Mass-Transport-Complexes
(MTCs) in the Western Offshore
Hansen, Dorthe Moeller1,
Jonathan Redfern2 (1)
This research focuses on MTCs in the
Plio-Pleistocene section of a large (>5,000km2) 3D seismic survey
from the offshore Nile Delta. MTCs occur throughout the survey area and are
particularly abundant in the shallowest section. They vary from small (a few km3),
often frontally emergent MTCs that exhibit simple internal deformation to much
larger (several tens of km3), typically frontally confined MTCs,
that exhibit highly variable and largely chaotic internal characters reflecting
a high degree of internal deformation.
Detailed seismic mapping allows analysis
of the controls on development and location of MTCs. Some MTCs are initiated in
the hangingwall of a NE-SW trending segment of the Rosetta Fault, and some are
laterally confined by N-S trending segments of the fault. Timing of fault
movement is coincident with MTC development. Local erosion and collapse of the
footwall indicates multiple episodes of considerable fault scarp development.
In the central part of the study area MTCs show a clear spatial relationship
with the underlying Nile Delta Offshore Anticline, whilst to the west, recent
mass-wasting is attributed to shelf-break collapse.
Constructive and destructive MTC and
channel-levee-system (CLS) relationships are evident throughout the study area
and we provide a catalogue of styles of MTC-CLS interaction and consider their
implications for hydrocarbon exploration. This research offers analogue data to
provide a better understanding of slope processes, their controls and
interaction, emphasizing the key importance this has for exploration in similar
settings along the
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California