Slump-initiated and controlled syndepositional sandstone remobilization: an example from the Namurian of County Clare, Ireland

Remobilization of sandstones can dramatically reconfigure original depositional geometries and results in very unusually shaped sandstones, which resemble little, if any, of the original geometry. A number of deformational sandstone bodies, dykes and volcanoes from the upper part of the Carboniferous Ross Formation are described, which offer the opportunity to examine a suite of field-scale reconfigured sandstones. These structures are located in close proximity to the Ross Slide, which outcrops along a 2-km section on the northern coast of the Loop Head Peninsula, County Clare, Ireland. Dome- and ridge-shaped deformational sandstone bodies, dykes and volcanoes are interpreted to be the product of remobilization of a turbiditic sandstone. Liquification and remobilization were triggered by translation, cessation and loading of the underlying turbiditic sandstone by the Ross Slide. Deformational sand body, dyke and volcano development occurred in an asynchronous fashion with deformational sand bodies formed during slump translation. Sand dykes and volcanoes developed after the cessation of slump movement. During slump translation, the minimum principal stress (σ₃) was orientated vertically and the slump behaved in a `ductile' manner. After slump arrest, the minimum principal stress was oriented horizontally, and the unit regained shear strength to behave in a `brittle' manner. The relative change in rheological states with changing applied shear stress is indicative of thixotropic-like behaviour within the slump mass. Ridge-shaped deformational sand bodies are aligned parallel to slump folds, and their morphology is inferred to be controlled by compressional slump deformation associated with heterogeneous cessation of slump movement that was initiated by frontal arrest of the translating mass.     

Sedimentary facies analysis and depositional model of gravity-flow deposits of the Yanchang Formation,southwestern Ordos Basin,NW China

During the deposition of the Chang-7 (Ch-7) and Chang-6 (Ch-6) units in the Upper Triassic, gravity flows were developed widely in a deep lake in the southwestern Ordos Basin, China. Based on cores, outcrops, well-logs and well-testing data, this paper documents the sedimentary characteristics of the gravity-flow deposits and constructs a depositional model. Gravity-flow deposits in the study area comprise seven lithofacies types, which are categorised into four groups: slides and slumps, debris-flow-dominated lithofacies, turbidity-current-dominated lithofacies, and deep-water mudstone-dominated lithofacies. The seven lithofacies form two sedimentary entities: sub-lacustrine fan and the slump olistolith, made up of three and two lithofacies associations, respectively. Lithofacies association 1 is a channel–levee complex with fining-/thinning-upward sequences whose main part is characterised by sandy debris flow-dominated, thick-bedded massive sandstones. Lithofacies association 2 represents distributary channelised lobes of sub-lacustrine fans, which can be further subdivided into distributary channel, channel lateral margin and inter-channel. Lithofacies association 3 is marked by non-channelised lobes of sub-lacustrine fans, including sheet-like turbidites and deep-lake mudstones. Lithofacies association 4 is represented by proximal lobes of slump olistolith, consisting of slides and slumps. Lithofacies association 5 is marked by distal lobes of slump olistolith, comprising tongue-shaped debris flow lobes and turbidite lobes. It is characterised by sandy debris flow, muddy debris flow-dominated sandstone and sandstone with classic Bouma sequences. Several factors caused the generation of gravity flows in the Ordos Basin, including sediment supply, terrain slope and external triggers, such as volcanisms, earthquakes and seasonal floods. The sediment supply of sub-lacustrine fan was most likely from seasonal floods with a high net-to-gross and incised channels. Triggered by volcanisms and earthquakes, the slump olistolith is deposited by the slumping and secondary transport of unconsolidated sediments in the delta front or prodelta with a low net-to-gross and no incised channels.     

