Deep marine systems: processes, deposits

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Responsibility Kevin T. Hiscott ; with contribution from Thomas Heard. Richard N. Hiscott Memorial University of Newfoundland. Contributions to Modern and Ancient Tidal Sedimentology. Proceedings of the Tidalites Conference. Coastal Zone Management. The Mekong. Biophysical Environment of an International River Basin. The oceans are bound by continental crust, which contributes huge volumes of sediment to ocean basins and concentrates large clastic depositional systems near the margin of the continents Nichols, The issue with deep-water sedimentation is that, although modern systems are easy to identify, they are extremely difficult to access.

Study of the deep ocean is therefore largely dependent on bathometric surveys, sonar, and seismic reflection surveys. Figure 1: Schematic block diagram of ocean floor showing the crust and its relationship to the mid-ocean ridge.

Despite their relatively low gradient, the continental slopes are often cut by steep sided submarine canyons, which can serve as pathways for sediment transport from the continent to the deep ocean. Beyond the continental slopes, the ocean floor is generally a broad flat plain, except in areas where there are occasional subaqueous volcanoes, known as seamounts. These can be significant sources of volcaniclastic material to submarine depositional systems.

The deepest parts of the ocean occur where oceanic plates are actively subducting. Such is the case along the Marianas Trench where the Pacific plate is subducting beneath the Mariana Plate Hole, Because that environment is far from the continental margin, it is sediment starved.

We can compare that to the subduction along S. In this way, the morphology of the sea floor helps determine the availability of sediment and contributes to the development of deep marine sedimentary environments e.

Hole, , Gamberi et al. Depositional Processes and Facies Debris Flow Deposits and Turbidites The movement and deposition of clastic material in the deep ocean is primarily achieved through mass movement of material by debris flows and turbidity currents.

Figure 2. Schematic diagram showing the submarine fan geometries that result from varies sediment types Nichols, Pelagic Sedimentation Fine suspended material in the ocean can include dust blown from the continents by wind, small particles of ash from volcanic eruptions, particulate matter from fires, and bioclastic material from the remains of numerous varieties of marine organisms.

Figure 3: Schematic cross section of the ocean showing different depositional zones based on the calcite compensation depth Nichols, Controls on Depositional System Evolution Sedimentation in the extreme deep ocean is predicated upon several factors: 1. Figure 4: Facies model for gravel-rich submarine fan- small coarse fan delta composed mainly of debris flows Nichols, Figure 5: Facies model for a sand-rich submarine fan- sand rich turbidites formed into lobe shapes that stretch out to the basin floor Nichols, Figure 6: Facies model for a mixed sand-mud fan- lobes are a mix of mud and sand and build further out into the basin Nichols, Figure 7: Facies model for a muddy submarine fan- elongate lobes stretch very far out into the deep basin, sand in some channels Nichols, Figure 8: Facies model for slope apron deposits- debris flow, slumps, and spill over sands form along the continental slope Nichols, Calvert, S.

Middleton, G. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht; — Einsele, G. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. Gamberi, F. Hole, M. Johns, D. Masson, D. Basin Research, 6, 17—