Debris flow (olistostromes) and slumping on a distal passive continental margin: the Palombini limestone–shale sequence of the northern Apennines

An olistostrome accumulation up to 530 m thick occurs in the Casanova area of the northern Apennines. It lies within or above the calciturbiditic Palombini limestone-shale sequence, and is part of the allochthonous Vara Complex—sediments originally deposited on oceanic crust. The olistostromes are poorly sorted, monomict, matrix-supported, submarine debris flow deposits with rigid plugs. They have a compactional foliation and a compaction-modified, planar clast fabric created during flow. Although diachronous in the main part of the area, the olistostromes have a vertical gradational contact with the overlying slumped Palombini, in which recumbent asymmetric fold hinges and trains and slump boudins are present. Many criteria indicate soft-sediment deformation. Fold asymmetry indicates a uniformly SW-dipping palaeoslope. The textural gradation from slumps to olistostrome beds, plus slump folds and boudins as olistostrome clasts show that the olistostromes are dismembered slumps. In vertical sections, variations in limestone petrography, volume percentage and size of clasts confirm that the olistostromes were derived from the Palombini as a series of bed-by-bed slumps keeping pace with sedimentation of the Palombini. From olistostrome clast sizes and bed thicknesses, a depositional slope of ～ 4° is estimated. The olistostromes are not precursor sediments shed from advancing nappes, as in the Bracco ridge model of some authors; rather, they were formed at the foot of a distal, block-faulted passive continental margin, long before nappe emplacement.     

Fold crest degradation and slump deposition in the deepwater Niger Delta,Nigeria

This study uses 3D seismic reflection dataset to investigate the time-integrated growth and degradation of fault-propagation folds and associated slump deposits in the deepwater Niger Delta. The results of the analysis showed that slump deposits are sourced almost entirely from the degradation of growing fold crests—resulting in the development of seaward-facing scarps on the forelimbs of these folds. The scarps develop parallel to fold axes and have dips that range between 4° SW and 20° SW. The constant presence of fan-shaped slump deposits downdip of these scarps suggests a direct relationship to fold crest degradation. Moreover, the spatio-temporal distribution of the slumps also shows a direct relationship with the heights of seabed scarps along the strike of growing folds. Slumps have short run-out distances (generally less than 5 km); however, they also travel long distances downslope (up to 10 km) across growing structures by exploiting relay areas between growing scarps.     

Non-uniform across-shelf variations in thickness, grain size, and frequency of turbidites in a transgressive outer-shelf, the Middle Pleistocene Kakinokidai Formation, Boso Peninsula, Japan

Across-shelf variations in thickness, grain size, and frequency of sandstone beds in a transgressive outer-shelf succession were investigated from the Middle Pleistocene (ca. 0.7 Ma) Kakinokidai Formation on the Boso Peninsula, Japan. The transgressive deposits are generally muddy and contain slumps and slump scars. The intercalated sandstone beds are interpreted to have been formed from turbidity currents as a response to erosion and resuspension of sandridge-complex deposits in the southwestern upslope area during storm events. Mapping of volcanic ash beds and a transgressive surface in the base of the formation permits detailed bed-by-bed correlation of the outer-shelf sandstone beds. Although, overall, thickness, grain size, and frequency of sandstone beds decrease in the downslope direction, some sandstone beds locally thin out and coarsen in association with slump scars in the surrounding muddy deposits. These sandstone beds subsequently thicken and fine, and finally thin out in the farther downslope area. In addition to the local thinning of sandstone beds, the frequency of sandstone beds first decreases and then increases in the farther offshore direction. From this evidence, we concluded that these non-uniform patterns of across-outer-shelf variations in thickness, grain size, and frequency of sandstone beds were caused by the local increases in flow speeds and subsequent expansion and reduced speeds of turbidity currents, along with a local increase in the seafloor gradient that was induced by the development of slump scars in the transgressive outer-shelf floor. These physiographic features in the outer shelf are interpreted not to have permitted monotonous downslope thinning and fining of sandstone beds, compared with the bed-shape models of depletive turbidity currents and with the proximality trend of shelf sandstones from modern and ancient highstand-stage shelf systems.     

