High-resolution, millennial-scale patterns of bed compensation on a sand-rich intraslope submarine fan, western Niger Delta slope

Abstract

Research Article| January 01, 2017 High-resolution, millennial-scale patterns of bed compensation on a sand-rich intraslope submarine fan, western Niger Delta slope Zane R. Jobe; Zane R. Jobe † 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA §Present address: Department of Geology, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA. †[e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Zoltán Sylvester; Zoltán Sylvester 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA #Present address: Chevron Energy Technology Company, Houston, Texas 77002, USA. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Nick Howes; Nick Howes 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Carlos Pirmez; Carlos Pirmez 2Shell Italia Exploration and Production, Inc., 1 00144 Rome, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Andrew Parker; Andrew Parker 3Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77840, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Alessandro Cantelli; Alessandro Cantelli 4Shell Exploration and Production Company, Houston, Texas 77079, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ru Smith; Ru Smith 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Matthew A. Wolinsky; Matthew A. Wolinsky 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ciaran O’Byrne; Ciaran O’Byrne 4Shell Exploration and Production Company, Houston, Texas 77079, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Niall Slowey; Niall Slowey 3Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77840, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Brad Prather Brad Prather 5CarTerra, LLC, 13607 Pinerock Lane, Houston, Texas 77079, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Zane R. Jobe §Present address: Department of Geology, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA. † 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA Zoltán Sylvester #Present address: Chevron Energy Technology Company, Houston, Texas 77002, USA. 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA Nick Howes 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA Carlos Pirmez 2Shell Italia Exploration and Production, Inc., 1 00144 Rome, Italy Andrew Parker 3Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77840, USA Alessandro Cantelli 4Shell Exploration and Production Company, Houston, Texas 77079, USA Ru Smith 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA Matthew A. Wolinsky 1Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc., Houston, Texas 77082, USA Ciaran O’Byrne 4Shell Exploration and Production Company, Houston, Texas 77079, USA Niall Slowey 3Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77840, USA Brad Prather 5CarTerra, LLC, 13607 Pinerock Lane, Houston, Texas 77079, USA †[e-mail] Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 06 Oct 2015 Revision Received: 23 May 2016 Accepted: 12 Jul 2016 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online Issn: 1943-2674 Print Issn: 0016-7606 © 2016 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2017) 129 (1-2): 23–37. https://doi.org/10.1130/B31440.1 Article history Received: 06 Oct 2015 Revision Received: 23 May 2016 Accepted: 12 Jul 2016 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Zane R. Jobe, Zoltán Sylvester, Nick Howes, Carlos Pirmez, Andrew Parker, Alessandro Cantelli, Ru Smith, Matthew A. Wolinsky, Ciaran O’Byrne, Niall Slowey, Brad Prather; High-resolution, millennial-scale patterns of bed compensation on a sand-rich intraslope submarine fan, western Niger Delta slope. GSA Bulletin 2017;; 129 (1-2): 23–37. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B31440.1 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 Near-seafloor core and seismic reflection-data from the western Niger Delta continental slope document the facies, architecture, and evolution of submarine channel and intraslope submarine fan deposits. The submarine channel enters an 8-km-long by 8-km-wide intraslope basin, where more than 100 m of deposits form an intraslope submarine fan. Lobe deposits in the intraslope submarine fan show no significant downslope trend in sand presence or grain size, indicating that flows were bypassing sediment through the basin. This unique data set indicates that intraslope lobe deposits may have more sand-rich facies near lobe edges than predicted by traditional lobe facies models, and that thickness patterns in intraslope submarine fans do not necessarily correlate with sand presence and/or quality.Core and radiocarbon age data indicate that sand beds southward during the late Pleistocene, resulting in the compensation of at least two lobe elements. The youngest lobe element is well characterized by core data and is sand rich, ∼2 km wide × 6 km long, and >1 m thick and was deposited rapidly over ∼4000 yr, from 18 to 14 ka. Sand beds forming an earlier lobe element were deposited on the northern part of the fan from ca. 25 to 18 ka. Seafloor geomorphology and amplitudes from seismic reflection data confirm the location and age of these two compensating lobe elements. A third compensation event would have shifted sand deposition back to the northern part of the fan, but sediment supply was interrupted by rapid sea-level rise during Meltwater Pulse 1-A at ca. 14 ka, resulting in abandonment of the depositional system. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.