异重流沉积特征及沉积序列受"源—汇"系统的控制,以流水成因交错层理、层内突变接触面或侵蚀接触面、碳质碎屑和植物碎片为区别于其他深水重力流沉积的典型沉积构造;沉积序列由沉积近端到沉积远端可能依次发育厚层序列、逆正粒序序列、薄层细粒序列。异重流研究具有十分重要的意义,能够丰富和完善深水重力流理论、探究古气候变化和古洪水作用规律、合理解释深水重力流沉积和砂体分布特征、指导深水常规和非常规油气的勘探。     

冲绳海槽西南端1.3ka以来异重流沉积记录及其古气候响应

以冲绳海槽西南端的HOBAB4?S1岩芯为研究对象,综合利用粒度、沉积构造、AMS14C测年等资料,对研究区异重流沉积特征进行研究,对异重流发育的时间段与晚全新世气候事件进行对应。结果表明,岩芯中发育17段异重流沉积,其沉积物组分以砂质粉砂为主,粒度频率分布曲线多呈以70~130 μm为中心的单峰,C?M图上样品点集中分布区间大致平行于C=M基线,且位于PQ段以下,表明沉积物搬运方式为重力流悬浮搬运。异重流内部发育平行层理、爬升沙纹层理和粒序层理等沉积构造。异重流沉积类型主要有两类,一类是厚层异重流沉积,底部侵蚀面发育,内部发育多组逆—正粒序组合,指示了水动力较强,侵蚀作用和沉积作用均较明显的异重流近端沉积;另一类是薄层异重流沉积,底部侵蚀面不发育,内部不发育或仅发育一组逆—正粒序组合,指示了水动力较弱的异重流边部沉积。HOBAB4?S1岩芯的异重流层段集中发育在800~1 300 A.D.之间,指示了当时气候条件为高温高湿,台风、洪水频发,降雨量较大,验证了“中世纪暖期”在东亚地区的存在。     

鄂尔多斯盆地南部三叠系延长组湖相重力流沉积细粒岩及其油气地质意义

随着页岩油气勘探开发和相关领域研究的不断深入,细粒沉积物的搬运和沉积已成为当前沉积学研究的热点问题之一,但中国中生代湖泊环境中的泥质重力流沉积尚未引起应有的关注。通过岩心观察、薄片鉴定等手段及综合研究,分析了鄂尔多斯盆地晚三叠世湖相泥质重力流沉积特征,探讨了其形成机制与成因分类。鄂尔多斯盆地三叠系延长组湖相泥页岩结构类型多样,发育泥质块体流沉积、泥质碎屑流沉积、泥质浊流沉积和泥质异重流沉积等多种重力流沉积类型。按照泥质含量将重力流划分为砂质重力流、泥质重力流和混合重力流3种亚类,并根据成因将重力流划分为滑塌体、碎屑流、浊流及异重流等4种亚类;结合成因和泥质含量,将重力流沉积共划分为12种类型。滑塌岩、碎屑岩分布于三角洲前缘斜坡脚附近;浊积岩、异重岩广泛分布于三角洲斜坡至沉积中心。认为泥质沉积物可以在强水动力条件下搬运-沉积;重力流沉积细粒物质在湖相沉积中占据很大的比例;泥质重力流对泥页岩中的碎屑物质、黏土矿物及有机质的搬运和沉积起到重要作用,因而对于页岩油气的生烃、储集性能和压裂工艺研究具有重要意义。     

鄂尔多斯盆地南部三叠系延长组湖相重力流沉积细粒岩及其油气地质意义

随着页岩油气勘探开发和相关领域研究的不断深入,细粒沉积物的搬运和沉积已成为当前沉积学研究的热点问题之一,但中国中生代湖泊环境中的泥质重力流沉积尚未引起应有的关注。通过岩心观察、薄片鉴定等手段及综合研究,分析了鄂尔多斯盆地晚三叠世湖相泥质重力流沉积特征,探讨了其形成机制与成因分类。鄂尔多斯盆地三叠系延长组湖相泥页岩结构类型多样,发育泥质块体流沉积、泥质碎屑流沉积、泥质浊流沉积和泥质异重流沉积等多种重力流沉积类型。按照泥质含量将重力流划分为砂质重力流、泥质重力流和混合重力流3种亚类,并根据成因将重力流划分为滑塌体、碎屑流、浊流及异重流等4种亚类;结合成因和泥质含量,将重力流沉积共划分为12种类型。滑塌岩、碎屑岩分布于三角洲前缘斜坡脚附近;浊积岩、异重岩广泛分布于三角洲斜坡至沉积中心。认为泥质沉积物可以在强水动力条件下搬运—沉积;重力流沉积细粒物质在湖相沉积中占据很大的比例;泥质重力流对泥页岩中的碎屑物质、黏土矿物及有机质的搬运和沉积起到重要作用,因而对于页岩油气的生烃、储集性能和压裂工艺研究具有重要意义。     