扬子陆块东南缘早古生代的巨型斜坡带

寒武、奥陶纪，在扬子陆块东南缘，发育—条横垣两千多公里的古台缘斜坡带。本文综合研究了此斜坡带的沉积类型，计有重力滑塌、滑移沉积、重力流沉积（碎屑流、浊流、颗粒流）、等深流沉积、上升流沉积、风暴流沉积以深水瘤状灰岩和生物扰动灰岩。台缘斜坡带沉积序列所反映的大地构造背景为被动大陆边缘，当时华南小洋（或海）盆为—拉伸下沉盆地。     

山东省灵山岛下白垩统浊积岩中与滑塌作用相关的软沉积物变形构造

灵山岛上出露的软沉积物变形构造其成因具有多样性,而灯塔剖面底部滑塌层内的变形构造的触发因素尚不明确.结合野外观察和极射赤平投影方法,研究了滑塌层和内部变形构造的形成过程、触发机制和地质意义,结果表明:灯塔剖面主要由浊积岩沉积序列组成.滑塌层夹在未变形层之间,由地震触发形成,内部发育4个滑脱面,将滑塌层划分为5个变形单元,缩短率和变形程度各不相同.软沉积物变形构造主要为褶皱,形态特征表现为砂岩厚度在枢纽部位大大增加,也可见一些砂岩增厚和减薄现象,两者均是液化的砂岩在驱动力作用下的结果.滑塌过程中,滑塌层中的砂泥岩与海底沉积物之间的孔隙流体自由交换被切断,产生了暂时性的超压,导致了液化的发生.褶皱的轴线延伸方向为SSW-NNE,轴面倾斜方向主要为SEE(120°),指示古水流主要来自SEE方向,与浊积岩内底痕指示的古水流方向一致,说明斜坡沉积系统上发育的滑塌褶皱能够指示古水流方向.      

陆相湖盆沉积物滑塌变形研究进展

陆相湖盆中沉积物滑塌常造成复杂的同沉积变形,对确定古地震事件、古地形等有重要作用,系统研究滑塌变形体系有助于厘清变形成因、理解变形机理和深化区域构造背景认识。本文梳理国内外滑塌变形研究进展,总结沉积物顺坡滑塌的形成条件、滑塌变形特征,尤其是滑塌褶皱的形态演化、伴生构造、对古斜坡的指示、有关滑塌变形的物理模拟等,并结合野外变形成因的识别,探讨滑塌成因与后期构造成因变形的有效鉴别标志。综合分析认为,陆相湖盆滑塌变形与重力流沉积密不可分,单一滑塌体的褶皱形态从滑塌体后缘到前缘由圆柱状褶皱、紧闭等厚直立褶皱转变为蘑菇状褶皱,演化过程可划分为多个阶段。在滑塌褶皱中存在逆冲断层、碎屑脉体、不规则侵蚀面、软布丁构造等,引起滑塌变形的机制可分为应力作用机制和液化作用机制。物理模拟因其可改变材料物理参数的优势,可能成为未来滑塌变形的重要研究方向。指出在鉴别滑塌成因变形和后期构造成因变形研究中仍然存在较多争议,其中未固结沉积物的活化、再改造、生物扰动、液化现象的存在是确定软沉积物变形的关键,变形构造在大尺度、层系规模上具有相同的应力场并与区域构造背景相符合是后期构造成因变形的最有力证据。     

皖南地区加里东运动构造特征

前人认为皖南地区加里东运动仅表现为抬升造陆运动.文中从构造运动不整合接触关系证据、盖层构造、劈理及变形变质程度,以及古构造应力场特征等方面开展研究.于皖南地区多处发现了上泥盆统与下伏志留系呈角度不整合接触,表明了区内发育加里东褶皱.通过区域地质调查和构造解剖,揭示了区内复式褶皱为加里东和印支两期褶皱叠加的产物.其中,加里东期构造样式主要为区域性开阔褶皱,规模巨大,其轴迹呈北东东向或近东西向延伸,然而,印支期构造样式为线性中常褶皱,规模较小,其轴迹主要呈北东向展布.应用赤平极射投影法对研究区内的褶皱轴面产状、劈理产状要素进行统计分析,结果显示发育加里东期、印支期等多期变形构造;并利用该法求得褶皱两翼优势产状,应用数学计算法计算出区内3期构造应力场特征值,显示华南地块自南而北向扬子地块俯冲挤压的陆内造山动力学过程.早古生代盖层造山属性为陆内造山.区内加里东期褶皱构造属性的厘定和深入研究,对区域构造格架的建立具有重要意义.     

