Morphology and sedimentology of two contemporary fan deltas on the southeastern Baja California Peninsula, Mexico
1995; Elsevier BV; Volume: 98; Issue: 1-4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/0037-0738(95)00026-5
ISSN1879-0968
AutoresEnrique H. Nava‐Sánchez, Rodolfo Cruz-Orozco, Donn S. Gorsline,
Tópico(s)Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
ResumoAbstract The San Juan de Los Planes drainage basin is located on the southeastern margin of the Baja California Peninsula, approximately 20 km southeast of the city of La Paz. Pleistocene alluvial fans have been built into the basin from the surrounding areas of high relief and are presently being eroded. At the fan apex, the dissection depth ranges from 20 to 40 m, and is 6 to 15 m at the coast. The sediments have been redeposited in several active modern fan deltas built out into the narrow shelf of La Ventana Bay. Shelf width ranges from 0 to 5 km (average 3 km). Wave energy is delivered from southeasterly storms and from the local sea breeze winds; the respective wave heights average 2 and 1 m. The Agua Caliente and Las Canoas fan deltas, the subjects of this paper, are located on the active El Sargento Fault Zone and are fed by channels that deeply dissect the older fan surfaces. The Agua Caliente fan delta is a classic Gilbert-type delta with a steeply inclined delta front. Wave reworking and redistribution of the sediments at the delta face are important and a wave-cut terrace has developed at about 6 m depth. The Las Canoas fan delta is a shoal-water-profile, Hjulstrom type with a gently inclined delta front. Wave energy is less important. The alignments of the coasts of both fans are controlled by the fault line. Sediment supply is largest for the Las Canoas fan delta. The fan deltas are examples of this depositional form as it has developed in an arid, tectonically active, high-relief and narrow neo-trailing edge margin.
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