Abstract The informally named Cigar and Dog outcrops are amalgamated channels and minor mass-transport complexes within a Tortonian-age submarine-fan complex in the Tabernas basin of southeast Spain. The submarine-fan complex within the chozas Formation has been mapped in detail by Kleverlaan (1989) . Fie named the lowermost, sand-rich fan complex “System 1” in a time-slice reconstruction of the basin. The entire System 1 fan complex measures about 6 km (3.7 mi) in an east-west direction and 3 km (1.9 mi) in a north—south direction. The fan consists of a series of linear, coalesced, gravel-filled channels that feed into a sandy lobe consisting of stacked, gravel- to sand-filled scours. The Dog and Cigar outcrops are located within this sandy lobe (Figures 1 , 2 ). This sand-rich lobe is encased in mudstones and has a maximum thickness of 180 m (591 ft). The sediments are composed of lithic fragments of schists, gneisses, and a minor amount of marble, indicating provenance from the north from a paleovalley incised into the metamorphic rocks of the northern basin margin ( Figure 2 ). The typical internal architecture of System 1 is that of a stack of deep, relatively narrow scours filled with sandstone and pebbly sandstone with some laterally extensive, well-stratified beds. Mud drapes and heterolithics occur with a wide range of lateral extents, but there are no basinwide mud blankets. There is no apparent vertical trend within the overall system, such as thinning- and fining- or thickening- and coarsening-upward, and only a slight average decrease in grain size and increase in mud toward the distal margins of the system.

The late Miocene submarine fan complex of the Tabemas basin, SE Spain, consists of three distinct fan systems including a mixed sand/mud system, an isolated channel complex and a sand-rich system. The latter has been extensively studied and provides excellent insight into the reservoir characteristics of a high net:gross sand-rich system.

The Tabemas submarine fan complex is part of a late Miocene basin fill succession in SE Spain and includes three distinct turbidite systems. These systems are referred to as sand-rich system, mixed sand/mud system, and isolated channel system. Isolated in mudstone, the overall geometry of the sand-rich system is rather well defined. The dominant stacking pattern is aggradational rather than progradational or retrogradational, and sediment accumulation occurred in a relatively small area. This points to a very localised and recurrent increase of accommodation space. The setting of the fan within a strike/slip dominated basin, and the point source tapping from a lithic arenitic provenance area may greatly favour a compact, aggradational architecture. Mapping on a bed by bed basis suggests a considerable relief of the seabed, as can be concluded from the following observations. The bulk of the deposits are originating from high density turbidity currents and have intrinsic geometries with high thickness/width ratios: relatively narrow, well-defined accumulations. Abundant scour features at various scales, generally with high thickness/width ratios (narrow and deep). Syn-sedimentary deformations, such as slides, slumps and pressure ridges (“push-ups”), clastic intrusions, and progressive loading of the entire fan body in the underlying mud. Interaction of above mentioned features and high density turbidites may constitute an additional factor favouring compact fan growth.