泥质重力流沉积研究进展及其页岩油气地质意义--以东营凹陷古近系沙河街组三段为例

页岩油气的勘探开发推动了泥页岩沉积机理研究的快速发展,使得细粒物质的搬运和沉积成为当今沉积学界和油气工业界共同关注的焦点。尽管海洋环境下的泥质重力流沉积研究成果频见报道,但有关我国新生代湖泊环境中的泥质重力流沉积尚未引起沉积学界的关注。故本文在国内外相关文献调研基础上,以岩芯观察和薄片鉴定为重点,分析了渤海湾盆地东营凹陷古近系沙河街组三段湖相泥质重力流沉积特征;探讨了湖相泥质重力流沉积的形成机制;以期为湖泊沉积学研究和陆相页岩油气开发提供参考。研究发现,东营凹陷古近系沙河街组三段发育泥质块体流、泥质碎屑流、泥质浊流及泥质异重流等多种重力流沉积类型;泥质滑塌岩、泥质碎屑岩、泥质浊积岩和泥质异重岩在时空上可以共生共存。认为泥质沉积物可以在动荡水体和较强水动力条件下沉淀;泥质重力流沉积在深水沉积区占有重要地位;泥质重力流对于泥页岩中的粗粒碎屑物质、有机质的搬运和沉积以及有机质的埋藏起到重要作用,因而具有重要的非常规油气地质意义。     

水库浑水异重流潜入点判别条件

泥沙淤积是影响多沙河流水库寿命的一大难题,而异重流排沙是减少库区淤积的重要措施之一。异重流的潜入现象是异重流开始形成的直观标志,研究异重流潜入条件的判别方法有助于掌握异重流在库区内的演进规律。总结了水库异重流潜入条件的定性描述及定量计算方法,指出已有的潜入点判别公式的优缺点及适用范围,改进了描述异重流运动的动量方程,同时分析了异重流流速与含沙量沿垂线不均匀分布对动量传递的影响;在此基础上提出新的异重流潜入条件判别式,并用多组室内及野外实测资料对该判别条件进行率定与验证。分析结果表明,新的计算公式可用于判别小浪底库区异重流的潜入条件。     

Nile floods recorded in deep Mediterranean sediments

Clastic mud beds rich in continental organic matter are observed recurrently in the Nile deep-sea turbidite system. They formed during flooding periods of the river similar to those that induce sapropel formation and occurred during periods of increased density stratification of the eastern Mediterranean. The very fine-grained flood deposits are intercalated within pelagic sediments, sapropels and Bouma-type turbidites. These flood deposits form by the successive reconcentrations of surface (hypopycnal) plumes by convective sedimentation, which in turn generate a fine-grained low-energy hyperpycnal flow. Sea-level high stands seem also to favor hypopycnal plume formation and increase clastic mud bed formation. Consequently, these muddy clastic beds provide a direct link between deep-marine sedimentary records and continental climatic change through flood frequency and magnitude.     

New insight into the evolution of large-volume turbidity currents: comparison of turbidite shape and previous modelling results

The Marnoso Arenacea Formation provides the most extensive correlation of individual flow deposits (beds) yet documented in an ancient turbidite system. These correlations provide unusually detailed constraints on bed shape, which is used to deduce flow evolution and assess the validity of numerical and laboratory models. Bed volumes have an approximately log‐normal frequency distribution; a small number of flows dominated sediment supply to this non‐channelized basin plain. Turbidite sandstone within small‐volume (<0·7 km³) beds thins downflow in an approximately exponential fashion. This shape is a property of spatially depletive flows, and has been reproduced by previous mathematical models and laboratory experiments. Sandstone intervals in larger‐volume (0·7–7 km³) beds have a broad thickness maximum in their proximal part. Grain‐size trends within this broad thickness maximum indicate spatially near‐uniform flow for distances of ∼30 km, although the flow was temporally unsteady. Previous mathematical models and laboratory experiments have not reproduced this type of deposit shape. This may be because models fail to simulate the way in which near bed sediment concentration tends towards a constant value (saturates) in powerful flows. Alternatively, the discrepancy may be the result of relatively high ratios of flow thickness and sediment settling velocity in submarine flows, together with very gradual changes in sea‐floor gradient. Intra‐bed erosion, temporally varying discharge, and reworking of suspension fallout as bedload could also help to explain the discrepancy in deposit shape. Most large‐volume beds contain an internal erosion surface underlain by inversely graded sandstone, recording waxing and waning flow. It has been inferred previously that these characteristics are diagnostic of turbidites generated by hyperpycnal flood discharge. These turbidites are too voluminous to have been formed by hyperpycnal flows, unless such flows are capable of eroding cubic kilometres of sea‐floor sediment. It is more likely that these flows originated from submarine slope failure. Two beds comprise multiple sandstone intervals separated only by turbidite mudstone. These features suggest that the submarine slope failures occurred as either a waxing and waning event, or in a number of stages.     

