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MASS TRANSPORT COMPLEX IN THE BASIN FLOOR ENVIRONMENT OF THE DANUBE SUBMARINE FAN, WESTERN BLACK SEA
Abstract
In the northwestern Black Sea the Danube deep sea fan has an extent of over 150 km and stretches from several hundred meters water depth down to the abyssal plain at 2200 m water depth. This large turbiditic system comprises a series of channel-levee systems, with deposits of mass transport. Its evolution was due to the fluctuations of sea level and sediment inputs. Sedimentary and seismic facies identified on the Danube deep sea fan are similar to those that characterize most fans of this type. In the study area was identified typical deep-water depositional sequences consisting of debris flow deposits overlain by sandy deposits of frontal splay, channel fill deposits, leveed-channel deposits, and finally fallowed by condensed sections - according to model proposed by Posamentier and Koola (2003)[7] from other studies made by Weimer (1991), Piper et al. (1997) [5], Pirmez et al. (1997) [6], Manley and Flood (1998) [3], Maslin et al. ( 1998) [4], Beauboeuf and Friedmann (2000) [1], Brami et al. (2000) [2], and Winker and Booth (2000) ) [8] In this paper we analyzed the mass transport facies distribution in the study area and determined the thickness values. This is possible following 95 seismic profiles which extend between 1000 m and 1750 m water depth. We identified, delineated and analyzed on the seismic sections the deep-water deposits on the Danube submarine fan and, based on interpretation and correlation of seismic horizons, we could estimate the values of sedimentary facies thickness on the izochrone and thickness maps using the software Petrel and applying seismo-stratigraphic method. The sequence boundaries marked on seismic profiles are available in two-way travel time TWT (ms. Mass transport deposits (MTD) appears to be a predominant process for deposition in the submarine environment. MTD occur in the Danube submarine fan where mass wasting is due to sediment instability on the upper slope because of the large influx of unconsolidated material and the high slope gradients. The channel-levee systems are intercalated with commonly structureless reflective bodies interpreted as mass-transport deposits, including slides, slumps and debris-flows (H.K.Wong et al.,1994). Like the other systems of this type (Amazon fan, Missisippi fan or Indus fan ) the Danube fan consists of stacked channel-levee system intercalated with mass- transport deposits.
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References10
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