浙江桐庐晚奥陶世晚期沉积层序和沉积环境分析

文昌组上段顶部是一套潮汐层理非常发育的泥质砂岩或砂质泥岩,存在双向交错层理,层面有雨痕,应为潮坪沉积。潮坪沉积由小型层序构成,小型层序又是由砂、泥质单层组成。砂质单层底部通常为岩性突变面或侵蚀面,砂质纹层较厚,其中可见对称波痕或泥砾;向上砂质纹层变薄,过渡到泥质单层。砂质单层形成于暴风浪时期,泥质单层是风浪衰减后恢复正常的潮汐沉积。因此,小型层序从成因上说是一风暴层序。碎屑成份、砾石成份分析表明沉积物均来自华夏古陆的沉积岩和变质岩基底。物源一致,岩层产状变化不大,反映文昌组沉积环境稳定。岩性、粒度分析表明文昌组是一向上变细、由浅海高能环境向近岸低能环境过渡的沉积层序。文昌组下段为浅海砂岩沉积,上段顶部为潮坪沉积。二者之间是一套夹砾岩透镜体的泥质粉细砂岩,其沉积环境应介于浅海和滨岸之间,为水下岸坡沉积。砾岩层只是大的沉积旋回中出现的事件性水下冲积物。     

深水内波、内潮汐沉积类型及其油气意义

深水内波、内潮汐沉积可归纳为水道型和非水道型两种基本沉积类型。水道型沉积常发育双向递变层序和单向递变层序,单砂层较厚,它不仅是油气的良好储层,而且常与深水重力流沉积和深水背景泥岩沉积一起构成有利的地层或岩性圈闭,应当列为深水沉积区油气勘探的重点目标。非水道型深水内波、内潮汐沉积一般发育由砂泥频繁薄互层所构成的对偶层双向递变层序和对偶层单向递变层序,单砂层很薄,油气勘探意义可能不大。广泛分布的大型沉积物波(分为粗、细粒两种)和水道口附近的内潮汐砂坝,是两种比较特殊的内波、内潮汐沉积建造。根据现有研究实例和沉积成因水流理论分布范围等,建立了深水内波、内潮汐综合沉积模式。     

川西北江油马角坝地区黄龙组下部风暴沉积特征

川西北江油马角坝地区上石炭统黄龙组下部发育典型的风暴沉积,包括介壳灰岩、砾屑灰岩、瘤块状灰岩、砂屑灰岩和正常沉积灰岩或泥岩等沉积类型,以及冲刷沟槽、瘤块状构造、粒序层理、水平层理、波状层理和生物扰动等沉积构造。根据野外观察和室内显微分析,结合风暴沉积标志组合,在江油马角坝地区2个剖面的黄龙组下部各识别出4层风暴层,并划分出5套风暴沉积组合。组合Ⅰ以冲刷沟槽、介壳滞留层、粗砾滞留层、块状层理、水平层理、波状层理、泥灰岩层和生物富集层为特征,沉积于正常浪基面以上强风暴作用的开阔台地环境。组合Ⅱ以瘤块状构造、粒序层理和块状层理的生物碎屑灰岩为特征,沉积于正常浪基面之上受重力流影响的局限台地环境。组合Ⅲ以冲刷沟槽、粗砾滞留层、粒序层理、块状层理为特征,沉积于浪基面以上持续风暴流作用的开阔台地边缘浅滩环境。组合Ⅳ由冲刷沟槽、正粒序层理和块状层理的生物碎屑灰岩组成,产出于组合Ⅲ之上,表明该组合在前一期风暴未完全结束时又遭到后一期风暴的侵袭,接受浪基面之上的浅滩沉积。组合Ⅴ由冲刷沟槽、粗砾滞留层和泥岩层组成,沉积于晴天浪基面以上缺少物源的极浅水开阔台地环境。以上5种组合风暴岩都发育于台地中上部,与一般的斜坡风暴岩有明显的差别,均属于近源极浅水风暴岩。风暴岩的研究对地层对比、古气候、岩相古地理、沉积盆地演化和油气勘探具有重要的理论和现实意义。     

松辽东缘石碑岭中生代盆地的含煤沉积旋回

松辽东缘石碑岭中生代含煤盆地含煤沉积形成于盆地演化的中期阶段。沼泽体系中粗碎屑(河流)沉积与含煤细碎屑(沼泽)沉积构成了含煤沉积旋回。火山沉积事件对7、6含煤旋回层的形成及煤的聚积具有控制作用。含煤旋回层的研究对层序地层学的亚层序的划分是重要的。      

