Deepwater Fans


El Capitan Reef to left while to right are interfingering mixed slope carbonates and bypassing and onlapping clastics, Below El Capitan Reef margin are Brushy Canyon clastics. Stratigraphy of Permian Delaware Basin margin in West Texas from a diagram drawn by Ric Sarg Diagramatic cross section of Stratigraphy of Permian Delaware Basin margin in West Texas from the perspective of regressive and transgressive sequences drawn by Art Saller. Stratigraphy of Permian Delaware Basin in West Texas from a diagram by Kerans and Kempter, 1999. Note the evolving architecture of carbonate basin margin formed during highstands of sea level and clastic bypass from lowstands in sea level. Note updip clastics interfinger with the carbonate margin transported here from landward. Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas Basin Margin Stratigraphy from a modified diagram by Harris and Saller, 1999 Block diagram of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas Basin Margin Stratigraphy by C. G. St. C. Kendall. Lowstand clastic bypass into deeper basin over carbonate margin. Bone Spring Limestone carbonate fill of slope channel cut into a carbonate basin margin exposed in Schumard Canyon just below the West Face of Guadalupe Mountains, north of the Williams Ranch. Note intersecting erosional surfaces of the Bone Spring Carbonate. This is part of complex mix of Bone Spring Formation unstable carbonate and clastics shed from basin margin bypassing into deeper basin of Bone Spring. These rocks are overlain by Cut Off Formation. Bone Spring Limestone carbonate fill of slope channel cut into a carbonate basin margin exposed in Schumard Canyon just below the West Face of Guadalupe Mountains, north of the Williams Ranch. Note intersecting erosional surfaces of the Bone Spring Carbonate. This is part of complex mix of Bone Spring Formation unstable carbonate and clastics shed from basin margin bypassing into deeper basin of Bone Spring. These rocks are overlain by Cut Off Formation Stratigraphic cross section of Brushy Canyon overlying Cutoff Member slope channel fill incised into Bone Spring Limestone. West face of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas. Lowstand clastic bypass into deeper basin over carbonate margin. Allochthonous of Cut Off Member of West Face of Guadalupe Mountains. Channel fill in basin margin slope of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas. Lowstand unstable carbonate shed from basin margin bypassing into deeper basin over carbonate margin of Bone Spring. Clinoforms of the Capitan Limestone margin exposed in the Guadalupe Mountains. The carbonate basin margin slope of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas was unstable and shed carbonate conglomerates and debris flows into the proximal basin outcropping as ledges in the valley wall. A mix of unstable carbonate and clastics were shed from basin margin at onset of lowstands into the deeper basin. Radar conglomerate composed of mixed fragments of the Capitan Limestone margin exposed in the Guadalupe Mountains at the onset of a sealevel low and clastics. The carbonate basin margin slope of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas was unstable and shed carbonate conglomerates and debris flows into the deeper proximal basin. Radar conglomerate composed of mixed fragments of the Capitan Limestone margin exposed in the Guadalupe Mountains at the onset of a sealevel low and clastics. The carbonate basin margin slope of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas was unstable and shed carbonate conglomerates and debris flows into the deeper proximal basin. Radar conglomerate composed of mixed fragments of the Capitan Limestone margin exposed in the Guadalupe Mountains at the onset of a sealevel low and clastics. The carbonate basin margin slope of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas was unstable and shed carbonate conglomerates and debris flows into the deeper proximal basin. Radar conglomerate composed of mixed fragments of the Capitan Limestone margin exposed in the Guadalupe Mountains at the onset of a sealevel low and clastics. The carbonate basin margin slope of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas was unstable and shed carbonate conglomerates and debris flows into the deeper proximal basin. Radar conglomerate composed of mixed fragments of the Capitan Limestone margin exposed in the Guadalupe Mountains at the onset of a sealevel low and clastics. The carbonate basin margin slope of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas was unstable and shed carbonate conglomerates and debris flows into the deeper proximal basin. Radar conglomerate composed of mixed fragments of the Capitan Limestone margin exposed in the