Depositional processes and stratigraphic architecture within a coarse-grained rift-margin turbidite system: The Wollaston Forland Group, east Greenland

Henstra, Gijs A.; Grundvåg, Sten‐Andreas; Johannessen, Erik P.; Kristensen, Thomas Berg; Midtkandal, Ivar; Nystuen, Johan Petter; Rotevatn, Atle; Surlyk, Finn; Saether, T.; Windelstad, J.

doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2016.05.018

Cited by 92 publications

(132 citation statements)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

129

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The scale of the passive continental margin systems is generally several orders of magnitude larger than any exposed deep-water system onshore. The actual relevance of the outcrop studies from active tectonic settings to the large passive continental-margin basins and vice-versa is thus also a question to bear in mind (e.g., Lien et al, 2003;Higgs, 2015;Henstra et al, 2016).…”

Section: Earlier Research On Turbidite Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turbidite and conglomerate successions in an Ordovician back-arc basin, Mid-Norwegian Caledonides: a result of long-term staging followed by catastrophic release of sediments

Henriksen¹,

Roberts²,

Pedersen³

2018

NJG

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Ordovician metasedimentary rocks in the Caledonian nappes in Mid Norway were deposited in a back-arc setting, following ophiolite obduction, uplift and erosion, related to continental uplift and changing directions of subduction during this period. Deep-water conditions were established in the basin and this accommodated a thick succession of variously coarse-grained, conglomeratic and argillaceous sediments. The conglomerates typically display the well-rounded clast material of variable igneous, volcanic, sedimentary and carbonate origin and alternate between being clast-supported and matrix-supported with interbedded sandstone beds. The rounded clasts suggest significant reworking and long-term storage of sediments in the source area before transport into the deeper part of the basin. The basal surface of conglomerates always shows an erosive contact with underlying shales or coarsening-upward sandstone successions. The basal surfaces probably represent sedimentary fairways, where several conglomerate units separated by erosional contacts are stacked on top of each other. The conglomerate successions likely result from episodic release of large quantities of sediments. Between each burst of release, sediments accumulated in alluvial fans, fan deltas and fluvial delta systems along the basin shoreline and carbonate reefs established on the outer shelf. Laterally accreting channel sandstone beds were probably important in setting up sedimentary fairways for the succeeding conglomerates. In the inferred deepest part of the basin, smaller channellised features and thin-bedded turbidites seem to dominate. Channel features and hummocky cross-stratification in shelf to upper slope sandstone beds are alternatively interpreted to result from unidirectional flows and constitute an integral part of the turbidite system. By including all the observed facies within the turbidite system we invoke a depositional model which does not require a eustacy-driven sequence-stratigraphic model for explanation. We rather suggest a tectonic model involving an elevated source area, either volcanic or continental, where erosional products are stored and reworked in the alluvial accommodation zone. These sediments are built up to a threshold level and flushed to the sea by a sudden availability of large amounts of water. The actual cause of this sudden availability of water remains uncertain, but the consequent mixture of water and sediments resulted in a super-concentrated high-energy density current. Turbidite and conglomerate successions in an Ordovician back-arc basin, Mid-Norwegian Caledonides: a result of long-term staging followed by catastrophic release of sediments IntroductionThe Caledonides of central Norway are especially well known for their fragmented ophiolite assemblages and, in some areas, the overlying, richly fossiliferous, Ordovician to inferred Early Silurian, low-grade metasedimentary rocks (Bergström, 1979(Bergström, , 1997Bruton & Bockelie, 1980;Ryan et al., 1980;Neuman & Bruton, 1989;Neuman et al., 1997). The...

show abstract

Section: Earlier Research On Turbidite Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turbidite and conglomerate successions in an Ordovician back-arc basin, Mid-Norwegian Caledonides: a result of long-term staging followed by catastrophic release of sediments

Henriksen¹,

Roberts²,

Pedersen³

2018

NJG

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Normal fault systems are a critical element of extensional sedimentary basins, being the primary controls on basin boundaries, geometry, physiography, accommodation, sediment routing and fluid flow (e.g. Ebinger, Deino, Tesha, Becker, & Ring, ; Gawthorpe & Leeder, ; Henstra, Gawthorpe, Helland‐Hansen, Ravnås, & Rotevatn, ; Henstra et al., ). Over the past several decades, there has been considerable research into the development of normal faults and extensional sedimentary basins (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strike‐slip reactivation of segmented normal faults: Implications for basin structure and fluid flow

Rotevatn

Peacock

2018

Basin Research

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Reverse reactivation of normal faults, also termed “inversion”, has been extensively studied, whereas little is known about the strike‐slip reactivation of normal faults. At the same time, recognizing strike‐slip reactivation of normal faults in sedimentary basins is critical, as it may alter and impact basin physiography, accommodation and sediment supply and dispersal. Motivated by this, we present a study of a reactivated normal fault zone in the Liassic limestones and shales of Somerset, UK, to elucidate the effects of strike‐slip reactivation of normal faults, and the inherent deformation of relay zones that separate the original normal fault segments. The fault zone, initially extensional, exhibits a series of relay zones between right‐stepping segments, with the steps between the segments having subsequently become contractional due to sinistral strike‐slip movement. The relay zones have therefore been steepened and are cut by a series of connecting faults with reverse and strike‐slip components. The studied fault zone, and comparison with larger‐scale natural examples, leads us to conclude that the relays turned contractional steps are associated with (a) complex fault and fracture networks that accommodate shortening, (b) anomalously high numbers of fractures and faults, (c) layer‐parallel slip and (d) folding and uplift. Comparison with published statistics from global relay zones shows that whereas the reactivated relay zones feature aspect ratios similar to those of unreactivated relay zones, bed dips within reactivated relay zones are significantly steeper than unreactivated relay zones. Given the potential of reactivated relay zones to form areas of local uplift, they may affect basin structure and may also form potential traps for hydrocarbon or other fluids. The elevated faulting and fracturing, on the other hand, means reactivated relays are also likely loci for enhanced up‐fault flow.