豫西晚元古代洛峪群沉积作用及环境演化

洛峪群本身构成一个完整的海侵-海退沉积序列。早期海侵使得洛峪群底部滨岸沉积逐渐被陆棚沉积所超覆,并造成典型的海绿石砂岩凝缩层。随后的海退导致明显的海岸进积,在垂向上形成外陆棚-内陆棚-滨岸/障壁岛-泻湖沉积序列。洛峪群中的硅质碎屑岩沉积主要受风暴控制,形成各种特征的丘状和洼状交错层砂岩以及浅海浊积岩。洛峪群是华北地块南缘中、晚元古代裂谷期的产物,并可能处于裂谷热沉降阶段的后期。     

柴达木盆地西部古近系湖相风暴岩

在野外剖面和岩心观察基础上,介绍了柴达木盆地西部古近系湖相风暴岩沉积特征,建立了湖泊风暴沉积模式,探讨风暴岩发育条件及意义.研究区风暴沉积是由风暴浪作用于浅湖泥坪上,使沉积物搅起、形成泥岩砾屑,并通过风暴流搬运到三角洲或滨浅湖滩坝中,与未固结砂质沉积物一起沉积形成.其典型沉积构造特征丰富,单层风暴沉积发育不完整,常见多次风暴作用形成若干不完整风暴岩叠置层.风暴岩的发现有利于加深对该区沉积相的认识,风暴岩频繁发育,表明研究区在古近系沉积时,易受到古气候影响,湖盆水动力较强,部分原始沉积砂体会受到湖泊水体的改造,形成新的滨浅湖滩坝砂体,形成良好的岩性油气藏.     

徐州赵圩地区新元古界风暴沉积序列类型及其水深控制

广义的风暴沉积是自然界内外地质营力促使海水产生足够大的漩涡流,对海底及海岸冲蚀形成的一种事件沉积.徐州赵圩地区发育丰富的晚元古代风暴沉积记录,通过野外露头剖面岩性观察与室内整理,划分出7种不同水深的风暴沉积序列类型.根据冲刷面、滞积层、丘状交错层理(HCS)、液化卷曲层理等典型风暴特征,可将这7种序列与浅海陆棚边缘-台地前缘缓斜坡-台前潮上环境的连续沉积相对应.据此分析了风暴沉积序列与水深的关系,并针对本区的沉积特点对风暴沉积成因进行探讨.     

沙漠沉积体系的层序地层学研究——以新疆库车盆地下白垩统为例

新疆塔里木北部库车盆地内下白垩统发育,为一套干旱红层地层。该套地层中有干盐湖及内陆萨布哈相泥岩、风成砂岩、间歇性河流砂砾岩和洪积扇砾岩等类型的沉积物,组成了一个较为典型的沙漠沉积体系。伴随着盆地基底的抬升与下沉,在地层记录中显示出旋回性沉积作用的特点,在早白垩世地层中识别出5个三级层序,它们构成1个二级构造层序,这些三级层序具有从冲积相粗碎屑沉积到湖泊相细粒沉积的相序组构,以向上变细为特征。研究表明,风成砂岩是库车盆地储集性能最好的天然气储集层,库车盆地中的克拉2气田是中国第一个以风成砂岩为主要储集层的大型天然气田。     

禄丰羊街—昆明大乐亩地区震旦系澄江组岩石地层特征及沉积作用

澄江组主要为底砾岩、含砾砂岩、中－粗￣中－细粒杂砂岩、岩屑长石石英砂岩、石英砂岩、夹粉砂岩、粉砂质泥岩。岩石含较多火山碎屑，并夹凝灰岩、玄武岩等火山岩。在砂岩及粉砂岩中，发育大－中型板状、槽状及鱼骨状交错层理、水平层理，粒序层理及水平纹层等沉积构造。澄江组沉积主要由退积型基本层序构成，局部出露加积型层序，典型的基本层序由含砾中－粗粒杂砂岩→中－粗粒杂砂岩→中－细粒杂砂岩→粉砂岩→泥质粉砂岩→泥岩所     

