A buried submarine canyon in the northwest South China Sea:architecture,development processes and implications for hydrocarbon exploration

High-resolution multichannel seismic data enables the discovery of a previous, undocumented submarine canyon(Huaguang Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northwest South China Sea. The Huaguang Canyon with a NW orientation is 140 km in length, and 2.5 km to 5 km in width in its upper reach and 4.6 km to 9.5 km in width in its lower reach. The head of the Huaguang Canyon is close to the Xisha carbonate platform and its tail is adjacent to the central canyon. This buried submarine canyon is formed by gravity flows from the Xisha carbonate platform when the sea level dropped in the early stage of the late Miocene(～10.5 Ma). The internal architecture of the Huaguang Canyon is mainly characterized by high amplitude reflections, indicating that this ancient submarine canyon was filled with coarse-grained sediments. The sediment was principally scourced from the Xisha carbonate platform. In contrast to other buried large-scale submarine canyons(central canyon and Zhongjian Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, the Huaguang Canyon displays later formation time, smaller width and length, and single sediment supply. The coarse-grained deposits within Huaguang Canyon provide a good environment for reserving oil and gas, and the muddy fillings in Huaguang Canyon have been identified as regional caps. Therefore, Huaguang Canyon is potential area for future hydrocarbon exploration in the northwest South China Sea. Our results may contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of submarine canyons formed in carbonate environment.     

A buried submarine canyon in the northwestern South China Sea: architecture,development processes and implications for hydrocarbon exploration

High-resolution multichannel seismic data enables the discovery of a previous, undocumented submarine canyon(Huaguang Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, northwestern South China Sea. The Huaguang Canyon with a NW orientation is 140 km in length, and 2.5 km to 5 km in width in its upper reach and 4.6 km to 9.5 km in width in its lower reach. The head of the Huaguang Canyon is close to the Xisha carbonate platform and its tail is adjacent to the Central Canyon. This buried submarine canyon is formed by gravity flows from the Xisha carbonate platform when the sea level dropped in the early stage of the late Miocene(around 10.5 Ma). The internal architecture of the Huaguang Canyon is mainly characterized by high amplitude reflections, indicating that this ancient submarine canyon was filled with coarse-grained sediments. The sediment was principally scourced from the Xisha carbonate platform. In contrast to other buried large-scale submarine canyons(Central Canyon and Zhongjian Canyon) in the Qiongdongnan Basin, the Huaguang Canyon displays later formation time,smaller width and length, and single sediment supply. The coarse-grained deposits within the Huaguang Canyon provide a good environment for reserving oil and gas, and the muddy fillings in the Huaguang Canyon have been identified as regional caps. Therefore, the Huaguang Canyon is a potential area for future hydrocarbon exploration in the northwestern South China Sea. The result of this paper may contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of submarine canyons formed in carbonate environment.     

Characteristics of migrating submarine canyons from the middle Miocene to present: Implications for paleoceanographic circulation,northern South China Sea

Previously undocumented, migrating submarine canyons have developed in the Pearl River Mouth Basin along the northern continental margin of the South China Sea from the middle Miocene to present. A grid of high-resolution, 2-D multi-channel seismic profiles calibrated by borehole information permits documentation of these northeastward migrating submarine canyons, as the result of the interplay of gravity flows and bottom currents. The modern canyons have lengths of 30–60 km, widths of 1–5.7 km, and relief of 50–300 m in water depths of 450–1500 m. Buried ancient submarine canyon successions were originally eroded by basal erosional discontinuities and partially filled by canyon thalweg deposits. These are overlain by lateral inclined packages and hemipelagic drape deposits. Basal erosional discontinuities and thalweg deposits are probably created principally by turbidity currents and filled with turbidites. Lateral inclined packages likely were formed by along-slope bottom currents. The evolution of these migrating submarine canyons reveals that northeastward bottom currents have consistently occurred at least from the middle Miocene to present in the study area. It might further imply that thermohaline intermediate water circulation of the South China Sea has been anti-cyclonic from the middle Miocene to present. The initiation of migrating submarine canyons possibly signals commencement of strong bottom currents after the middle Miocene in the South China Sea. The intensification of bottom currents also possibly may reflect shoaling of the major ocean seaways and increased vigor in oceanic circulation forced by global cooling after the middle Miocene.     