Guadalupe Mountains at the onset of a sealevel low and clastics. The carbonate basin margin slope of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas was unstable and shed carbonate conglomerates and debris flows into the deeper proximal basin. Stratigraphic cross section with stacking patterns and fill of middle slope channel tied to block diagram of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas by Beaubouef et al 1999. Lowstand clastic bypass into deeper basin over carbonate margin. Stratigraphic cross section with stacking patterns and fill of middle slope channel tied to block diagram of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas by Beaubouef et al 1999. Lowstand clastic bypass into deeper basin over carbonate margin. Stratigraphic cross section with stacking patterns and fill of middle slope channel tied to block diagram of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas by Beaubouef et al 1999. Lowstand clastic bypass into deeper basin over carbonate margin. Stratigraphic cross section with stacking patterns and fill of middle slope channel tied to block diagram of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas by Beaubouef et al 1999. Lowstand clastic bypass into deeper basin over carbonate margin. Stratigraphic cross section with stacking patterns and fill of middle slope channel tied to block diagram of Permian Delaware Basin of West Texas by Beaubouef et al 1999. Lowstand clastic bypass into deeper basin over carbonate margin. Photo from close to the base of the El Capitan Reef . Distant view of mainly of interfingering mixed slope materials which are mainly by passing Brushy Canyon clastics that underlie the Capitan Limestone Reef. View to east from close to the base of the El Capitan Reef overlook. This is a distant view of mainly interfingering mixed deepwater clastic fill of channels of mid slope. Mainly by passing Brushy Canyon clastics that underlie the Capitan Limestone Reef . This latter is not in this photograph but is to the west of here. View to east from close to the base of the El Capitan Reef overlook. This is a distant view of mainly interfingering mixed deepwater clastic fill of channels incised into mid slope. Mainly by passing Brushy Canyon clastics that underlie the Capitan Limestone Reef . This latter is not in this photograph but is to the west of here. Brushy Canyon deepwater clastic fill of incised channelled fans of mid slope into overbank facies, Brushy Canyon Formation, Guadalupe Mountains. By pass fill of basin during a lowstand. Close to El Capitan overlook Hwy 62-180. Brushy Canyon clastics of interfingering mixed deepwater clastic fill of channelled fans of mid slope incised into channel overbank deposits . By pass fill of basin during a lowstand. Close to El Capitan overlook on Hwy 62-180. Brushy Canyon clastics of interfingering overbank sands and silts overlain by channel sandstone. Dark organic-rich layers of silts interbedded with sands disturbed by load of weight of rapid implacement of overlying sediment.. By pass fill of basin during a lowstand. Close to El Capitan overlook Hwy 62-180. Toe of slope of Capitan Limeston margin expressed by varve like organic-rich Larmar limestones interbedded with siltier limestones. By pass fill of basin during highstands in sea level. Hwy 62-180 west of New Mexico West Texas border. Larmar limestones at toe of slope of Capitan Limeston margin. Setting expressed by varve like organic-rich interbedded with siltier limestones. By pass fill of basin during highstands in sea level. Hwy 62-180 west of New Mexico West Texas border. Scholle's photograph of Larmar limestones at toe of slope of Capitan Limeston margin. Setting expressed by varve like organic-rich interbedded with siltier limestones. By pass fill of basin during highstands in sea level. Hwy 62-180 west of New Mexico West Texas border. Block diagram of the depositional setting in the invicinity of the Oed Ziz at the Tunnel de Legionaire, High-Atlas Mts, Jurrasic of Morroco Looking north west at exposure of reef carbonates overlain by deepwater slope carbonates in vicinity of the Oed Ziz at the Tunnel de Legionaire, High-Atlas Mts, Jurrasic of Morroco. Looking north west at details of exposure of down slope channled carbonates in vicinity of the Oed Ziz at the Tunnel de Legionaire, High-Atlas Mts, Jurrasic of Morroco. Diagram that explains the slope carbonates in the Oed Ziz in vicinity of the Tunnel de Legionaire, High-Atlas Mts, Jurrasic of Morroco. Looking north west at exposure of slope carbonates in the Oed Ziz north of the Tunnel de Legionaire, High-Atlas Mts, Jurrasic of Morroco. Complex of the cut and fill of Jurassic chanelled carbonate turbidites and pelagic shales in a mid fan position. Photo located in the Oed Ziz to the