Abstract
Gravity-induced sediment transport processes and associated deposits in deepwater settings have been investigated for decades. However, the role of deepwater bottom currents as a preconditioning factor for mass-transport deposits (MTDs), as well as their capacity to redistribute sediments, is poorly understood. MTDs form an important component of the stratigraphic column within continental margins, and these units are often found in association with current-generated sediment waves (CGSWs). Our analysis of geophysical data from the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) indicates that there are different types of stratigraphic associations between CGSWs and MTDs in this region. Comparison of our data with existing studies where the relationship between MTDs and CGSWs has also been reported seems to suggest that there might be causal mechanisms and pre-conditioning factors that could explain this coupling. In this study, we discuss these relationships, taking into account the geologic and paleo-environmental conditions under which these units were deposited. Two main factors appear to control the stratigraphic coupling of MTDs and CGSWs in the study area: (1) fine-grained CGSWs act as shear basal surfaces that apparently precondition the slope for mass wasting events, and (2) contour-following bottom currents erode the lowermost slope, destabilizing its base and increase the likelihood of mass-wasting events.
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Acknowledgements
This work was made possible thanks to the donation of data by BP America and through the generous members of the Quantitative Clastics Laboratory (QCL) consortia, the Jackson School of Geosciences, the GCSSEPM Ed Picou Fellowship Grant and the GSA Graduate Student Research grant. Constructive and insightful reviews by Dr. David Voelker and Dr. James Goff significantly improved the final manuscript and are gratefully acknowledged. The University of Texas at Austin acknowledges support of this research by Landmark Graphics Corporation via the Landmark University Grant Program. Publication authorized by the Director, Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin.
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Prieto, M.I., Moscardelli, L., Wood, L.J. (2016). Exploring the Influence of Deepwater Currents as Potential Triggers for Slope Instability. In: Lamarche, G., et al. Submarine Mass Movements and their Consequences. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 41. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20979-1_33
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20979-1_33
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