Two fundamentally different types of submarine canyons along the continental margin of Equatorial Guinea

Most submarine canyons are erosive conduits cut deeply into the world’s continental shelves through which sediment is transported from areas of high coastal sediment supply onto large submarine fans. However, many submarine canyons in areas of low sediment supply do not have associated submarine fans and show significantly different morphologies and depositional processes from those of ‘classic’ canyons. Using three-dimensional seismic reflection and core data, this study contrasts these two types of submarine canyons and proposes a bipartite classification scheme.The continental margin of Equatorial Guinea, West Africa during the late Cretaceous was dominated by a classic, erosional, sand-rich, submarine canyon system. This system was abandoned during the Paleogene, but the relict topography was re-activated in the Miocene during tectonic uplift. A subsequent decrease in sediment supply resulted in a drastic transformation in canyon morphology and activity, initiating the ‘Benito’ canyon system. This non-typical canyon system is aggradational rather than erosional, does not indent the shelf edge and has no downslope sediment apron. Smooth, draping seismic reflections indicate that hemipelagic deposition is the chief depositional process aggrading the canyons. Intra-canyon lateral accretion deposits indicate that canyon concavity is maintained by thick (>150 m), dilute, turbidity currents. There is little evidence for erosion, mass-wasting, or sand-rich deposition in the Benito canyon system. When a canyon loses flow access, usually due to piracy, it is abandoned and eventually filled. During canyon abandonment, fluid escape causes the successive formation of ‘cross-canyon ridges’ and pockmark trains along buried canyon axes.Based on comparison of canyons in the study area, we recognize two main types of submarine canyons: ‘Type I’ canyons indent the shelf edge and are linked to areas of high coarse-grained sediment supply, generating erosive canyon morphologies, sand-rich fill, and large downslope submarine fans/aprons. ‘Type II’ canyons do not indent the shelf edge and exhibit smooth, highly aggradational morphologies, mud-rich fill, and a lack of downslope fans/aprons. Type I canyons are dominated by erosive, sandy turbidity currents and mass-wasting, whereas hemipelagic deposition and dilute, sluggish turbidity currents are the main depositional processes sculpting Type II canyons. This morphology-based classification scheme can be used to help predict depositional processes, grain size distributions, and petroleum prospectivity of any submarine canyon.     

尼日利亚西部大陆边缘海底峡谷下部结构研究

Multi-beam,sub-bottom and multichannel seismic data acquired from the western Nigerian continental margin are analysed and interpreted to examine the architectural characteristics of the lower parts of the submarine canyons on the margin.The presence of four canyons: Avon,Mahin,Benin,and Escravos,are confirmed from the multi-beam data map and identified as cutting across the shelf and slope areas,with morphological features ranging from axial channels,moderate to high sinuosity indices,scarps,terraces and nickpoints which are interpreted as resulting from erosional and depositional activities within and around the canyons.The Avon Canyon,in particular,is characterised by various branches and sub-branches with complex morphologies.The canyons are mostly U-shaped in these lower parts with occasional V-shapes down their courses.Their typical orientation is NE–SW.Sedimentary processes are proposed as being a major controlling factor in these canyons.Sediments appear to have been discharged directly into the canyons by rivers during the late Quaternary low sea level which allows river mouths to extend as far as the shelf edge.The current sediment supply is still primarily sourced from these rivers in the case of the Benin and Escravos Canyons,but indirectly in the case of the Avon and Mahin Canyons where the rivers discharge sediments into the lagoons and the lagoons bring the sediments on to the continental shelf before they are dispersed into the canyon heads.Ancient canyons that have long been buried underneath the Avon Canyon are identified in the multichannel seismic profile across the head of the Avon Canyon,while a number of normal faults around the walls of the Avon and Mahin Canyons are observed in the selected sub-bottom profiles.The occurrence of these faults,especially in the irregular portions of the canyon walls,suggests that they also have some effect on the canyon architecture.The formation of the canyons is attributed to the exposure of the upper marginal area to incisions from erosion during the sea level lowstand of the glacial period.The incisions are widened and lengthened by contouric currents,turbidity currents and slope failures resulting in the canyons.     

