Abstract
Long-term global sea level variations and local tectonic control form the basic framework within which turbidite sediments develop as a response to breaks in the equilibrium between shelfal and basinal sedimentation. An understanding of the interaction of these processes and resulting types of turbidite deposition is still in its infancy and requires, as a preliminary approach, the precise framing of turbidite sediments within well defined depositional sequences.
All other things being equal, volume of gravity flows — which is largely a function of relative sea level position — determines the growth pattern of turbidite systems. Large flows deposit most of their sediment load as unchannelled sandstone lobes (type I systems). Particularly in elongate flysch basins, these sandstone lobes may develop as huge accumulations of virtually basinwide extent. Channels may form during the process but are essentially bypassed by most of the sand.
A decrease in the volume of gravity flows enhances the depositional character of the channels that progressively become the only site of sand deposition where small-volume and highly confined flows lose most of their fines through overbank processes (type II and III systems).
Within the same system, a decrease in the volume of gravity flows determines different stages of growth that are expressed by distinctive facies associations.
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Mutti, E. (1985). Turbidite Systems and Their Relations to Depositional Sequences. In: Zuffa, G.G. (eds) Provenance of Arenites. NATO ASI Series, vol 148. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2809-6_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2809-6_4
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