Status and Trends in Research on Deep-Water Gravity Flow Deposits

Deep-water gravity flows are one of the most important sediment transport mechanisms on Earth. After 60 years of study,significant achievements have been made in terms of classification schemes,genetic mechanisms,and depositional models of deep-water gravity flows. The research history of deep-water gravity flows can be divided into five stages: incipience of turbidity current theory; formation of turbidity current theory; development of deep-water gravity flow theory; improvement and perfection of deep-water gravity flow theory; and comprehensive development of deep-water gravity flow theory. Currently,three primary classification schemes based on the sediment support mechanism,the rheology and transportation process,and the integration of sediment support mechanisms,rheology,sedimentary characteristics,and flow state are commonly used.Different types of deep-water gravity flow events form different types of gravity flow deposits. Sediment slump retransportation mainly forms muddy debris flows,sandy debris flows,and surge-like turbidity currents. Resuspension of deposits by storms leads to quasi-steady hyperpycnal turbidity currents(hyperpycnal flows). Sustainable sediment supplies mainly generate muddy debris flows,sandy debris flows,and hyperpycnal flows. Deep-water fans,which are commonly controlled by debris flows and hyperpycnal flows,are triggered by sustainable sediment supply; in contrast,deep-water slope sedimentary deposits consist mainly of debris flows that are triggered by the retransportation of sediment slumps and deep-water fine-grained sedimentary deposits are derived primarily from finegrained hyperpycnal flows that are triggered by the resuspension of storm deposits. Harmonization of classification schemes,transformation between different types of gravity flow deposit,and monitoring and reproduction of the sedimentary processes of deep-water gravity flows as well as a source-to-sink approach to document the evolution and deposition of deep-water gravity flows are the most important research aspects for future studies of deep-water gravity flows study in the future.     

Intra-clinothem variability in sedimentary texture and process regime recorded down slope profiles

Shelf-margin clinothem successions can archive process interactions at the shelf to slope transition, and their architecture provides constraints on the interplay of factors that control basin-margin evolution. However, detailed textural analysis and facies distributions from shelf to slope transitions remain poorly documented. This study uses quantitative grain-size and sorting data from coeval shelf and slope deposits of a single clinothem that crops out along a 5 km long, dip-parallel transect of the Eocene Sobrarbe Deltaic Complex (Ainsa Basin, south-central Pyrenees, Spain). Systematic sampling of sandstone beds tied to measured sections has captured vertical and basinward changes in sedimentary texture and facies distributions at an intra-clinothem scale. Two types of hyperpycnal flow-related slope deposits, both rich in mica and terrestrial organic matter, are differentiated according to grain size, sorting and bed geometry: (i) sustained hyperpycnal flow deposits, which are physically linked to coarse channelized sediments in the shelf setting and which deposit sand down the complete slope profile; (ii) episodic hyperpycnal flow deposits, which are disconnected from, and incise into, shelf sands and which are associated with sediment bypass of the proximal slope and coarse-grained sand deposition on the medial and distal slope. Both types of hyperpycnites are interbedded with relatively homogenous, organic-free and mica-free, well-sorted, very fine-grained sandstones, which are interpreted to be remobilized from wave-dominated shelf environments; these wave-dominated deposits are found only on the proximal and medial slope. Coarse-grained sediment bypass into the deeper-water slope settings is therefore dominated by episodic hyperpycnal flows, whilst sustained hyperpycnal flows and turbidity currents remobilizing wave-dominated shelf deposits are responsible for the full range of grain sizes in the proximal and medial slope, thus facilitating clinoform progradation. This novel dataset highlights previously undocumented intra-clinothem variability related to updip changes in the shelf process-regime, which is therefore a key factor controlling downdip architecture and resulting sedimentary texture.     