Turbidite facies in an ancient subduction complex: Torlesse terrane,New Zealand

The Torlesse terrane of New Zealand is an ancient subduction complex consisting of deformed turbidite-facies rocks. These are mainly thick-bedded sandstone (facies B and C) with subordinate mudstone (facies D and E), comparable to inner- and middle-fan deposits of a submarine fan. Strata were deposited in trench-floor and trench-slope settings that received sandy sediment from slope-cutting submarine canyons. The dominance of sandstone suggests that some mudstone may have been selectively subducted. Construction of a detailed sediment dispersal model is not possible because tectonic deformation has largely destroyed original facies relationships and paleocurrent patterns.     

南海北部白云深水区东北部小型峡谷内的块体搬运

The process of mass movements and their consequent turbidity currents in large submarine canyons has been widely reported, however, little attention was paid to that in small canyons. In this paper, we document mass movements in small submarine canyons in the northeast of Baiyun deepwater area, north of the South China Sea(SCS), and their strong effects on the evolution of the canyons based on geophysical data. Submarine canyons in the study area arrange closely below the shelf break zone which was at the depth of –500 m. Within submarine canyons, seabed surface was covered with amounts of failure scars resulted from past small-sized landslides. A complex process of mass transportation in the canyons is indicated by three directions of mass movements.Recent mass movement deposits in the canyons exhibit translucent reflections or parallel reflections which represent the brittle deformation and the plastic deformation, respectively. The area of most landslides in the canyons is less than 3 km2. The trigger mechanisms for mass movements in the study area are gravitational overloading, slope angle and weak properties of soil. Geophysical data indicate that the genesis of submarine canyons is the erosion of mass movements and consequent turbidity currents. The significant effects of mass movements on canyon are incision and sediment transportation at the erosion phases and fillings supply at the fill phases. This research will be helpful for the geological risk assessments and understanding the sediment transportation in the northern margin of the SCS.     

Carbonate slope morphology revealing sediment transfer from bank-to-slope (Little Bahama Bank,Bahamas)

New high-quality multibeam and high-resolution seismic data reveal new observations on sediment transfer and distribution and margin morphometrics in the uppermost slope of Northeastern Little Bahama Bank between 20 and 300 m water depth. The echofacies/backscatter facies show an alongslope sediment distribution forming successive strips. The upper part of the uppermost slope corresponds to the alternation of several submerged coral terraces and escarpments that could be related to Late Quaternary sea-level variations. The terraces could either be related to periods of stagnating sea-level or slow-down in sea-level change and therefore increased erosion by waves, or periods of accelerated sea-level rise since the Last Glacial Maximum. Terraces could therefore be related to coral construction and drowing. The medium part corresponds to the marginal escarpment, a steep cemented area. The lower part of the uppermost slope shows a discontinuous Holocene sediment wedge with varying thickness between 0 and 35 m. It is separated from the upper part by a zone of well-cemented seafloor associated with the marginal escarpment. Passing cold fronts result in sediment export caused by density cascading. The associated sediment fall-out and convective sedimentation can generate density currents that form this wedge and eventually flow through linear structures on the upper slope. The survey reveals the presence of recently active channels that extend over the entire uppermost slope and interrupt the wedge. The channels connect shallow tidal channels to submarine valleys connected to the proximal part of canyons. They directly feed the canyons with platform-derived sediment forming low-density turbidity currents and could supply the deepest part of the system with coarse-grained sediment directly exported from the carbonate platform.     

