Late Quaternary sedimentology of Continental Slope (longitude 94/degrees/ to 95/degrees/30'), northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Conference · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6127528

Satterfield, W M; Behrens, E W

Recent analysis of high-resolution seismic (3.5 kHz), piston core, multichannel seismic, and side-scan sonar data from the continental slope has been used to determine the distribution of acoustic facies and sediment types and to interpret the depositional processes and their controls. Although hemipelagic drape is aerially the most extensive sediment, much thicker sequences of slumps, slides, debris flows, and turbidites are concentrated in intraslope basins and troughs created by salt/shale tectonics. Sedimentation concentrated by tectonics also affects diapir tectonism, producing a cyclic feedback of sediments. This tectonosedimentary cyclicity is superimposed on and interrelated to larger scale sequences resulting from glacio-eustatic cycles. A recently discovered interbasin channel shows a pathway through which sand has been transported to a midslope basin where the channel ends. This pathway crosses two filled upper slope basins, showing a succession of downslope basin-filling. Enigmatically, basins farther downslope contain sands indicating other, unknown channels or quite rapid destruction of downslope sediment conduits by salt tectonism.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Texas, Austin (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6127528
• Report Number(s): CONF-8810362-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 72:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
GULF OF MEXICO
ROCKS
SALT DEPOSITS
SEAS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEDIMENTATION
SEISMIC SURVEYS
SHALES
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
TECTONICS