Event-driven deltaic sedimentation on a low-gradient, low-energy shelf: The Brazos River subaqueous delta, northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Carlin, Joseph; Dellapenna, Timothy M.

doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2014.03.017

Cited by 23 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Pulsed floods and episodic changes in sediment concentration within an event can contribute to variable internal lamination in river‐derived deposits. MCBR deposits bear striking similarity to prodelta deposits observed in the modern Atchafalaya [ Allison and Neill , ] and Brazos [ Carlin and Dellapenna , ] river deltas of North America, and in deposits of the Eocene Central Basin of Spitsbergen [ Plink‐Björklund and Steel , ] and Cretaceous Interior Seaway of North America [ Bhattacharya and MacEachern , ]. This interpretation is consistent with the depositional analogy between the Marlboro Clay and the modern Amazon mobile mud belt [ Kopp et al , ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…The sedimentary packages at MCBR are primary features reflecting episodic sediment deposition on the shelf and are unlike layers described from the Wilson Lake B and Millville cores [ Wright and Schaller , ] that are induced by drilling [ Pearson and Thomas , ]. Though both deltaic and storm processes can generate sharp‐based fining‐upward packages in shallow‐marine settings, these sediments are most similar to prodeltaic hyperpycnites deposited offshore of rivers during periods of high runoff [ Carlin and Dellapenna , ]. When the density of sediment‐laden river water exceeds that of seawater, terrestrial sediment can be carried along the seafloor by turbidity currents and deposited in graded packages within one flood event [ Lamb and Mohrig , ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shallow marine response to global climate change during the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum, Salisbury Embayment, USA

et al. 2017

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The Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was an interval of extreme warmth that caused disruption of marine and terrestrial ecosystems on a global scale. Here we examine the sediments, flora, and fauna from an expanded section at Mattawoman Creek‐Billingsley Road (MCBR) in Maryland and explore the impact of warming at a nearshore shallow marine (30–100 m water depth) site in the Salisbury Embayment. Observations indicate that at the onset of the PETM, the site abruptly shifted from an open marine to prodelta setting with increased terrestrial and fresh water input. Changes in microfossil biota suggest stratification of the water column and low‐oxygen bottom water conditions in the earliest Eocene. Formation of authigenic carbonate through microbial diagenesis produced an unusually large bulk carbon isotope shift, while the magnitude of the corresponding signal from benthic foraminifera is similar to that at other marine sites. This proves that the landward increase in the magnitude of the carbon isotope excursion measured in bulk sediment is not due to a near instantaneous release of 12C‐enriched CO2. We conclude that the MCBR site records nearshore marine response to global climate change that can be used as an analog for modern coastal response to global warming.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shallow marine response to global climate change during the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum, Salisbury Embayment, USA

et al. 2017

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“…At the mouth, the river forms a muddy, asymmetric, wavedominated delta that is mostly subaqueous (Rodriguez et al, 2000;Bhattacharya and Giosan, 2003;Carlin and Dellapenna, 2014). Mean wave height for the delta is 1.1 m (McGowen et al, 1977), and the delta asymmetry results from a net northeast to southwest longshore drift (Curray, 1960;Seelig and Sorensen, 1973;Nowlin et al, 2005) that favors accumulation on the downdrift delta flank (Rodriguez et al, 2000;Bhattacharya and Giosan, 2003;Carlin and Dellapenna, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mean wave height for the delta is 1.1 m (McGowen et al, 1977), and the delta asymmetry results from a net northeast to southwest longshore drift (Curray, 1960;Seelig and Sorensen, 1973;Nowlin et al, 2005) that favors accumulation on the downdrift delta flank (Rodriguez et al, 2000;Bhattacharya and Giosan, 2003;Carlin and Dellapenna, 2014). Carlin and Dellapenna (2014) observed that over the last~50 years sediment accumulation on the subaqueous delta has approximated relative sea level rise.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of a salt wedge intrusion on fluvial suspended sediment and the implications for sediment transport to the adjacent coastal ocean: A study of the lower Brazos River TX, USA

et al. 2015

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“…In general, shelf environments are characterized by a discontinuous sedimentation influenced by river floods and oceanic processes (Addington et al, 2007;Kniskern et al, 2010). When marine currents are present, erosion may occur frequently (Carlin and Dellapenna, 2014). Shelves consequently may not be the best suitable setting for paleoseismology, even if they could potentially record back-wash flow tsunami deposits associated with earthquakes.…”

Section: Impacts Of Earthquakes In Different Settingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sedimentary impacts of recent moderate earthquakes from the shelves to the basin floor in the western Gulf of Corinth

et al. 2017

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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oIn seismically active areas, long term records of large earthquakes are indispensable to constrain reccurence patterns of large earthquakes. In the western Corinth Rift, one of the most active areas in Europe in terms of seismicity, data about ancient earthquakes are still insufficient, despite historical records covering the last two millenia and several studies in onshore paleoseimology. In this paper, we test the use of offshore sediments from the Gulf of Corinth to identify sediment failures and tsunamis that have been triggered by historical earthquakes. Two shelves (40-100 m deep), one sub-basin (180 m) and the basin floor (330 m) have been sampled by short gravity cores. The cores were analyzed in order to identify and characterize event deposits. The age control has been provided by 137 Cs and 210 Pb activity measurements showing that the cores represent 2 to 4 centuries of sedimentation. In each site, sandy event deposits are interbeded in the muddy, hemipelagic sedimentation. The age of event deposits has been compared to the record of historical earthquakes using new and published macroseismic data. This comparison shows temporal coincidence of some event deposits and documented earthquakes with a macroseismic intensity ≥ VII in the area, e.g. in 1861 CE, 1888 CE and 1909 CE. In nearshore, shallow-water settings, the record of event deposits does not exactly fit with the historical record of large earthquakes because too few event deposits are present. This may be due to the absence of sediment failures or to a lower preservation of the deposits in such settings. In the deepest site, in the basin floor, the correspondence is better: a sandy turbidite probably corresponds to each large earthquake since 1850 CE, except one aseismic sediment density flow that occurred at the end of the 20th century. Surprisingly, the Ms = 6.2, June 15, 1995 Aigion earthquake is only possibly recorded in one nearshore site on the Aigion Shelf, in the form of a tsunami back-wash flow deposit. This study showed that moderate earthquakes (M 5.8-6.5) can significantly impact marine sediments. Regarding the evaluation of seismic hazard in the area, the basin floor is proposed as a promising site for long term paleoseismology in the Gulf of Corinth, while shallower settings need to be considered more carefully.

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Event-driven deltaic sedimentation on a low-gradient, low-energy shelf: The Brazos River subaqueous delta, northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Cited by 23 publications

References 51 publications

Shallow marine response to global climate change during the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum, Salisbury Embayment, USA

Shallow marine response to global climate change during the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum, Salisbury Embayment, USA

The influence of a salt wedge intrusion on fluvial suspended sediment and the implications for sediment transport to the adjacent coastal ocean: A study of the lower Brazos River TX, USA

Sedimentary impacts of recent moderate earthquakes from the shelves to the basin floor in the western Gulf of Corinth

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