Sediment distribution about salt domes and ridges on Louisiana slope
Salt ridges and domes underlie much of the present Louisiana slope. The bathymetric expression of underlying salt could be either a mound or a flattening of the normal rate of descent down the slope. The mounded salt features form barriers to the gravity-driven sediments from the shelf break. Much industrial research has been done in the search for reservoir sands about such an obstruction. Parallel-bedded sediments from foredrifts on the upcurrent side of a seamount. These foredrift sediments were deposited where the prevailing ocean bottom currents were locally decelerated by the obstructing seamount. Moats are found on the sides of the obstruction and are the result of erosion or nondeposition owing to acceleration of deflected waters. Leedrifts are found on the downcurrent side of the obstruction. Current gyres result from deceleration of accelerated currents along the obstruction's flanks, and a complex sedimentation pattern results. Flow over the obstruction's top is determined by size and shape of the obstruction relative to size and velocity of the bottom-following current. A turbulent wave will be set up which may have sufficient amplitude to influence sedimentation on the downcurrent side. If ocean bottoms currents equal gravity-driven terrigenous sediment movement and seamounts equal salt domes and ridges, then the result of deep ocean surveys are directly applicable to sedimentation on slopes with underlying salt basement. The salt-related sedimentation pattern of the present slope should be applicable to similar paleoenvironments.
- OSTI ID:
- 6427024
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8410143-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol., Bull.; (United States), Vol. 68:9; Conference: 34. annual meeting of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies and Gulf Coast Section of SEPM, Shreveport, LA, USA, 24 Oct 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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