Small turbidite systems in a complex tectonic setting (SW Mediterranean Sea): morphology and growth patterns

Three small turbidite systems (Almeria, Sacratif, and Guadiaro), each tens of kilometres long, are developed in the complex morpho-structural setting of the northern Alboran Sea and have similar primary architectural elements (canyons, channel-levee systems, lobes). However, comparison reveals differences in the axial gradients of their canyons, depth/physiographic location, morphological framework, and lateral and longitudinal sedimentary shifts of turbidite deposition. The depositional architecture and sedimentary evolution from late Pliocene to Quaternary seems to be conditioned by number of submarine feeding sources (canyons), sea-level fluctuations and local tectonic (e.g. margin/canyon-channel gradients, faults). We group the Alboran turbidite systems into two models: mud/sand-rich submarine point-source and mud/sand-rich multiple submarine source ramp.     

The biogenic gas potential of the submarine canyon systems of Plio-Peistocene foreland Basin,southwestern Taiwan

Biogenic gas was accidentally discovered and produced from the Plio/Pleistocene formation of the Hsinying gas field in southwestern Taiwan in 1989. A stratigraphic trapping mechanism related to the evolution of submarine canyon systems in the Plio-Peistocene foreland basin has been proposed in a previous study which explained underestimated recoverable gas reserve before drilling. To verify this shallow gas exploration hypothesis and to systematically evaluate the biogenic gas generation and entrapment potential of the submarine canyon systems, seismic interpretation, high-resolution sequence stratigraphic interpretation, seismic attribute analysis and geochemical analysis were performed and integrated in this study. Twenty-nine submarine canyons mapped mainly trend in a NE direction, except the NW trending Eurchungchi submarine canyons located near the Chiali paleo-high. Bright seismic amplitudes were often observed at the incised valley heads of the canyon systems. The shales located near the incised valley heads and deposited during flooding stage possess the highest biogenic gas generation potential, as canyon fill reveals the second highest. Due to the high sediment accumulation rate in the foreland basin, organic matter in such a depositional environment tends to become diluted. A Class III AVO anomaly, inverted impedance lower than 4.7 e + 6 kg/M³*M/S and A/B (the ratio between the target horizon amplitude and the RMS amplitude from the background strata) greater than 1.78 were identified as valid direct gas indicators as sand is buried shallower than 1000 m. Class IV AVO anomaly and A/B greater than 1.4 were concluded to be the indicators of gas sand in the case that sand is buried deeper than 1600 m. Based on the results of sequence stratigraphic interpretation and the consistency between spatial geometries of seismic attributes and those of the submarine canyons, a stratigraphic trap associated with the incised valley heads was concluded to be the original gas entrapment style of the Hsinying and the Kuantian gas fields. Biogenic gas migrated after being trapped startigraphically, hence contributing to the present-day gas field structure. Due to the prevalent erosional features of the submarine canyons on the time structural maps, different types of stratigraphic traps formed in combination with faults and submarine canyons can be recognized easily.     

Turbidite facies in an ancient subduction complex: Torlesse terrane, New Zealand

The Torlesse terrane of New Zealand is an ancient subduction complex consisting of deformed turbidite-facies rocks. These are mainly thick-bedded sandstone (facies B and C) with subordinate mudstone (facies D and E), comparable to inner- and middle-fan deposits of a submarine fan. Strata were deposited in trench-floor and trench-slope settings that received sandy sediment from slope-cutting submarine canyons. The dominance of sandstone suggests that some mudstone may have been selectively subducted. Construction of a detailed sediment dispersal model is not possible because tectonic deformation has largely destroyed original facies relationships and paleocurrent patterns. D. G. Howell's research in New Zealand was in conjunction with a USGS/DSIR cooperative program.     