Late Cretaceous to Miocene and Quaternary deformation history of the Chalk: Channels,slumps, faults,folds and glacitectonics

Late Cretaceous Chalk sedimentation history across the British Isles included (i) fault controlled uplift and subsidence in Northern Ireland and the Inner Hebrides and (ii) uplift along the lines of en echelon folds in Southern Britain and northern France. Synsedimentary slump folds and downslope displacement structures are compared with penecontemporaneous interbed slides and later tectonic folds and faults. Compressional strike-slip tectonic processes at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, illustrate intra-Chalk slump beds in a half-graben setting. Progressive ‘growth’ of structures characterises early downslope slump folding, interbed sliding and some listric faulting. Sheet-flints replacing slide shear planes and early fractures provide evidence for early movements. Availability of open-slopes or the depth of burial under which the range of structures developed is reflected in the degree of disruption and fragmentation of chalk and flint. Fragmentation provides clues to the timing of events and origin of the Late Campanian Altachuile Breccia (Northern Ireland) and the Coniacian Hope Gap slides (Sussex). Fragmentation and formation of sheet flints together help distinguish intra-Chalk tectonics from Quaternary glacitectonic structures.The role of marl seams, high porosity chalk beds and hardgrounds on bed-sliding, décollement zones and disruption of chalk blocks from bedrock in glacitectonics is discussed. Chalk formations with marl seams develop a special style of fracturing related to early interbed sliding and pore-fluid escape structures. Marl-seams are shown to be primary sedimentary features and not the products of post depositional pressure-solution. More than any other formation the Late Santonian – Early Campanian Newhaven Chalk contains extensive sheet-flints and shows great lateral variation in thickness and lithology across the fold belts of southern England and northern France.     

Flow pattern within a Permian submarine slump recorded by oblique folds and deformed fossils, Ulladulla, south-eastern Australia

The flow pattern within a slump in Permian marine rocks of the southern Sydney Basin, Australia, is recorded by folds and deformed fossils. Abundant brachiopod and bryzoan fossils in the slumped rocks are relatively undeformed, but fossil crinoid stems have been deformed by relative rotation of individual ossicles. Measurement of the strain indicates that the deformation of the crinoids is consistent with flexural flow folding within the slump. Previous models assume that curved slump fold axes remain parallel to the enveloping bedding surface of a slump sheet. Detailed measurements of the orientation of slump folds in this study found fold axes to be oblique to bedding, which is interpreted as a result of folds plunging downward towards the flanks of the slump or slump lobes. In the present model, fold axes are not generally parallel to the strike of the fold axial surface, and this can explain differences between the orientations of slump fold axes and axial surfaces when these are used as directional indicators of slump movement.     

Characterizing slope morphology using multifractal technique: a study from the western continental margin of India

Here, we present the slope configuration of the submarine gullies, ridges and the adjacent slump zone off Goa, along the western continental margin of India utilizing multibeam bathymetric and single-channel seismic data. The fluid flow migration signature in the form of pockmark seepages, traces of mud volcanoes and enhanced reflectors is observed in the area. Altogether thirty-three depth profiles from the gully, ridge and slump areas depict downslope progression in gully incision and varying gradients in the gullies (1.19–4.07°) and ridges (2.13–3.70°), whereas the profiles of the slump zone are comparatively steady (2.25–2.51°). The scatter plot of the three slope characteristics, viz., gradient, mean depth and root mean square relief, characterizes the profiles of the gullies, ridges and slump zone into three distinct clusters. Principal component analysis as well corroborates the categorization. Furthermore, a stochastic multifractal technique has been employed to understand the nature of the fine-scale seafloor processes active in the slope region. The three estimated parameters of the depth profiles, i.e., the degree of multifractality (α), sparseness (C ₁) and the degree of smoothness (H), substantiate a very high degree of multifractality for all the thirty-three bathymetric profiles. Except for the five adjacent profiles (four from the slump zone and one from the ridge), the remaining twenty-eight depth profiles of the gully, ridges and slump zones show negligible difference. Based on the multifractal study, we conclude that the observed discrimination might be due to the significant interaction between the bottom currents off Goa and the varied seafloor morphological aspects with seepages and faults.     