深水沉积层序特点及构成要素

本文在回顾当前国际上深水沉积研究热点的基础上,结合在墨西哥湾深水研究的成果系统描述了深水沉积的定义、形成机理、深水沉积层序及深水沉积构成要素的特点.深水沉积主要是在重力流作用下深水环境的沉积,主要形成于相对水平面下降和早期上升的时期,主要分布在低位体系域中.深水层序以凝缩段为边界,块状搬运沉积最早形成并直接位于层序界面上,其上被河道-天然堤沉积所覆盖.典型深水沉积的要素主要由河道、天然堤及越岸沉积、板状砂、块状搬运沉积等构成,这些沉积要素时空上有序地分布.深水河道是物源的主要通道和沉积的重要场所,从上游至下游河道弯曲度增加,能量逐渐减弱.侧向迁移明显,垂向上由富砂的顺直河道演化为相对富泥的弯曲河道.天然堤及越岸沉积以泥质为主,天然堤沿河道呈楔状分布,其近端砂岩含量高,地层厚且倾角较陡;远端砂岩含量低,地层薄且平缓,侧向连续性好但垂向连续性差.板状砂主要为深水扇前缘非限制性沉积,可分为块型和层型.块型侧向连续性好,同时垂向连通性高.层型侧向连续性好,垂向连通性差.块状搬运沉积主要是低水位期坡上沉积物失稳形成的各类滑塌体及碎屑流,其对下伏地层侵蚀明显,分布广泛,变形构造常见,可作为油气良好的封盖层.     

Transgression of an estuarine channel and tidal flat complex: the Lower Triassic of Barles, Alpes de Haute Provence, France

The Lower Triassic succession of Barles, Alpes de Haute Provence, France, comprises an unconformable quartz arenite sand body of 90m thickness. The succession may be informally divided into (i) lower channellized cross-bedded member overlain by (ii) an upper fining upward member. The lower member comprises vertically stacked, subtidal channel units separated into five major sand bodies by thin developments of fine grained channel margin and shoal deposits. Subtidal channel fill deposits are dominated by varying scales of cross bedding. These scales vary systematically from the base to the top of the member, with large scale planar sets dominating the lowest channel sand body (sand body 1), medium scale planar and trough cross bedding characterizing sand bodies 2-4, the largest scale planar sets in the highest sand body (sand body 5). This upward change in cross bedding scale is concomitant with a decrease in both the relief of major channel sand body erosion surfaces, and the proportion of preserved interchannel shoal deposits. The succeeding fining upward member comprises small scale tidal channel units overlain by channel shoal and tidal flat deposits. Tidal flat sequences are characterized by parallel laminated, wave and current rippled sandstones separated by bioturbated, fine grained siltstones and mudstones. The vertical variation in facies of the Lower Triassic succession suggests two main periods of deposition. The lower member is considered to preserve successively more seaward components of a transgressive estuarine complex. The overlying upper member records the seaward progradation of tidal channel, shoal and tidal flat environments. The unconformity bounded nature of the lower member, combined with its systematic variation in facies, suggests it may represent an incised valley-estuarine fill developed in response to an early Triassic relative sea level fall and subsequent rise. Succeeding tidal channel and tidal flat deposits forming the upper fining upward member reflect a change in sediment supply and/or rate of relative sea level rise comparable with a progradational shoreline. It is unclear whether this final depositional episode represents a period of highstand progradation or a later lowstand shoreline system developed following a further period of relative sea level fall and rise.     

Sedimentology and stratigraphy of a transgressive, muddy gravel beach: Waterside Beach, Bay of Fundy, Canada

Sediments exposed at low tide on the transgressive, hypertidal (>6 m tidal range) Waterside Beach, New Brunswick, Canada permit the scrutiny of sedimentary structures and textures that develop at water depths equivalent to the upper and lower shoreface. Waterside Beach sediments are grouped into eleven sedimentologically distinct deposits that represent three depositional environments: (1) sandy foreshore and shoreface; (2) tidal‐creek braid‐plain and delta; and, (3) wave‐formed gravel and sand bars, and associated deposits. The sandy foreshore and shoreface depositional environment encompasses the backshore; moderately dipping beachface; and a shallowly seaward‐dipping terrace of sandy middle and lower intertidal, and muddy sub‐tidal sediments. Intertidal sediments reworked and deposited by tidal creeks comprise the tidal‐creek braid plain and delta. Wave‐formed sand and gravel bars and associated deposits include: sediment sourced from low‐amplitude, unstable sand bars; gravel deposited from large (up to 5·5 m high, 800 m long), landward‐migrating gravel bars; and zones of mud deposition developed on the landward side of the gravel bars. The relationship between the gravel bars and mud deposits, and between mud‐laden sea water and beach gravels provides mechanisms for the deposition of mud beds, and muddy clast‐ and matrix‐supported conglomerates in ancient conglomeratic successions. Idealized sections are presented as analogues for ancient conglomerates deposited in transgressive systems. Where tidal creeks do not influence sedimentation on the beach, the preserved sequence consists of a gravel lag overlain by increasingly finer‐grained shoreface sediments. Conversely, where tidal creeks debouch onto the beach, erosion of the underlying salt marsh results in deposition of a thicker, more complex beach succession. The thickness of this package is controlled by tidal range, sedimentation rate, and rate of transgression. The tidal‐creek influenced succession comprises repeated sequences of: a thin mud bed overlain by muddy conglomerate, sandy conglomerate, a coarse lag, and capped by trough cross‐bedded sand and gravel.     

