Sedimentology, stratigraphic occurrence and origin of linked debrites in the West Crocker Formation (Oligo-Miocene), Sabah, NW Borneo

The West Crocker Formation (Oligocene–Early Miocene), NW Borneo, consists of a large (>20 000 km²) submarine fan deposited as part of an accretionary complex. A range of gravity-flow deposits are observed, the most significant of which are mud-poor, massive sandstones interpreted as turbidites and clast-rich, muddy sandstones and sandy mudstones interpreted as debrites. An upward transition from turbidite to debrite is commonly observed, with the contact being either gradational and planar, or sharp and highly erosive. Based on their repeated vertical relationship and the nature of the contact between them, these intervals are interpreted as being deposited from one flow event which consisted of two distinct flow phases: fully turbulent turbidity current and weakly turbulent to laminar debris flow. The associated bed is called a co-genetic turbidite–debrite, with the upper debrite interval termed a linked debrite. Linked debrites are best developed in the non-channellised parts of the fan system, and are absent to poorly-developed in the proximal channel-levee and distal basin floor environments. Due to outcrop limitations, the genesis of linked debrites within the West Crocker Formation is unclear. Based on clast size and type, it seems likely that a weakly turbulent to laminar debris-flow flow phase was present when the flow event entered the basin. A change in flow behaviour may have led to deposition of a sand-rich unit with ‘turbidite’ characteristics, which was subsequently overlain by a mud-rich unit with ‘debrite’ characteristics. Flow transformation may have been enhanced by the disintegration and incorporation into the flow of muddy clasts derived from the upstream channel floor, channel mouth or from channel-levee collapse. Lack of preservation of this debrite in proximal areas may indicate either bypass of this flow phase or that the available outcrops fail to capture the debris flow entry point. Establishing robust sedimentological criteria from a variety of datasets may lead to the increasing recognition of co-genetic turbidite-debrite beds, and an increased appreciation of the importance of bipartite flows in the transport and deposition of sediments in deepwater environments.     

Characterisation of a Campanian deep-sea fan system in the Norwegian Sea by means of ichnofabrics

Ichnofabrics are applied in concert with sedimentological data to discriminate sub-environments within a Campanian deep-sea fan system in the Norwegian Sea. Seven ichnofabric types are recognised in the studied cores, which correspond to specific architectural elements of the fan system, including amalgamated channels, lobate sand sheets, proximal and distal overbank, fan fringe, and hemipelagic basin plain environments. A unique observation is an ultra-deep Chondrites ichnofabric, interpreted to result from the activity of a chemosymbiotic tracemaker, possibly utilising hydrothermal vents or hydrocarbon seeps in the near vicinity of an active rift system. Mapping and inter-well correlation of ichnofabrics allow a better control of lateral and vertical facies changes, which are important to exploration and production strategies. This study demonstrates that ichnofabric analysis is proving to be a valuable tool for the characterisation and prediction of reservoir quality, the recognition of potential flow barriers and prediction of lateral depositional trends in deep-sea fan deposits.     

The life cycle of crevasse splays as a key mechanism in the aggradation of alluvial ridges and river avulsion

Accommodation space in the unconfined distal part of low‐gradient fluvial fans facilitates abundant floodplain deposition. Here, the development of crevasse splays plays a key role in the aggradation of alluvial ridges and subsequent river avulsion. This study presents an analysis of different stages in the evolution of crevasse splays based on observations made in the modern‐day Río Colorado dryland fluvial fan fringing the endorheic Altiplano Basin in Bolivia. A generic life cycle is proposed in which crevasse‐splay channels adjust towards a graded equilibrium profile with their lower‐lying distal termini acting as a local base level. Initial development is dominantly controlled by the outflow of floodwater, promoting erosion near the crevasse apex and deposition towards the splay fringes. When proximal incision advances to below the maximum level of floodplain inundation, return flow occurs during the waning stage of flooding. This floodwater reflux leads to a temporary repositioning of the local base level to the deeper trunk‐channel thalweg at the apex of the crevasse‐splay channels. The resultant decrease in the floodplainward gradient of these channels ultimately leads to backfilling and abandonment of the crevasse splay, leaving a subtle local elevation of the floodplain. Consecutive splays form an alluvial ridge through lateral amalgamation and subsequent vertical stacking, which is mirrored by the aggradation of their parent channel floor. As this alluvial ridge becomes increasingly perched above the surrounding floodplain, splay equilibration may cause incision of the levee crevasse down to or below its trunk channel thalweg, leading to an avulsion. The mechanisms proposed in this study are relevant to fluvial settings promoting progradational avulsions. The relatively rapid accumulation rate and high preservation potential of crevasse splays in this setting makes them an important constituent of the resultant fluvial stratigraphy, amongst which are hydrocarbon‐bearing successions. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A precipiton‐based approach to model hydro‐sedimentary hazards induced by large sediment supplies in alluvial fans