松辽盆地大庆长垣地区嫩江组二段滑塌扇的发现及其石油地质意义

应用三维地震及测井地质剖面,在松辽盆地大庆长垣地区嫩江组二段发现3套滑塌扇体,北部LMD扇体由5个单体组成,垂向呈前积式交叉叠置,总体呈前缘外凸的铲状,近东西走向,最大面积约为95 km²,最大厚度为62 m; 南部MX扇体由7个单体组成,垂向交叉叠置,平面镶嵌连片,总体走向北北东,总覆盖面积约为61.5 km²,最大厚度为55 m; 中部的SET为独立扇体,呈半圆形,近东西走向,面积约为24 km²,最大厚度为92 m; 3套扇体均具有根部厚、前端薄的发育特征,而且前端以发育泥岩为主,中部及根部发育2～4层粉砂岩,厚度为0.8～7.0 m; 3套扇体及其单体表面均具有弧形地震反射波纹,波纹密度分布在4～10条/km; 推测3套扇体最小古坡度为5‰～12‰,最小古水深为30～70 m,滑移距离为2～10 km; 这一发现为在大型陆相坳陷湖盆中研究滑塌浊积扇体的沉积学特征提供了有利的证据,同时南部MX扇体已经发现工业油流,因此,这一发现也为在坳陷盆地湖相泥岩中寻找油藏提供了新的思路。     

Copula函数在水文水资源中的研究进展与述评

Copula函数是一种灵活构造多变量联合分布和处理多变量问题的有效工具,在水文水资源领域应用广泛;随着研究的广度和深度不断推进,显示出其良好的适用性和不可替代的优越性。重点综述了近10年来Copula函数在水文事件多变量频率分析、水文事件遭遇组合分析、水文随机模拟、水文模型与预报以及其他问题中的最新应用研究进展与不足。从应用条件、参数估计、不对称性、拟合优选、尾部特性、多变量重现期选取、成果抽样误差等方面阐述了Copula函数应用需要注意的问题。展望了未来Copula函数在水文水资源领域应用中的研究重点和发展方向,为今后的研究提供借鉴和参考。     

Morphological expression of bedforms formed by supercritical sediment density flows on four fjord‐lake deltas of the south‐eastern Canadian Shield (Eastern Canada)

High‐resolution swath bathymetry data collected in fjord‐lakes Pentecôte, Walker and Pasteur (eastern Québec, Canada) allowed imaging in great detail the deltas of four rivers in order to understand the factors controlling the formation and downslope evolution of bedforms present on their slopes. The morphometry and morphology of 199 bedforms reflect the behaviour of sediment density flows. The shape of the bedforms, mostly crescentic, and the relationships between their morphological properties indicate that they were formed by supercritical density flows and that they are cyclic steps. The crescentic shape suggests an upslope migration while the aspect ratios and increasing wavelengths with distance from the shore (and decreasing slopes) are compatible with a cyclic step origin. At the rollover point, the acceleration of the density flows on steep slopes produces tightly spaced hydraulic jumps and favours short wavelength and symmetrical bedforms. Further downslope, decreasing slopes and increasing specific discharge increase the wavelength and asymmetry of the bedforms. The wavelength and asymmetry are increased because density flows require longer distances to become supercritical again on lower slopes after each successive hydraulic jump. Bedform morphometry and morphology are used to reconstruct density flow behaviour downslope. Froude numbers are high near the rollover point and gradually decrease downslope as the slope becomes gentler. Conversely, the specific discharge and flow depth are low near the rollover point and gradually increase downslope as the flow either erodes sediments or becomes more dilute due to sediment deposition and water entrainment. The supercritical density flows are believed to be triggered mainly by hyperpycnal flows but some evidence of delta‐front slope failures is also observed. The differences in delta morphology and bedform development between the four deltas are linked to basin morphology and watershed hydrology, but also mainly to the fjord heritage of the lakes that allowed the focusing of sediment at the delta front.     

