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The initiation of submarine slope failure and the emplacement of mass transport complexes in salt-related minibasins: A three-dimensional seismic-reflection case study from the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil

2012; Geological Society of America; Volume: 124; Issue: 5-6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1130/b30554.1

1943-2674

Christopher Jackson,

Seismic Imaging and Inversion Techniques

Research Article| May 01, 2012 The initiation of submarine slope failure and the emplacement of mass transport complexes in salt-related minibasins: A three-dimensional seismic-reflection case study from the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil Christopher Aiden-Lee Jackson Christopher Aiden-Lee Jackson † Department of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK †E-mail: c.jackson@imperial.ac.uk Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Christopher Aiden-Lee Jackson † Department of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK †E-mail: c.jackson@imperial.ac.uk Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 03 Jun 2011 Revision Received: 13 Aug 2011 Accepted: 16 Aug 2011 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 © 2012 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2012) 124 (5-6): 746–761. https://doi.org/10.1130/B30554.1 Article history Received: 03 Jun 2011 Revision Received: 13 Aug 2011 Accepted: 16 Aug 2011 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Christopher Aiden-Lee Jackson; The initiation of submarine slope failure and the emplacement of mass transport complexes in salt-related minibasins: A three-dimensional seismic-reflection case study from the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil. GSA Bulletin 2012;; 124 (5-6): 746–761. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B30554.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Three-dimensional seismic-reflection data are used to characterize the seismic expression and investigate the origin of two mass transport complexes (sensu Moscardelli and Wood, 2007) that are contained in two salt-related minibasins on the São Paulo Plateau, offshore SE Brazil. The mass transport complexes contain numerous slide blocks, which are expressed on seismic data as broadly tabular packages of weakly deformed reflections. Individual slide blocks are up to 50 m thick and up to 1 km2 in plan view. The slide blocks are flanked by laterally continuous reflections, which are interpreted as the seismic expression of either a thin mudstone-dominated debrite deposit or a thin interval of hemipelagic mudstones. The surface that bounds the base of the two mass transport complexes is planar, and this suggests that the associated gravity-flow event caused only limited erosion of the seafloor. The upper surfaces of the mass transport complexes are very rugose and onlapped by overlying strata, indicating that the slide blocks formed seabed relief of up to 20 m. The complexes occur at the base of a unit that thins toward the margins of the studied minibasins, and the slide blocks in the mass transport complexes decrease in size and density away from the salt-cored structural high that separates the two minibasins. Based on its seismic stratigraphic context and the spatial distribution of the slide blocks that they contain, the mass transport complexes are interpreted to have been derived from the failure of the margins of the salt-cored high in response to a period of relatively rapid minibasin subsidence. The results of this study indicate that large volumes of sedimentary material may be derived from the margins of salt-related minibasins in relatively distal submarine settings. From a geohazard perspective, this observation is important because the risk associated with submarine slope failure, and the transport and emplacement of large blocks, is typically thought to be low in relatively distal, deep-water environments. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.