Flow conditions of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand,inferred from capping bedforms and sedimentary structures

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami deposited a sheet of sand with surficial bedforms at the Andaman coast of Thailand. Here we show the recognition of bedforms and the key internal sedimentary structures as criteria of the tsunami supercritical flow condition. The presence of well‐preserved capping bedforms implied a dominant tsunami inflow. Sets of internal sedimentary structures including parallel lamination, seaward and landward inclined‐laminations, and downstream dipping laminae indicated antidune structures that were generated by a supercritical flow current in a depositional stage during the inflow. A set of seaward dipping cross‐laminations containing sand with mud drape on the surface of one depositional layer are a unique indication of an outflow structure. A majority of deposits show normal grading, but in some areas, localized reverse grading was also observed. The recognition of these capping bedforms and determination of the internal sedimentary structures provides new key criteria to help derive a better understanding of tsunami flow conditions.     

Morphologic and stratigraphic evolution of muddy ebb-tidal deltas along a subsiding coast: Barataria Bay, Mississippi River delta

The Barataria barrier coast formed between two major distributaries of the Mississippi River delta: the Plaquemines deltaic headland to the east and the Lafourche deltaic headland to the west. Rapid relative sea‐level rise (1·03 cm year^?1) and other erosional processes within Barataria Bay have led to substantial increases in the area of open water (> 775 km² since 1956) and the attendant bay tidal prism. Historically, the increase in tidal discharge at inlets has produced larger channel cross‐sections and prograding ebb‐tidal deltas. For example, the ebb delta at Barataria Pass has built seaward > 2·2 km since the 1880s. Shoreline erosion and an increasing bay tidal prism also facilitated the formation of new inlets. Four major lithofacies characterize the Barataria coast ebb‐tidal deltas and associated sedimentary environments. These include a proximal delta facies composed of massive to laminated, fine grey‐brown to pale yellow sand and a distal delta facies consisting of thinly laminated, grey to pale yellow sand and silty sand with mud layers. The higher energy proximal delta deposits contain a greater percentage of sand (75–100%) compared with the distal delta sediments (60–80%). Associated sedimentary units include a nearshore facies consisting of horizontally laminated, fine to very fine grey sand with mud layers and an offshore facies that is composed of grey to dark grey, laminated sandy silt to silty clay. All facies coarsen upwards except the offshore facies, which fines upwards. An evolutionary model is presented for the stratigraphic development of the ebb‐tidal deltas in a regime of increasing tidal energy resulting from coastal land loss and tidal prism growth. Ebb‐tidal delta facies prograde over nearshore sediments, which interfinger with offshore facies. The seaward decrease in tidal current velocity of the ebb discharge produces a gradational contact between proximal and distal tidal delta facies. As the tidal discharge increases and the inlet grows in dimensions, the proximal and distal tidal delta facies prograde seawards. Owing to the relatively low gradient of the inner continental shelf, the ebb‐tidal delta lithosome is presently no more than 5 m thick and is generally only 2–3 m in thickness. The ebb delta sediment is sourced from deepening of the inlet and the associated channels and from the longshore sediment transport system. The final stage in the model envisages erosion and segmentation of the barrier chain, leading to a decrease in tidal discharge through the former major inlets. This process ultimately results in fine‐grained sedimentation seaward of the inlets and the encasement of the ebb‐tidal delta lithosome in mud. The ebb‐tidal deltas along the Barataria coast are distinguished from most other ebb deltas along sand‐rich coasts by their muddy content and lack of large‐scale stratification produced by channel cut‐and‐fills and bar migration.     

