Contourite drifts on early passive margins as an indicator of established lithospheric breakup

Soares, Duarte Miguel; Alves, Tiago Marcos; Terrinha, Pedro

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2014.06.001

Cited by 36 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Yet, some important examples are documented on passive margins around the world in association with large scale MTDs: a) offshore Norway (Haflidason et al, 2004;Bryn et al, 2005;Kvalstad et al, 2005), b) on the Labrador Margin (Deptuck et al, 2007), c) offshore West Iberia (Soares et al, 2014), d) on the Great Bahamas Bank (Principaud et al, 2015), and e) in SE Brazil (Alves, 2010) (Figs. 4c, d and 5a).…”

Section: Blocks On Passive Continental Marginsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The width of blocks in this example reach more than 1 km for a height exceeding 500 ms (200e300 m; Deptuck et al, 2007). (d) Detail of rafted blocks from West Iberia generated during continental breakup (Soares et al, 2014). Top BS refers to the top of a breakup sequence as defined by the latter authors.…”

Section: Blocks On the Fringes Of Active Orogensmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Top BS refers to the top of a breakup sequence as defined by the latter authors. LBS refers to Lithospheric Breakup Surface as defined by Soares et al (2014). Carrera, 1993;D avila and Astini, 2003;Garcia and H erail, 2005;Callot et al, 2008).…”

Section: Blocks On the Fringes Of Active Orogensmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Submarine slide blocks and associated soft-sediment deformation in deep-water basins: A review

Alves

2015

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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a b s t r a c tThree-dimensional (3D) seismic and outcrop data are used to review the significance of submarine slide blocks and associated soft-sediment deformation structures in deep-water basins. Submarine slide blocks are generated during major instability events in a variety of geological settings and their size exceeds that of boulders, which are <4.1 m. Slide blocks can be~500 m high by >4.5 km long on a number of continental margins, presenting internal folding, thrusting and rolling over basal brecciaconglomerate carpets. In addition, soft-sediment deformation structures such as foliated strata, intrafolial folds, tiling, bookshelf sliding and dilational jogs reflect important shearing within blocks and their basal glide planes. This work proposes that buried blocks and associated coarse-grained debrites are capable of forming prolific reservoir intervals for hydrocarbons and mineralization. Three-dimensional leakage factor models show the bulk of fluid flow to be focused in vertical and horizontal surfaces within, and immediately below displaced blocks. The generation of large slide blocks can also mark the sudden release of overburden pressure, and result in the loss of seal competence above existing hydrocarbon fields. Ultimately, this review clarifies the present-day understanding on the modes of formation of submarine slide blocks, confirming their economic importance in deep-water basins throughout the world.

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Section: Blocks On Passive Continental Marginsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Blocks On the Fringes Of Active Orogensmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Submarine slide blocks and associated soft-sediment deformation in deep-water basins: A review

Alves

2015

Marine and Petroleum Geology

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“…Gruetzner & Uenzelmann‐Neben, ; Hernández‐Molina, Larter, Rebesco, & Maldonado, ; Mulder et al, ; Pérez et al, ; Uenzelmann‐Neben, ; Uenzelmann‐Neben & Gohl, ; Vandorpe et al, ); and (b) the contribution of oceanographic processes on continental margins and deep‐marine basins evolution (e.g. García, Ercilla, & Alonso, ; Hernández‐Molina, Llave, et al, ; Johnson & Damuth, ; Martos, Maldonado, Lobo, Hernández‐Molina, & Pérez, ; Pérez et al, ; Pérez et al, ; Reed, Meyer, Silver, & Prasetyo, ; Soares, Alves, & Terrinha, ; Zhu, Graham, Pang, & McHargue, ). On the other hand, the timing and distribution of gravity‐driven deposition has been used to reconstruct the tectono‐sedimentary evolution of passive (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tectonic and oceanographic process interactions archived in Late Cretaceous to Present deep‐marine stratigraphy on the Exmouth Plateau, offshore NW Australia