西沙海槽沉积模式

晚中新世琼东南盆地快速构造沉降,沉积欠补偿形成了西沙海槽。西沙海槽上部高陡带为悬浮沉积体系,下部低缓带为浊流滑塌沉积体系,槽底平缓带为河流沉积体系。不同于浊流沉积小而散,深海河流沉积为稳定的贯穿整个海槽的大储层。由于深海河流沉积体系稳、远、大的特点,其注定成为世界深水油气勘探的主要目标。     

The deep-lake deposit in the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in Ordos Basin, China and its significance for oil-gas accumulation

The deep-lake facies of the Yanchang Formation represents a large outflowing lake basin in the Ordos area. Its deposition can be divided into four stages lake genetic and expanding stage, peak stage, inversion stage and dying stage. All the stages are obviously consistent with the evolution of depositional environment and the paleoclimate in the region. The study indicates that the lake basin has evolution fluctuations from highstand to lowstand for four times in its evolution history, and the deposition center of the lake has not obviously moved, staying along the Huachi-Yijun belt. The deep lake sedimentary system mainly consists of deep water deltas and turbidite fans during the entire evolution course of the lake basin in the Late Triassic. The former mainly developed on the slope of steep shore of the delta in the early period of the deep-water expansion and gradually experienced a big shift from deep-water deltas to shallow-water platform delta. And the latter appeared almost in all the above stages and had two types of turbidite fans, slope-moving turbidite fans and slump turbidite fans. The slope-moving turbidite fans have relatively complete facies belts overlapping one another vertically and consist of the slope channel of inter fans, the turbidite channel, inter turbidite channel and turbidite channel front of middle fans and outer fans (or lakebottom plain). However, the slide-moving turbidity fans are formed in the deep lake with their microfacies difficult to be distinguished, and only the center microfacies and edge microfacies can be determined. The two types of the turbidity fans are similarly distributing in the near-root-slope and far-root-slope regions. The deep-lake deposition governs the distribution of the hydrocarbon and reservoir, while the slope-moving turbidite fans are excellent reservoirs for oil-gas exploration due to their great thickness, widespread distribution and accumulation properties.     

黄河断流后三角洲(水上平原)的滑塌构造研究

黄河断流后三角洲 (水上平原 )上的滑塌构造非常发育,在分流河道中几乎随处可见,它们主要发育在边滩、心滩外缘、周缘或内部的水道中,还可以发育在河床上。滑塌作用形成了三种产物:滑塌壁或滑塌缝 滑塌体和滑塌碎块及滑塌变形基底。滑塌壁或滑塌缝按力学机制可能分为两种类型 一种是张性 另一种是剪性。滑塌壁或滑塌缝的规模不一,大者长度可超过十余米,甚至二十余米,小者长度只有 3～ 5cm 滑塌体规模差别也较大,大者高度可超过 1m,长度可达 3～ 4m 小者高度和长度仅数cm。通过观察发现,滑塌构造的产生与波浪的掏洗和流水冲蚀有关,与地震和斜坡滑动关系不大。黄河断流后在某些低洼河道积水成“湖”,“湖”水在风的作用下形成波浪。波浪不断拍击导致边滩、心滩产生滑塌,形成一系列相应的滑塌构造 再者,黄河断流后边滩、心滩广泛暴露,黄河三角洲地区降雨后使边滩、心滩和河床上汇集成径流,径流的冲蚀也可以形成一系列滑塌构造。有的滑塌构造被风成砂埋藏后很容易被何存下来,而充填滑塌缝之间的风成砂经成岩作用之后则有可能转变成砂岩岩墙。     

重力驱动作用——滦平盆地下白垩统西瓜园组沉积时期主要的搬运机制

通过对冀北滦平盆地下白垩统西瓜园组沉积地层的实地考察,发现盆地内发育丰富的重力驱动作用沉积物。文中描述西瓜园组发育的滑动和滑塌现象,指出露头剖面中存在的挤压变形现象并非构造成因,而是由于滑动块体和滑塌块体前端的挤压应力环境造成的。在介绍西瓜园组重力流沉积发育环境的基础上,对露头中存在的若干重力流沉积进行了描述,并使用砂质碎屑流这一概念对这些现象进行了较为合理的成因解释。通过对滑动和滑塌(重力块体运动)和砂质碎屑流—浊流(重力流)沉积物研究,结合前人对该地区冲积扇—扇三角洲的研究成果,认为重力驱动作用是滦平盆地下白垩统西瓜园组沉积时期主要的搬运机制。     

Shaking and splashing—A case study of far-field effects of the Mjølnir asteroid impact on depositional environments in the Barents Sea