Mountain ranges are frequently subjected to mass wasting events triggered by storms or earthquakes and supply large volumes of sediment into river networks. Besides altering river dynamics, large sediment deliveries to alluvial fans are known to cause hydro‐sedimentary hazards such as flooding and river avulsion. Here we explore how the sediment supply history affects hydro‐sedimentary river and fan hazards, and how well can it be predicted given the uncertainties on boundary conditions. We use the 2D morphodynamic model Eros with a new 2D hydrodynamic model driven by a sequence of flood, a sediment entrainment/transport/deposition model and a bank erosion law. We first evaluate the model against a natural case: the 1999 Mount Adams rock avalanche and subsequent avulsion on the Poerua river fan (West Coast, New Zealand). By adjusting for the unknown sediment supply history, Eros predicts the evolution of the alluvial riverbed during the first post‐landslide stages within 30 cm. The model is subsequently used to infer how the sediment supply volume and rate control the fan aggradation patterns and associated hazards. Our results show that the total injected volume controls the overall levels of aggradation, but supply rates have a major control on the location of preferential deposition, avulsion and increased flooding risk. Fan re‐incision following exhaustion of the landslide‐derived sediment supply leads to sediment transfer and deposition downstream and poses similar, but delayed, hydro‐sedimentary hazards. Our results demonstrate that 2D morphodynamics models are able to capture the full range of hazards occurring in alluvial fans including river avulsion aggradation and floods. However, only ensemble simulations accounting for uncertainties in boundary conditions (e.g., discharge history, initial topography, grain size) as well as model realization (e.g., non‐linearities in hydro‐sedimentary processes) can be used to produce probabilistic hazards maps relevant for decision making. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

USING UAV PHOTOGRAMMETRY TECHNOLOGY TO EXTRACT INFORMATION OF TECTONIC ACTIVITY OF COMPLEX ALLUVIAL FAN——A CASE STUDY OF AN ALLUVIAL FAN IN THE SOUTHERN MARGIN OF BARKOL BASIN

Alluvial fans that are in the process of development always show complex geomorphic features due to natural modification. Accordingly, analyzing these fans whether to be influenced by tectonic deformation is one of the technique difficulties in active tectonic studies. Complex alluvial fans are the focus of the study of active tectonics such as fracture mapping and activity behavior analysis, for they have often retained important structural information. Traditional measurement methods, such as satellite remote sensing, RTK GPS and Lidar, are difficult to meet the demand for the study of micro tectonic deformation because of the reason of accuracy or cost performance. The recent UAV photogrammetry technology, due to its many advantages such as low cost, high resolution, and efficiency of exporting DEM and DOM data, has been widely used in three-dimensional modeling, ground mapping and other fields. In the quantitative study of active tectonics, this technology fills up the deficiency in the research of the micro structure of the traditional measurement. Through detailed field investigations and paleoseismic trenching, we further used this technology to obtain the topographic data of a complex alluvial fan located at the southern marginal fault of Barkol Basin, Xinjiang. Pointing at the alluvial fans that are in the process of development, and on the basis of topographic analysis and image processing for DEM, we take the research method of secondary partitions of the geomorphic surface and cut the alluvial fans longitudinally according to the difference of its age. Through the establishment of profile cluster within each partition, separate analysis and data contrast with the adjacent partitions, we acquired the tectonic activity information during the development of alluvial fan. The tectonic vertical deformation of this alluvial fan is about 2.5m.     

陆相盆地水下扇扇中亚相的微相细分--以东营凹陷史南地区沙二9梁家楼水下扇为例

通过对东营凹陷史南地区沙二9砂层组的小层精细对比和微相细分,可以将梁家楼水下扇扇中亚相进一步划分出辫状水道、辫状砂坝、“边滩”、侧缘砂坝、侧缘分支沟道、末端砂坝、冲溢扇、低阶地、高阶地等9个微相。不同微相之间的砂体粒度变化、平面发育位置都有明显的不同,尤其是其中的辫状砂坝、“边滩”、侧缘砂坝是在水下地形较平坦,坡度较小的情况下,由辫状沟道侧向迁移形成的。对水下扇扇中亚相的微相细分和重新厘定,不仅有助于对水下扇沉积过程的进一步了解,而且也将有助于油田对水下扇砂体剩余油的分布研究和开发方案的调整。      

Assessing morphological changes in a human-impacted alluvial system using hydro-sediment modeling and remote sensing

Construction of managed aquifer recharge structures(MARS)to store floodwater is a common strategy for storing depleted groundwater resources in arid and semi-arid regions,as part of integrated water resources management(IWRM).MARS divert surface water to groundwater,but this can affect downstream fluvial processes.The impact of MARS on fluvial processes was investigated in this study by combining remote sensing techniques with hydro-sediment modeling for the case of the Kaboutar-Ali-Chay aquifer,northwestern Iran.The impact of MARS on groundwater dynamics was assessed,sedimentation across the MARS was modeled using a 2D hydrodynamic model,and morphological changes were quantified in the human-impacted alluvial fan using Landsat time series data and statistical methods.Changes were detected by comparing data for the periods before(1985e1996)and after(1997 e2018)MARS construction.The results showed that the rate of groundwater depletion decreased from 2.14 m/yr before to 0.86 m/yr after MARS construction.Hydro-sediment modeling revealed that MARS ponds slowed water outflow,resulting in a severe decrease in sediment load which lead to a change from sediment deposition to sediment erosion in the alluvial fan.Morphometric analyses revealed decreasing alluvial fan area and indicated significant differences(p<0.01)between pre-and post-impact periods for different morphometric parameters analyzed.The rate of change in area of the Kaboutar-Ali-Chay alluvial fan changed from
0.228 to
0.115 km2/year between pre-and post-impact periods.     