show abstract

“…As gravel‐rich cohesive debris flows accelerate down a steep slope, pass the base of slope and ultimately reach the basin plain, debris flows transform into bipartite flows consisting of a fast moving basal granular flow and an upper slow moving turbidity current, and eventually into a turbidity current (Sanders, ; Mutti et al ., ; Sohn, ; Zavala et al ., ; Henstra et al ., ; Zavala & Arcuri, ). Flow transformation processes include: (i) surface transformation (dilution and stripping of surface materials) (Hampton, ); (ii) entrainment of ambient water into the main flow (Allen, ; Britter & Simpson, ; Simpson & Britter, ); and (iii) detachment and disintegration of the flow head because of hydroplaning (Mohrig et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Subaqueous debris flows need to travel a certain distance in order to be completely transformed into turbidity currents. Sediment gravity‐flow deposits of the proximal border‐fault slope in half‐graben basins in East Greenland consist of thick debris‐flow deposits, with associated deposits from high‐density stratified turbulent flows occurring forward (Henstra et al ., ). The conglomerates deposited by subaqueous debris flows in the study area are characterized by high matrix content (Table ; Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to the above interpretation and previous studies (Reading & Richards, ; Nelson et al ., ; Gawthorpe & Leeder, ; Colman et al ., ; Mattern, ; Zavala et al ., ; Lyons et al ., ; Mulder & Chapron, ; Henstra et al ., ), these lithofacies and lithofacies associations were probably developed by subaqueous debris flows, hyperpycnal flows generated by sporadic floods from mountain‐derived river discharges and tractive currents generated by normal mountain‐derived river discharges during non‐flood periods. The transformation processes of subaqueous debris flows and floods entering the lake and generating hyperpycnal flows will be described in detail in the Discussion section.…”

Section: Sedimentologymentioning

confidence: 97%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Depositional model for lacustrine nearshore subaqueous fans in a rift basin: The Eocene Shahejie Formation, Dongying Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The origin of the fourth member of the Eocene Shahejie Formation in the northern steep slopes of the Minfeng Sub‐sag, Dongying Sag, China, was investigated by integrating core studies and flume tank depositional simulations. A non‐channelized depositional model is proposed in this paper for nearshore subaqueous fans in steep fault‐controlled slopes of lacustrine rift basins. The deposits of nearshore subaqueous fans along the base of steep border‐fault slopes of rift basins are typically composed of deep‐water coarse‐grained sediment gravity‐flow deposits directly sourced from adjacent footwalls. Sedimentation processes of nearshore subaqueous fans respond to tectonic activities of boundary faults and to seasonal rainfall. During tectonically active stages, subaqueous debris flows triggered by episodic movements of border‐faults dominate the sedimentation. During tectonically quiescent stages, hyperpycnal flows generated by seasonal rainfall‐generated floods, normal discharges of mountain‐derived rivers and deep‐lacustrine suspension sedimentation are commonly present. The results of a series of flume tank depositional simulations show that the sediments deposited by subaqueous debris flows are wedge‐shaped and non‐channelized, whereas the sediments deposited by hyperpycnal flows generated by sporadic floods from seasonal rainfall are characterized by non‐channelized, coarse‐grained lobate depositional bodies which switch laterally because of compensation sedimentation of hyperpycanal flows. The hyperpycnal‐flow‐deposited non‐channelized lobate depositional bodies can be divided into a main body and lateral edges. The main body can be further subdivided into a proximal part, middle part and frontal part. Normal mountain‐derived river‐discharge‐deposited sediments are characterized by thin‐bedded, fine‐grained sandstones and siltstones with a limited distribution range. Normal mountain‐derived river‐discharge‐deposited sediments and deep‐lacustrine mudstones are commonly eroded in the area close to boundary faults. A nearshore subaqueous fan can be divided into three segments: inner fan, middle fan and outer fan. The inner fan is composed of debrites and the proximal part of the main body. The middle fan consists of the middle part of the main body and lateral edges, normal mountain‐derived river‐discharge‐deposited fine‐grained sediments and deep‐lacustrine mudstones. The outer fan comprises the frontal part of the main body, lateral edges, and deep‐lacustrine mudstones. Based on the non‐channelized depositional model for nearshore subaqueous fans, criteria for stratigraphic subdivision and correlation are discussed and applied.

show abstract

Depositional processes and stratigraphic architecture within a coarse-grained rift-margin turbidite system: The Wollaston Forland Group, east Greenland

Cited by 92 publications

References 52 publications

Turbidite and conglomerate successions in an Ordovician back-arc basin, Mid-Norwegian Caledonides: a result of long-term staging followed by catastrophic release of sediments

Turbidite and conglomerate successions in an Ordovician back-arc basin, Mid-Norwegian Caledonides: a result of long-term staging followed by catastrophic release of sediments

Strike‐slip reactivation of segmented normal faults: Implications for basin structure and fluid flow

Depositional model for lacustrine nearshore subaqueous fans in a rift basin: The Eocene Shahejie Formation, Dongying Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, China

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About