Role of Froude supercritical flow in active margin basin-floor fans, The

This dissertation focuses on the active margin basin floor fan and tests the hypothesis that whether Froude supercritical flow and a high degree of channelization are common features in basin floor fans, even in a distal part. The Froude supercritical flow may control the architecture and characteristics of basin-floor fan. To test this hypothesis, two main study regions were chosen in California, which are Cretaceous Point Loma Formation in San Diego and Juncal Formation in Santa Barbara. Cretaceous Point Loma Formation previously interpreted as distal fan deposits, exhibit channelized deposits occur intimately interbedded and laterally related to heterolithic as well as muddy lobe facies. The study reveals that the formation of the submarine fan occurred through channel avulsions rather than bifurcations into distributary channels. Juncal formation demonstrates proximal to distal submarine fan environments. The study shows that supercritical flow structures occur at multiple scales and occur across the whole fan. This work further indicates that supercritical flow in deepwater systems is not limited to high gradients, such as expected in slope systems. The outcrop studies were conducted in conjunction with a review of existing literature to comprehensively document the deposits resulting from supercritical flow in both slope and basin-floor fan environments. The comparative analysis reveals that slope deposits formed under supercritical flow conditions display a greater number of erosional characteristics.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geology and Geological Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Sapardina, Dessy W.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Plink-Björklund, Piret

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Miskimins, Jennifer L.
• Wood, Lesli J.
• Jobe, Zane R.

• active margin
• basin-floor fan
• supercritical flow

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright of the original work is retained by the author.

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

Identifier

T 9658

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.mines.edu:11124/178667