Messinian carbonate and alluvial fan sedimentation in Alonnisos Island,Greece: sedimentary response to basement controls,inversion tectonics and climatic fluctuations

A marginal marine carbonate environment, giving away to an alluvial one, was established during Messinian time on Alonnisos Island, the footwall upland of the Southern Marginal Fault of the Sporades Basin (SMFS). Analysis of the evolving depositional systems, with emphasis on their sedimentation processes, faulting patterns and palaeopedological factors, has permitted an interpretation of the simultaneous controls of tectonism and climate. The carbonate sediments were deposited in a shallow marine environment formed along a faulted continental margin under warm and semi-arid climatic conditions. Faulting consisted of NE-trending dextral reverse faults and NW-trending strike slip faults, produced by WNW-directed compression. The basement structural elements affected the spatial distribution of the offshore and shoreface facies, whereas fifth-order cycles of sea-level change were responsible for the development of metre-scale, shallowing-up cycles. The compressional structures were subsequently reactivated by NNE extension. This tectonic inversion, together with a global sea-level fall, triggered alluvial fan sedimentation. Fan sedimentation was disrupted by long periods of non-deposition and soil formation under warm climatic conditions. Three distinct units are recognized in the fan: a lower unit consisting of clast-poor debris flows, attributed to semi-arid–humid periods; an intermediate unit of clast-rich sheetfloods and channel flows, deposited during arid periods; and an upper unit consisting of matrix-rich sheetfloods related to a return to semi-arid–humid conditions. We interpret that the water-flow processes responsible for deposition were most prevalent on fans of arid and semi-arid climates, whereas debris-flow processes were more typical of climates with higher rainfall. As the extension proceeded during the Plio-Quaternary time, the main tectonic activity of the Sporades Basin was taken up by the SMFS causing significant footwall uplift. Due to this process, Alonnisos Island was elevated above the Pliocene highstand and became an area starved of Quaternary sedimentation. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

干旱条件下冲积扇的沉积构型和演化过程: 基于水槽模拟实验

利用延时相机以及3D激光扫描仪等设备,通过水槽实验获得了74组扇面地貌数据,并采用定量化的软件对这些数据进行了精细的沉积学分析,明确了干旱条件下冲积扇的沉积演化过程及其控制的沉积构型。研究表明: (1)干旱条件下冲积扇沉积演化过程中水动力、水流样式、扇体增生规律等均存在明显的差异性,根据这些差异将整个模拟实验分为早期、中期、晚期3个阶段。(2)实验早期,扇体水动力较强,主控沉积作用为片流沉积,根据片流沉积的分布范围,可将其分为整体片流沉积和局部片流沉积。(3)实验中期,扇体中远端水动力及扇面扩大速率均有所减小,主控沉积作用为非限定性水道,主要沉积体为朵体沉积,非限定性水道主要分布在近源端,而朵体主要分布在水道末端的开阔地带。(4)实验晚期,受巨大的扇体影响,水动力进一步减小,主控沉积作用为限定性水道沉积。(5)通过实验研究,建立了具有明显3层结构的干旱条件下冲积扇沉积构型模式,其中底层是片流朵体复合体、中层为非限制性水道与末端朵体复合体、顶层是水道和小型末端朵体复合体。     

博兴洼陷西部沙三段有利储集砂体分布探讨

博兴洼陷油气勘探已进入隐蔽油气藏为主的勘探阶段,储集砂体的分布,尤其是能够形成地层岩性油藏的有利储集砂体的分布,是油气勘探的关键.研究区主要发育有浊积扇、辫状三角洲前缘和近岸水下扇三种类型的储集砂体,其中浊积扇扇体是岩性圈闭勘探的最有利砂体.通过已发现油气藏的地层位置分析,发现MSC8、MSC7、MSC6、MSC5、MSC2旋回的上升半旋回是有利储集砂体发育的主要层段,浊积扇砂体发育,且具有有利的油气成藏条件.平面上,MSC8旋回的有利储集砂体主要发育在高青断层东南侧的狭长区域内,MSC5、MSC6、MSC7旋回的有利储集砂体发育在坡折带之下的洼陷区.综合上述分析,预测了坡折带下部洼陷区、高青断裂下降盘和高24-高27井间区域3个岩性和构造-岩性圈闭勘探有利区.