Progradational Holocene carbonate tidal flats of Crooked Island,south‐east Bahamas: An alternative to the humid channelled belt model

The stratigraphic record of many cratonic carbonate sequences includes thick successions of stacked peritidal deposits. Representing accumulation at or near sea‐level, these deposits have provided insights into past palaeoenvironments, sea‐level and climate change. To expand understanding of carbonate peritidal systems, this study describes the geomorphology, sedimentology and stratigraphy of the tidal flats on the Crooked‐Acklins Platform, south‐east Bahamas. The Crooked Island tidal flats extend continuously for ca 18 km on the platformward flank of Crooked Island, reaching up to 2 km across. Tidal flats include four environmental zones with specific faunal and floral associations and depositional characteristics: (i) supratidal (continuous supratidal crust and pavement); (ii) upper intertidal, with the mangrove Avicennia germinans and the cyanobacteria Scytonema; (iii) lower intertidal (with the mangrove Rhizophora mangal) and (iv) non‐vegetated, heavily burrowed subtidal (submarine). These zones have gradational boundaries but follow shore‐parallel belts. Coring reveals that the thickness of this mud‐dominated sediment package generally is <2 m, with depth to Pleistocene bedrock gradually shallowing landward. The facies succession under much of the tidal flat includes a basal compacted, organic‐rich skeletal‐lithoclast lag above the bedrock contact (suggesting initial flooding). This unit grades upward into rhizoturbated skeletal sandy mud (subtidal) overlain by coarsening‐upward peloid‐foraminifera‐gastropod muddy sand (reflecting shallowing to intertidal elevations). Cores from landward positions include stacked thin indurated layers with autoclastic breccia, root tubules and fenestrae (interpreted as supratidal conditions). Collectively, the data reveal an offlapping pattern on this prograding low‐energy shoreline, and these Holocene tidal flats may represent an actualistic analogue for ancient humid progradational tidal flats. Nonetheless, their vertical facies succession is akin to that present beneath channelled belt examples, suggesting that facies successions alone may not provide unambiguous criteria for prediction of the palaeogeomorphology, lateral facies changes and heterogeneity in stratigraphic analogues.     

Stacked fluvial and tide-dominated estuarine deposits in high-frequency (fourth-order) sequences of the Eocene Central Basin, Spitsbergen

Eighteen coastal-plain depositional sequences that can be correlated to shallow- to deep-water clinoforms in the Eocene Central Basin of Spitsbergen were studied in 1 × 15 km scale mountainside exposures. The overall mud-prone (>300 m thick) coastal-plain succession is divided by prominent fluvial erosion surfaces into vertically stacked depositional sequences, 7–44 m thick. The erosion surfaces are overlain by fluvial conglomerates and coarse-grained sandstones. The fluvial deposits show tidal influence at their seaward ends. The fluvial deposits pass upwards into macrotidal tide-dominated estuarine deposits, with coarse-grained river-dominated facies followed further seawards by high- and low-sinuosity tidal channels, upper-flow-regime tidal flats, and tidal sand bar facies associations. Laterally, marginal sandy to muddy tidal flat and marsh deposits occur. The fluvial/estuarine sequences are interpreted as having accumulated as a series of incised valley fills because: (i) the basal fluvial erosion surfaces, with at least 16 m of local erosional relief, are regional incisions; (ii) the basal fluvial deposits exhibit a significant basinward facies shift; (iii) the regional erosion surfaces can be correlated with rooted horizons in the interfluve areas; and (iv) the estuarine deposits onlap the valley walls in a landward direction. The coastal-plain deposits represent the topset to clinoforms that formed during progradational infilling of the Eocene Central Basin. Despite large-scale progradation, the sequences are volumetrically dominated by lowstand fluvial deposits and especially by transgressive estuarine deposits. The transgressive deposits are overlain by highstand units in only about 30% of the sequences. The depositional system remained an estuary even during highstand conditions, as evidenced by the continued bedload convergence in the inner-estuarine tidal channels.     