Conditional Simulation of Random Fields with Bivariate Gamma Isofactorial Distributions

This work focuses on a random function model with gamma marginal and bivariate isofactorial distributions, which has been applied in mining geostatistics for estimating recoverable reserves by disjunctive kriging. The objective is to widen its use to conditional simulation and further its application to the modeling of continuous attributes in geosciences. First, the main properties of the bivariate gamma isofactorial distributions are analyzed, with emphasis in the destructuring of the extreme values, the presence of a proportional effect (higher variability in high-valued areas), and the asymmetry in the spatial correlation of the indicator variables with respect to the median threshold. Then, we provide examples of stationary random functions with such bivariate distributions, for which the shape parameter of the marginal distribution is half an integer. These are defined as the sum of squared independent Gaussian random fields. An iterative algorithm based on the Gibbs sampler is proposed to perform the simulation conditional to a set of existing data. Such ‘multivariate chi-square’ model generalizes the well-known multigaussian model and is more flexible, since it allows defining a shape parameter which controls the asymmetry of the marginal and bivariate distributions.     

An extension of the Saltykov method to quantify 3D grain size distributions in mylonites

The estimation of 3D grain size distributions (GSDs) in mylonites is key to understanding the rheological properties of crystalline aggregates and to constraining dynamic recrystallization models. This paper investigates whether a common stereological method, the Saltykov method, is appropriate for the study of GSDs in mylonites. In addition, we present a new stereological method, named the two-step method, which estimates a lognormal probability density function describing the 3D GSD. Both methods are tested for reproducibility and accuracy using natural and synthetic data sets. The main conclusion is that both methods are accurate and simple enough to be systematically used in recrystallized aggregates with near-equant grains. The Saltykov method is particularly suitable for estimating the volume percentage of particular grain-size fractions with an absolute uncertainty of ±5 in the estimates. The two-step method is suitable for quantifying the shape of the actual 3D GSD in recrystallized rocks using a single value, the multiplicative standard deviation (MSD) parameter, and providing a precision in the estimate typically better than 5%. The novel method provides a MSD value in recrystallized quartz that differs from previous estimates based on apparent 2D GSDs, highlighting the inconvenience of using apparent GSDs for such tasks.     

Direct Sequential Simulation and Cosimulation

Sequential simulation of a continuous variable usually requires its transformation into a binary or a Gaussian variable, giving rise to the classical algorithms of sequential indicator simulation or sequential Gaussian simulation. Journel (1994) showed that the sequential simulation of a continuous variable, without any prior transformation, succeeded in reproducing the covariance model, provided that the simulated values are drawn from local distributions centered at the simple kriging estimates with a variance corresponding to the simple kriging estimation variance. Unfortunately, it does not reproduce the histogram of the original variable, which is one of the basic requirements of any simulation method. This has been the most serious limitation to the practical application of the direct simulation approach. In this paper, a new approach for the direct sequential simulation is proposed. The idea is to use the local sk estimates of the mean and variance, not to define the local cdf but to sample from the global cdf. Simulated values of original variable are drawn from intervals of the global cdf, which are calculated with the local estimates of the mean and variance. One of the main advantages of the direct sequential simulation method is that it allows joint simulation of N _v variables without any transformation. A set of examples of direct simulation and cosimulation are presented.     

A Lower Cretaceous clastic slope succession, Livingston Island, Antarctica: sand-body characteristics, depositional processes and implications for slope apron depositional models