The Mjølnir impact crater in the Norwegian Barents Sea features among the 20 largest impact craters listed in the Earth Impact Database. The impact is dated to 142 ± 2.6 Ma, corresponding closely to the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary in the Boreal stratigraphy. Multidisciplinary studies carried out over the last three decades have suggested that the up to 40 km wide crater was created by a 1–3 km diameter impactor colliding with a shallow epicontinental sea, causing regional havoc and a regional ecological crisis that followed in its wake. Only minor evidence for the consequences of the impact for the surrounding depositional basins has been documented so far. This study describes a large submarine slump penetrated by hydrocarbon exploration well 7121/9-1, located in the southern Hammerfest Basin and approximately 350 km away from the impact site. The slump is dated by a black shale drape, which contains characteristic impact-related biotic assemblages and potential ejecta material. This precise dating enables us to associate the slump with large-scale fault movements and footwall collapse along the basin-bounding Troms-Finnmark Fault Complex, which we conclude were caused by shock waves from the Mjølnir impact and the passage of associated tsunami trains. The draping black shale is interpreted to represent significant reworking of material from the contemporary seabed by tsunamis and currents set up by the impact.     

内蒙古元宝山小建昌营子地区三面井组沉积环境

在进行内蒙古1∶5万区域地质调查工作中,对内蒙古赤峰元宝山镇小建昌营子一带的下二叠统三面井组砂岩进行了粒度分析。结果表明,萨胡成因环境判别值为10.66~10.76,沉积环境为河流相或三角洲相;弗里德曼粒度参数判别为陆相河砂沉积;浊流C-M判别图解显示沉积环境介于三角洲与浊流沉积之间。三面井组总体为一套河流相-三角洲前缘滑塌浊积扇沉积。滑塌浊积扇一般发育于深湖、半深湖区,结合本地区三面井组地层中缺乏海相碳酸盐岩沉积,综合认为本区的三面井组形成于河流-湖泊三角洲环境。     

Research Progress of Seafloor Pockmarks in Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Classification

Seafloor pockmarks are important indicators of submarine methane seepages and slope instabilities.In order to promote the understanding of submarine pockmarks and their relationship with sediment instabilities and climate changes,here we summarize the research results of pockmarks in the spatio-temporal distributions and shaping factors.Most of pockmarks occur along active or passive continental margins during the last 25 kyr B.P..Circular and ellipse are the most common forms of pockmarks,whereas pockmarks in a special crescent or elongated shape are indicators of slope instabilities,and ring-shape pockmarks are endemic to the gas hydrate zones.Further researches should be focused on the trigger mechanism of climate changes based on the pockmarks in the high latitudes formed during the deglaciation periods,and the role of gas hydrates in the seafloor evolution should be elucidated.In addition,the feature of pockmarks at their early stage(e.g.,developing gas chimneys and gas driving sedimentary doming)and the relations between pockmarks and mass movements,mud diapirs could be further studied to clarify the influences of rapid methane release from submarine sediments on the atmospheric carbon contents.     

滦平盆地西瓜园组中段厚层砾岩沉积特征及成因机制研究:来自滦页1井全井段连续取心的证据

为了探讨陆相断陷盆地厚层砾岩的沉积特征、成因机制和控制因素,寻找有利勘探目标,以滦平盆地西瓜园组中段厚层砾岩为研究对象,运用沉积学理论,结合测井、录井、岩心、薄片和测试结果,对厚层砾岩的岩相及岩相组合、沉积构造和电性进行分析。研究表明,西瓜园组中段厚层砾岩具有被黑色页岩包裹的特征,即顶、底部与黑色页岩突变接触。岩心中大量的黄铁矿和部分敏感元素指标反映了缺氧的强还原环境,表明其为深水环境中的砾岩体。基于不同成因,共识别出滑动、滑塌2种重力流类型。滑动沉积主要包括6种岩相、5种岩相组合,以主滑动面、次滑动面、高角度层理,以及层内小型正断层和逆断层为主要识别标志;滑塌沉积包括6种岩相、4种岩相组合,以滑动面、滑塌变形构造、包卷层理、泄水构造、变形砾以及部分原生层理(粒序层理)为主要识别标志。根据滑动面的发育位置、自然伽马曲线和声波曲线的幅度变化特征,可以划分出4期滑动沉积。西瓜园组时期滦平盆地的边缘坡折带、物源供给和一定的触发机制共同控制深水滑动、滑塌型重力流的形成,结合控制因素和沉积特征建立陆相断陷湖盆陡坡带滑动-滑塌型重力流的发育模式。