南海北部陆坡区海底峡谷地貌、沉积特征及控制因素

南海北部陆坡发育众多海底峡谷,其形成、发育、演化过程都存在较大差异。本文选取南海北部陆坡典型的珠江口外海底峡谷群、东沙海底峡谷、台湾浅滩南海底峡谷和澎湖海底峡谷进行研究,通过高分辨率多道地震数据和多波束测深数据,结合前人研究成果,对4条典型海底峡谷的形态特征、沉积充填特征及结构、形成发育过程及控制因素进行研究。结果表明,南海北部陆缘各个海底峡谷的形成受多个控制因素的影响,其影响程度及方式都有差别。构造活动、海平面变化及沉积物重力流与海底峡谷的演化密切相关,而陆地河流和局部构造因素也以不同方式影响着海底峡谷的发育。对于发育在主动大陆边缘的台湾岛东南侧的澎湖海底峡谷,其板块运动和岩浆活动活跃,其上发育的海底峡谷的控制因素以内营力地质作用为主。而具有被动大陆边缘属性的其他3条峡谷,由于构造运动较少或停止,其上发育的海底峡谷的控制因素以外营力地质作用为主。     

The Black Sea basins structure and history: New model based on new deep penetration regional seismic data. Part 1: Basins structure and fill

This work is based upon results of interpretation of about 8872 km-long regional seismic lines acquired in 2011 within the international project Geology Without Limits in the Black Sea. The seismic lines cover nearly the entire Black Sea Basins, including Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria sectors. A new map of acoustic basement relief and a new tectonic structure scheme are constructed for the Black Sea Basins. The basement of the Black Sea includes areas with oceanic crust and areas with highly rifted continental crust. A chain of buried seamounts, which were interpreted as submarine volcanoes of Late Cretaceous (Santonian to Campanian) age, has been identified to the north of the Turkish coast. On the Shatsky Ridge, probable volcanoes of Albian age have also been recognized. Synorogenic turbidite sequences of Paleocene, Eocene and Oligocene ages have been mapped. In the Cenozoic, numerous compressional and transpressional structures were formed in different parts of the Black Sea Basin. During the Pleistocene–Quaternary, turbidites, mass-transport deposits and leveed channels were formed in the distal part of the Danube Delta.     

山东荣成沿岸晚第四纪埋藏冲积扇的沉积特征及意义

钻孔资料表明，山东荣成沿海的第四纪地层中，全新世沙坝─泻湖沉积体系之下，大多埋藏着晚第四纪冲积扇，其中的粗粒沉积层常常是很好的含水层。鉴于沉积构造在钻孔中有时显示的并不明显，本文书以岩性及旋回性、粒度、分选、磨园度、矿物组成以及大型相序等方面讨论和识别埋藏冲积扇沉积物。荣成的埋藏冲积扇形成于晚第四纪低海面时期，分布于沿海丘陵坡麓直到滨海地带。目前，冲积扇的中、上部是淡水补给区，其中部或前缘以隔水层和上覆的海水或沙坝─泻湖体系隔开，使冲积扇中的淡水得以保存。充分认识埋藏冲积扇的沉积特征和标志，对于荣成沿海或与其条件类似的其他沿海地带的地下水勘探和开发具有实际意义。     

Depositional characteristics and spatial distribution of deep-water sedimentary systems on the northwestern middle-lower slope of the Northwest Sub-Basin, South China Sea