north of the Tunnel de Legionaire in the High Atlas of Morroco. Exposure of section of the interbedded slope carbonates and shales in the Oed Ziz in vicinity of the Tunnel de Legionaire, High-Atlas Mts, Jurrasic of Morroco. Exposure of section of the interbedded distal slope carbonates and thin shales in the Oed Ziz in the valley to the north of the Tunnel de Legionaire, High-Atlas Mts, Jurrasic of Morroco. Photograph by Paul Heller of the Submarine Canyon at San Pedro in California. Photograph by Paul Heller of Submarine Canyon fill San Pedro in California. Photograph by Paul Heller of deepwater fan lobes outcropping in the Great Valley of California. Venezuelan Carico Basin varved Tertiary sedimentary fill; Photo by David Lea Cross section of the Devonian Canning Basin margin at Windjana Gorge, Western Australia by Phil Playford. Note the downdip Napier Formation composed of mass transported carbonate breccias derived from updip Windjana Limestone of basin margin and Nullara Limestone of shallow water carbonate platform. Cross section of the Devonian Canning Basin margin at Windjana Gorge, Western Australia. Note the downdip Napier Formation composed of mass transported carbonate breccias derived from updip Windjana Limestone of basin margin. Exposure of dital continuous to lenticular sand and shale sheets that accumulated as deepwater turbidite fans with sparse channeling expressed by cut and fill. Alternating sand and shale lenticular sheets that accumulated within fining upward deepwater turbidite fans with sparse channeling expressed by cut and fill. Alternating lenticular sheets of sand and shale that accumulated within fining upward deepwater turbidite fans with sparse channeling expressed by cut and fill. Alternating lenticular sheets of sand and shale that accumulated within fining upward deepwater turbidite fans with sparse channeling expressed by cut and fill. Alternating lenticular sheets of sand and shale that accumulated within fining upward deepwater turbidite fans with sparse channeling expressed by cut and fill. Note classic Bouma cycles of fill. Alternating lenticular sheets of sand and shale that accumulated within fining upward deepwater turbidite fans with sparse channeling expressed by cut and fill. Atlantic margin of Loop Head Co Clare exposing mid to distal sparsely channelled deepwater fan sheets. Atlantic margin of Loop Head Co Clare exposing mid to distal sparsely channelled deepwater fan sand sheets. Details show some of the local channelling. Shannon estuary coast just SE of Loop Head Co Clare at Kilbaha Bay. exposing amalgamated channelled deepwater fan sand sheets. Note cut and fill of one of the sand bodies. Shannon estuary coast just SE of Loop Head Co Clare at Kilbaha Bay. exposing amalgamated channelled deepwater fan sand sheets. Note that below the channelled sand the cut and fill of the underlying inter fan overbank shales. Shannon estuary coast just SE of Loop Head Co Clare at Kilbaha Bay. exposing a megaflute cut in the margin of the channel of an amalgamated channelled deepwater fan sand sheet. Note above and below the channelled sheet sands and shales of mid fan. Shannon estuary coast just SE of Loop Head Co Clare at Kilbaha Bay. exposing erosion and fill of channel by shales and sands. Note above the amalgamated channelled sheet sands of mid fan. Bridges of Ross,exposure of a portion of winged channelized turbidite from Upper Carboniferous Ross Sandstone formation, Western Ireland (Ellliot 2000 a). Detail of the Bridges of Ross, exposure of a portion of winged channelized turbidite from Upper Carboniferous Ross Sandstone formation, Western Ireland (Ellliot 2000 a). Kilcredaun exposure of turbidite sand sheets and channelized turbidite fans from Upper Carboniferous Ross Sandstone formation, Western Ireland.


Deepwater Sedimentary Structures - Fans & Channels.

This is the first gallery of sedimentary structures of deepwater systems and includes outcrops of Permian sediments from the Delaware Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, the Canning Basin, the Devonian and Mississippian of the Appalachians and the Upper Carboniferous of the Shannon basin in Co Clare in Ireland.

This section focuses on broader generalities of the slope margin, submarine fans and the channels that feed them.

Unless otherwise stated many of the photographs below are from Christopher Kendall and Peter Haughton. A number of the images have been grabbed from the web, placed there by generous geologists and utilized with acknowledgement to them where data is available on the photographer. If we missed acknowledgement to you or you have something better you would prefer placed here, please let us know.

 
Monday, November 04, 2013
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