High-Resolution
Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Sand Accumulation on an Active Highstand Submarine Fan in
Romans, Brian W.1, William R.
Normark2 (1)
The controls on the sediment distribution
and evolution of sand-rich deep-marine systems are commonly attributed to a
combination of extrinsic factors that include tectonic setting and activity,
changes in eustatic and/or relative sea level, and
climatic fluctuations. Investigation of modern settings, where these factors
are well understood, can provide a test of models for deep-water depositional
systems. The
This study shows that the bulk of the
sand accumulation is in the middle fan area and is characterized by shifting
lobe complexes at the mouth of the Hueneme channel.
Additionally, precise sediment thickness maps when integrated with a
radiocarbon-dated core sequence permit calculation of changing sediment volume
with time. Accumulation rates are generally about one cubic kilometer per 100
years but vary by a factor of five during centennial scale intervals,
suggesting an underlying climatic and/or tectonic origin.
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California