Based upon 2D seismic data, this study confirms the presence of a complex deep-water sedimentary system within the Pliocene-Quaternary strata on the northwestern lower slope of the Northwest Sub-Basin, South China Sea. It consists of submarine canyons, mass-wasting deposits, contourite channels and sheeted drifts. Alongslope aligned erosive features are observed on the eastern upper gentle slopes (<1.2° above 1,500 m), where a V-shaped downslope canyon presents an apparent ENE migration, indicating a related bottom current within the eastward South China Sea Intermediate Water Circulation. Contourite sheeted drifts are also generated on the eastern gentle slopes (~1.5° in average), below 2,100 m water depth though, referring to a wide unfocused bottom current, which might be related to the South China Sea Deep Water Circulation. Mass wasting deposits (predominantly slides and slumps) and submarine canyons developed on steeper slopes (>2°), where weaker alongslope currents are probably dominated by downslope depositional processes on these unstable slopes. The NNW–SSE oriented slope morphology changes from a three-stepped terraced outline (I–II–III) east of the investigated area, into a two-stepped terraced (I–II) outline in the middle, and into a unitary steep slope (II) in the west, which is consistent with the slope steepening towards the west. Such morphological changes may have possibly led to a westward simplification of composite deep-water sedimentary systems, from a depositional complex of contourite depositional systems, mass-wasting deposits and canyons, on the one hand, to only sliding and canyon deposits on the other hand.     

Tracking coarse-grained gravity flows by LASS-ICP-MS depth-profiling of detrital zircon (Aveto Formation,Adriatic foredeep,Italy)

Coarse-grained gravity flow deposits are quite common in the stratigraphic record, but their capability in transporting cobbles and boulders at great distance from the eroding sources is still poorly assessed. Here, we tackle this issue by the analysis of coarse-grained gravity flow deposits of the Aveto Formation, deposited in the Early Oligocene Adriatic foredeep and now exposed in the accretionary wedge of the Northern Apennines (Italy). We combine field observations and provenance constraints provided by Laser Ablation Split Stream (LASS)-ICP-MS depth-profiling of detrital zircon grains. We found that the polymodal grain-age distributions in the analyzed samples, dominated by Periadriatic, Variscan and Caledonian age populations, also include Late Cretaceous to Paleocene ages associated to thin epitaxial overgrowths on older zircon cores. These overgrowths display Th/U and REE patterns consistent with a metamorphic origin, and provide a diagnostic fingerprint that indicates the Bergell area in the Central Alps as the only viable source of coarse detritus, including cobbles and boulders of magmatic and metamorphic rocks, transported by gravity flows towards the nascent Adriatic foredeep. Our results provide not only pin-points for a reliable paleotectonic reconstruction of the Bergell-Aveto source-to-sink system, one of the most remarkable features of the Oligocene Adria-Europe plate boundary, but also compelling evidence for ∼300 km axial transport by gravity flows experienced by coarse detritus derived from the Oligocene Central Alps. The eruptions of the Bergell volcanic complex provided abundant pyroclastic material variably mixed with metamorphic detritus, that was quickly funneled into submarine canyons triggering southward-directed gravity flows. Active tectonics, pyroclastic material provided by volcanic eruptions, steep canyons close to the shoreline and the presence of fault-controlled submarine troughs, may effectively promote the long-distance transport of coarse material by gravity flows not only in the Oligocene, but also today.     

Sediment distribution in Akhziv Canyon off northern Israel

Akhziv Canyon is one of a series of submarine canyons incised into the continental margin of the northern Levant. The Canyon is steep and sinuous, bounded by precipitous walls. Located off northern Israel, the Canyon was recently surveyed by a series of submarine video observations that show that both the thalweg and the walls are covered by ubiquitous apron of silty clay. Evidence for downslope sediment mass movement was encountered only in places. Earlier studies show that the silty clay is of Nilotic origin. Since the northern Levant margin has not been a part of the Nile sedimentary cell since the Pleistocene, the widespread Nilotic sediments indicate that the Quaternary sedimentary processes in the area differ considerably from the Neogene depositional regime.     