et al. 2018

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Deep‐marine deposits provide a valuable archive of process interactions between sediment gravity flows, pelagic sedimentation and thermohaline bottom‐currents. Stratigraphic successions can also record plate‐scale tectonic processes (e.g. continental breakup and shortening) that impact long‐term ocean circulation patterns, including changes in climate and biodiversity. One such setting is the Exmouth Plateau, offshore NW Australia, which has been a relatively stable, fine‐grained carbonate‐dominated continental margin from the Late Cretaceous to Present. We combine extensive 2D (~40,000 km) and 3D (3,627 km2) seismic reflection data with lithologic and biostratigraphic information from wells to reconstruct the tectonic and oceanographic evolution of this margin. We identified three large‐scale seismic units (SUs): (a) SU‐1 (Late Cretaceous)—500 m‐thick, and characterised by NE‐SW‐trending, slope‐normal elongate depocentres (c. 200 km long and 70 km wide), with erosional surfaces at their bases and tops, which are interpreted as the result of contour‐parallel bottom‐currents, coeval with the onset of opening of the Southern Ocean; (b) SU‐2 (Palaeocene—Late Miocene)—800 m‐thick and characterised by: (a) very large (amplitude, c. 40 m and wavelength, c. 3 km), SW‐migrating, NW‐SE‐trending sediment waves, (b) large (4 km‐wide, 100 m‐deep), NE‐trending scours that flank the sediment waves and (c) NW‐trending, 4 km‐wide and 80 m‐deep turbidite channel, infilled by NE‐dipping reflectors, which together may reflect an intensification of NE‐flowing bottom currents during a relative sea‐level fall following the establishment of circumpolar‐ocean current around Antarctica; and (c) SU‐3 (Late Miocene—Present)—1,000 m‐thick and is dominated by large (up to 100 km3) mass‐transport complexes (MTCs) derived from the continental margin (to the east) and the Exmouth Plateau Arch (to the west), and accumulated mainly in the adjacent Kangaroo Syncline. This change in depositional style may be linked to tectonically‐induced seabed tilting and folding caused by collision and subduction along the northern margin of the Australian plate. Hence, the stratigraphic record of the Exmouth Plateau provides a rich archive of plate‐scale regional geological events occurring along the distant southern (2,000 km away) and northern (1,500 km away) margins of the Australian plate.

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“…In these settings, MTDs can comprise reliable stratigraphic markers of tectonic activity. For instance, MTDs appear to be reliable markers of breakup events on continental margins (Soares et al, 2014). They are also competent markers of seafloor uplift and deformation in any tectonic setting .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recurrent slope failure enhancing source rock burial depth and seal unit competence in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, offshore South China Sea

Zhao

Alves

et al. 2015

Tectonophysics

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High-quality 3-D seismic data are used to assess the significance of mass-transport deposits (MTDs) to the evolution of the Pearl River Mouth Basin (South China Sea). Basal shear surfaces and lateral margins of seven recurrent MTDs are mapped to reveal a general NE-SW transport direction throughout the Late MioceneQuaternary. A key result of our analysis is the perceived relationship between the recurrence of slope instability in the study area and the Dongsha Tectonic Event. Using borehole data to constrain the ages of interpreted MTDs, we show that tectonic uplift in the northern South China Sea led to slope oversteepening in the Late Miocene (between 10.5 Ma and 5.5 Ma), preconditioning it to fail recurrently for more than10 Ma. Interpreted MTDs are shown to enhance burial depths of source and reservoir units, and improve seal competence in lower-slope areas. Conversely, upper slope regions record important erosion and reduced sealing capacity in Late Cenozoic strata. As a result, we postulate that the thickness variations imposed by MTDs on Late Miocene-Quaternary strata have important implications to petroleum plays in the South China Sea.

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Contourite drifts on early passive margins as an indicator of established lithospheric breakup

Cited by 36 publications

References 49 publications

Submarine slide blocks and associated soft-sediment deformation in deep-water basins: A review

Submarine slide blocks and associated soft-sediment deformation in deep-water basins: A review

Tectonic and oceanographic process interactions archived in Late Cretaceous to Present deep‐marine stratigraphy on the Exmouth Plateau, offshore NW Australia

Recurrent slope failure enhancing source rock burial depth and seal unit competence in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, offshore South China Sea

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