Morphodynamic evolution and stratal architecture of translating tidal point bars: Inferences from the northern Venice Lagoon (Italy)

The widespread distribution of tidal creeks and channels that undertake meandering behaviour in modern coasts contrasts with their limited documentation in the fossil record, where point‐bar elements arising from the interaction between a mix of both fluvial and tidal currents are mainly documented. The sedimentary products of tidal channel‐bend evolution are relatively poorly known, and few studies have focused previously on specific facies models for tidal point bars present in modern settings. This study improves understanding of tidal channel meander bends through a multi‐disciplinary approach that combines analyses of historical aerial photographs, measurements of in‐channel flow velocity, high‐resolution facies analyses of sedimentary cores and three‐dimensional architectural modelling. The studied channel bend (12 to 15 m wide and 2 to 3 m deep) drains a salt marsh area located in the north‐eastern sector of the microtidal Venice Lagoon, Italy. Historical photographs show that, during the past 77 years, the bend has translated seaward ca 15 m. Results show that the channel bend formed on a non‐vegetated mud flat that was progressively colonized by vegetation. Seaward translation occurred under aggradational conditions, with an overall migration rate of 0·2 to 0·3 m year⁻¹, and was promoted by the occurrence of cohesive, poorly erodible outer bank deposits. Ebb currents are dominant, and translation of the channel bend promotes erosion and deposition along the landward and seaward side of the bar, respectively. Tidal currents show a clear asymmetry in terms of velocity distribution, and their offset pattern provides a peculiar grain‐size distribution within the bar. During the flood stage, sand sedimentation occurs in the upper part of the bar, where the maximum flow velocity occurs. During the ebb stage, the bar experiences the secondary helical flow that accumulates sand at the toe of the bar. Lateral stacking of flood and ebb deposits has caused the formation of localized coarsening‐upward and fining‐upward sedimentary packages, respectively.     

塔河油田南部石炭系卡拉沙依组沉积相研究

综合应用沉积学、古生物学、地球化学等多学科理论,通过岩心观察描述,结合测井、录井、古生物、地球化学等资料综合分析认为:塔河油田南部石炭系卡拉沙依组上部砂泥岩段砂岩中发育羽状交错层理、波状层理、透镜状层理,砂泥岩薄互层,低砂地比,半咸水生物或广盐度生物大量发育,反映了一种潮坪环境;平面上,研究区北部偏粗、含砾,反映存在河流注入,为具有河口湾性质的潮坪沉积体系,卡拉沙依组砂泥岩段主要处于潮间带,发育潮道、砂坪、砂泥混合坪、泥坪、河口坝等微相。下部的上泥岩段为深灰色、灰褐色、棕褐色泥岩,偶夹薄层泥质粉砂岩、灰质泥岩条带,发育平行层理,为泻湖相沉积。     

Textural trends in turbidites and slurry beds from the Oligocene flysch of the East Carpathians, Romania

Deep‐water sandstone beds of the Oligocene Fusaru Sandstone and Lower Dysodilic Shale, exposed in the Buz?u Valley area of the East Carpathian flysch belt, Romania, can be described in terms of the standard turbidite divisions. In addition, mud‐rich sand layers are common, both as parts of otherwise ‘normal’ sequences of turbidite divisions and as individual event beds. Eleven units, interpreted as the deposits of individual flows, were densely sampled, and 87 thin sections were point counted for grain size and mud content. S₃/T_a divisions, which form the bulk of most sedimentation units, have low internal textural variability but show subtle vertical trends in grain size. Most commonly, coarse‐tail normal grading is associated with fine‐tail inverse grading. The mean grain size can show inverse grading, normal grading or a lack of grading, but sorting tends to improve upward in most beds. Fine‐tail inverse grading is interpreted as resulting from a decreasing effectiveness of trapping of fines during rapid deposition from a turbidity current as the initially high suspended‐load fallout rate declines. If this effect is strong enough, the mean grain size can show subtle inverse grading as well. Thus, thick inversely graded intervals in deep‐water sands lacking traction structures do not necessarily imply waxing flow velocities. If the suspended‐load fallout rate drops to zero after the deposition of the coarse grain‐size populations, the remaining finer grained flow bypasses and may rework the top of the S₃ division, forming well‐sorted, coarser grained, current‐structured T_t units. Alternatively, the suspended‐load fallout rate may remain high enough to prevent segregation of fines, leading to the deposition of significant amounts of mud along with the sand. Mud content of the sandstones is bimodal: either 3–13% or more than 20%. Two types of mud‐rich sandstones were observed. Coarser grained mud‐rich sandstones occur towards the upper parts of S₃/T_a divisions. These units were deposited as a result of enhanced trapping of mud particles in the rapidly deposited sediment. Finer grained mud‐rich units are interbedded with ripple‐laminated very fine‐grained sandy T_c divisions. During deposition of these units, mud floccules were hydraulically equivalent to the very fine sand‐ and silt‐sized sediment. The mud‐rich sandstones were probably deposited by flows that became transitional between turbidity currents and debris flows during their late‐stage evolution.