阵发性洪水条件下辫状河型冲积扇构型研究:以准噶尔盆地西北缘现代白杨河冲积扇为例*

白杨河冲积扇是由阵发性洪水期的碎屑流沉积物与间洪期辫状河沉积物组成的复合型冲积扇,其构型与碎屑流扇的构型和河流型扇的构型有很大的不同。本研究选取准噶尔盆地西北缘干旱气候下发育的现代白杨河冲积扇作为解剖实例,对103个天然剖面和9个人工大型探槽进行了详细测量,在沉积微相及不同级别的沉积构型的观测和分析的基础上,分析了阵发性洪水条件下间歇性辫状河型冲积扇体的地貌单元的演化过程和沉积构型特征,研究不同流态的阵发性洪水条件下各种建造和改造机制,明确受阵发性洪水控制的间歇性辫状河型冲积扇的沉积特征,建立了其沉积构型模式。认为: 在洪水期,阵发性洪流(碎屑流)形成席状化的片流(或片洪)沉积,在洪退期,随着洪水强度的减弱,又转变为辫流沉积,而在间洪期,仍有持续的辫状流体(牵引流)在限制性的水道中流动,并对洪水期的碎屑流沉积物进行改造,形成了限制性的(条带状的)辫状河道沉积,2个时期的沉积物在时空上频繁叠置,形成了一种更加复杂的沉积构型。该模式对油田地下冲积扇砂砾储集层的成因识别、预测及对比具有一定的参考价值。     

非典型周期和气候突变的识别与判定

通过两种新方法分析了无锡站降水年际变化的突变性、周期性等特征,揭示了旱涝演化的自然规律。研究表明,1934、1978、2013年是我国近现代气候突变的临界点,这是旱涝演化的自然选择;无锡站年际降水的观测历史可分成四个特征不同的时段,每个时段节点对应的都是一次气候突变;气候突变会改变年际降水序列的一致性,分段法研究可以大幅度降低模拟难度、提高预测效率。发现并确认了3个气候突变点,实现了超长缺测中断期(13a)旱涝趋势的精确插补,完成了无锡站近百年降雨序列的周期性分析与旱涝趋势预测模拟,研究成果改变了近现代气候历史无法细分的现状。     

Identification and micro‐stratigraphy of hyperpycnites and turbidites in Cretaceous Lewis Shale,Wyoming

Sandy hyperpycnal flows and their deposits, hyperpycnites, have been documented in modern environments and, more recently, in Cretaceous and Tertiary strata; they may be more common in the rock record, and within petroleum reservoirs, than has been previously thought. Muddy hyperpycnites also occur within the rock record, but these are more difficult to document because of their finer‐grained nature and lack of common sedimentary structures. This paper documents the presence of submarine slope mudstone and siltstone hyperpycnites (and muddy turbidites) in the delta‐fed, Upper Cretaceous Lewis Shale of Wyoming; based on field measurements, analyses of rock slabs and thin sections, and laser grain‐size distributions. Four lithofacies comprise laminated and thin‐bedded mudstones that are associated with levéed channel sandstones: (L1) grey, laminated, graded mudstone with thin siltstone and sandstone interbeds; (L2) dark grey to tan, laminated mudstone with very thin siltstone and sandstone stringers; (L3) light grey, laminated siltstones; and (L4) laminated mudstones and siltstones with thin sandstone interbeds. Two styles of mudstone grain‐size grading have been documented. The first type is an upward‐fining interval that typically ranges in thickness from 2·5 to 5 cm. The second type is a couplet of a lower, upward‐coarsening interval and an upper, upward‐fining interval (sometimes separated by a micro‐erosion surface) which, combined, are about 3·8 cm thick. Both individual laminae and groups of laminae spaced millimetres apart exhibit these two grain‐size trends. Although sedimentary structures indicative of traction‐plus‐fallout sedimentary processes associated with sandier hyperpycnites are generally absent in these muddy sediments, the size grading patterns are similar to those postulated in the literature for sandy hyperpycnites. Thus, the combined upward‐coarsening, then upward‐fining couplets are interpreted to be the result of a progressive increase in river discharge during waxing and peak flood stage (upward increase in grain‐size), followed by waning flow after the flood begins to abate (upward decrease in grain‐size). The micro‐erosion surface that sometimes divides the two parts of the size‐graded couplet resulted from waxing flows of sufficiently high velocity to erode the sediment previously deposited by the same flow. Individual laminae sets which only exhibit upward‐fining trends could be either the result of waning flow deposition from either dilute turbidity currents or from hyperpycnal flows. The occurrence of these sets with the size‐graded couplets suggests that they are associated with hyperpycnal processes.