西沙群岛宣德环礁的精细水下地貌组合特征及其成因机制

海底地形地貌及类型分布特征对指示区域地质构造影响、海平面升降、海洋水动力等有重要意义。本文通过侧扫声呐、单波束测深、表层沉积物取样等方法,分析了西沙群岛宣德环礁精细水下地貌组合特征,并探讨了其成因机制。结果表明:（1）宣德环礁为残缺型环礁类型,中部为潟湖沉积,礁盘之间形成西沙洲口门、“红草门”、环礁西缺口和环礁南缺口等4处水深超过60 m的深水口门,并首次识别了西沙洲口门;（2）宣德环礁水下地貌类型可划分为3级11类地貌类型。研究区的沙波及槽沟等动力地貌单元显示,宣德环礁浅水区海底特征地貌由盛行季风和波浪场所控制,深水口门形成的潮汐通道水体为塑造宣德环礁潟湖区动力地貌的主要因素。研究区东南部向海坡存在6级水下阶地,通过对比南海珊瑚礁阶地特征,宣德环礁向海坡阶地成因很可能是全球海平面变化和地壳沉降的共同作用。     

Deformation and patterns of sedimentation,South San Clemente Basin,California Borderland

Seismic reflection profiling in the South San Clemente Basin and the southern portion of the San Diego Trough has revealed at least six sedimentary units exhibiting varying stages of deformation. Four of the units are interpreted to be marine turbidites supplied by adjacent submarine canyons. Sediments comprising the Descanso Plain and correlative material within the South San Clemente Basin are attributed to a southerly source (Banda Canyon), while the more recent Quaternary turbidites from Coronado Canyon filled the southern San Diego Trough and then spilled over into South San Clemente Basin. The relatively high but intermittent rates of sedimentation, together with shifting sources and areas of deposition, have resulted in sedimentary units that were emplaced in comparatively short episodes but which were subjected to relatively continuous tectonic activity. Consequently, the sedimentary layers of each unit appear uniformly affected by deformation which increases in successively older units.     

Modes of development of slope canyons and their relation to channel and levee features on the Ebro sediment apron, off-shore northeastern Spain

Six submarine slope canyons in an area of the northwestern Mediterranean, offshore from the Ebro River and Delta, were surveyed with bathymetric swathmapping (SeaBeam) and mid-range side-looking sonar (SeaMARC I). All of the canyons have slightly winding paths with concave-upwards gradients that are relatively steep shallower than 1,200 m. Two major types of canyons are identified on the basis of their morphologic character at the base of the slope; Type-I canyons lead to an unchannelled base-of-slope deposit and Type-II canyons are continuous with channel-levee systems that cross the rise.Four Type-I canyons were surveyed in the area. Two of these are broad, U-shaped, steep (average gradients of 1:14), do not indent the shelf, and terminate downslope at debris-flow deposits. These two canyons, the most northern in the area, have rounded heads with extensive gullies separated by knife-edge ridges. Relief of the canyon walls is about equal on both sides of the canyons, although the right-hand walls (looking downslope) are generally steeper. The other two Type-I canyons in the area are similar in that they do not indent the shelf, but they are much smaller and shallower and coalesce before terminating in the base-of-slope region. The two Type-II canyons that feed leveed-channels are U-shaped with flatter floors, longer profiles and gentler gradients than Type-I canyons. They are closer to the Valencia Valley and have relatively small cross-sectional areas.We propose a four-stage evolutionary sequence to explain the development of the canyons observed in this section on the prograding Ebro margin. During the initial stage, slumping and erosion on the slope creates a network of small gullies. During the next stage, headward growth of one (or more) gully leads to a major indentation of the shelf. This is the critical factor for developing a channel that will incise the slope and provide a major conduit for moving sediment to the basin. Stage 3 is characterized by the development of a continuous channel accompanied by levee growth across the lobe. In the final stage, the channel-levee system becomes inactive either through destruction by mass wasting, infilling of the channel, or loss of the major sediment source.