The early Cretaceous fill of the forearc/intra-arc Byers Basin includes a 600- to 900-m-thick interval of marine slope apron deposits, the President Beaches Formation. This is a predominantly argillaceous succession within which coarser-grained deposits are largely confined to lenticular packages of low width–thickness ratios. The entire formation was deposited in mid- to late-Berriasian times, coincident with a pulse of regional arc expansion, at minimum mean accumulation rates of 120–225 mm 1000 years^–1. The mudstones are finely laminated, with a restricted benthic macrofauna and minimal bioturbation, indicating relatively inhospitable sea-floor environments. Sand-rich packages occur as 7- to 30-m-thick channel-fill units composed chiefly of classical medium-grained turbidites, in some cases associated with complex high-concentration turbidity current deposits and minor mud-rich debrites. These sand-bodies are apparently elongate along (normal to) the NW-facing palaeoslope implied by slump-fold axes (and the strike of the volcanic arc). Similarly, palaeocurrent indices show a consistent arc-parallel, NE-directed trend, suggesting that transport processes were strongly influenced by the structural 'grain' of the irregular slope morphology. Slope instability is recorded by widespread slump and soft-sediment collapse features promoted by a combination of steep sea-floor gradients and relatively high rates of sedimentation. A lack of systematic vertical facies trends indicates that this was not a progradational or well-organized system, despite high rates of sediment supply. However, the strong systematic relationship between palaeocurrents and palaeoslope suggests a promising basis for evaluating organization in otherwise poorly ordered slope apron depositional systems.     

山东省灵山岛早白垩世软沉积物变形构造特征*

利用野外露头和镜下薄片等资料、地质统计等方法, 对山东省灵山岛老虎嘴剖面和船厂滑塌剖面软沉积物变形构造分布特征和形成期次进行了研究。船厂剖面发育滑塌褶皱、负载构造、阶梯断层、布丁构造、球—枕构造等典型的软沉积物变形构造;老虎嘴剖面发育层内褶皱、微阶梯断层、层内角砾岩等。根据形成时间、发育部位和形态特征, 将船厂剖面变形划分为滑塌前变形和滑塌中变形, 滑塌前变形又可以细分滑塌体下部变形和滑塌体内部变形。滑塌褶皱具有多级别、多尺度的特点;以厚岩层组成的滑塌褶皱为主, 尺寸为米级;岩层内部纹层形成的次级褶皱为辅, 尺寸为毫米级。滑塌过程中岩层不同部位应力不同, 伴生其他变形构造, 如拉张形成的布丁构造和挤压形成剪切褶皱等。滑塌前已经形成的负载构造等在滑塌过程中保持原来形态, 不因地层变形而变形。这些古地震触发形成的软沉积变形构造证明灵山岛在早白垩世古地震活动频繁。     

Geological history and significance of a laminated and slumped unit in the Carboniferous Limestone of the Monsal Dale region,Derbyshire

A laminated and slumped limestone bed from the Carboniferous Limestone of Derbyshire, known as the Rosewood Marble, is described in detail. The laminations comprise alternations of micrite and dolomite, the dolomite laminae originally being fine grainstones. The bed was deposited on a slope and slipping and sliding gave rise to tensional features such as pull-apart structures and compressional features such as slump folds. Evidence suggests that the palaeoslope was inclined towards the south-southeast and caused by synsedimentary movements of the Longstone Edge monocline and/or the Priestcliffe syncline. Diagenetic features described include cementation, dolomitization, calcite pseudomorphs after replacement anhydrite and silicification.     

Distinguishing syn-cleavage folds from pre-cleavage folds to which cleavage is virtually axial planar: examples from the Cambrian core of the Lower Palaeozoic Anglo-Brabant Deformation Belt (Belgium)

Within the Cambrian Jodoigne Formation in the easternmost part of the Anglo-Brabant Deformation Belt, sub-horizontal to gently plunging folds occur within the limbs of steeply plunging folds. The latter folds are cogenetic with cleavage and are attributed to the Brabantian deformation event. In contrast, although cleavage is also (1) virtually axial planar to the sub-horizontal to gently plunging higher-order folds, shows (2) a well-developed divergent fanning across these folds, (3) an opposing sense of cleavage refraction on opposite fold limbs, and (4) only very small cleavage transection angles, an analysis of the cleavage/bedding intersection lineation suggests that these higher-order folds have a pre-cleavage origin. On the basis of a comparison of structural and sedimentological features these higher-order folds are interpreted as slump folds. The seemingly ‘normal’ cleavage/fold relationship across the slump folds within the limbs of the large steeply plunging folds is due to the very small angle between cleavage and bedding.As such, a ‘normal’ cleavage/fold relationship is no guarantee for a syn-cleavage fold origin. It is not unlikely that also within undeformed, recumbent slump folds, a well-developed compaction fabric, formed parallel to the axial surface of the slump folds, may show fanning and contrasting senses of cleavage refraction on opposite fold limbs.