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Grain-size controls on the morphology and internal geometry of river-dominated deltas

Alexander P. Burpee, Rudy L. Slingerland, Douglas A. Edmonds, Daniel Parsons, Jim Best, James A. Cederberg, Andrew McGuffin, Rebecca Caldwell, Austin Nijhuis and Jordan Royce
Grain-size controls on the morphology and internal geometry of river-dominated deltas
Journal of Sedimentary Research (June 2015) 85 (6): 699-714

Abstract

Predictions of a delta's morphology, facies, and stratigraphy are typically derived from its relative wave, tide, and river energies, with sediment type playing a lesser role. Here we test the hypothesis that, all other factors being equal, the topset of a relatively noncohesive, sandy delta will have more active distributaries, a less rugose shoreline morphology, less topographic variation in its topset, and less variability in foreset dip directions than a highly cohesive, muddy delta. As a consequence its stratigraphy will have greater clinoform dip magnitudes and clinoform concavity, a greater percentage of channel facies, and less rugose sand bodies than a highly cohesive, muddy delta. Nine self-formed deltas having different sediment grain sizes and critical shear stresses required for re-entrainment of mud are simulated using Deflt3D, a 2D flow and sediment-transport model. Model results indicate that sand-dominated deltas are more fan-shaped while mud-dominated deltas are more birdsfoot in planform, because the sand-dominated deltas have more active distributaries and a smaller variance of topset elevations, and thereby experience a more equitable distribution of sediment to their perimeters. This results in a larger proportion of channel facies in sand-dominated deltas, and more uniformly distributed clinoform dip directions, steeper dips, and greater clinoform concavity. These conclusions are consistent with data collected from the Goose River Delta, a coarse-grained fan delta prograding into Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada. A reinterpretation of the Kf-1 parasequence set of the Cretaceous Last Chance Delta, a unit of the Ferron Sandstone near Emery, Utah, USA uses Ferron grain-size data, clinoform-dip data, clinoform concavity, and variance of dip directions to hindcast the delta's planform. The Kf-1 Last Chance Delta is predicted to have been more like a fan delta in planform than a birdsfoot delta.


ISSN: 1527-1404
EISSN: 1938-3681
Serial Title: Journal of Sedimentary Research
Serial Volume: 85
Serial Issue: 6
Title: Grain-size controls on the morphology and internal geometry of river-dominated deltas
Affiliation: Pennsylvania State University, Department of Geosciences, University Park, PA, United States
Pages: 699-714
Published: 20150629
Text Language: English
Publisher: Society for Sedimentary Geology, Tulsa, OK, United States
References: 91
Accession Number: 2015-082090
Categories: Sedimentary petrology
Document Type: Serial
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: illus. incl. 2 tables, sketch maps
N51°30'00" - N61°00'00", W67°30'00" - W55°30'00"
Secondary Affiliation: Indiana University, USA, United StatesUniversity of Hull, GBR, United KingdomUniversity of Illinois, USA, United StatesBoston College, USA, United States
Country of Publication: United States
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2017, American Geosciences Institute. Reference includes data from GeoScienceWorld, Alexandria, VA, United States. Reference includes data supplied by SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), Tulsa, OK, United States
Update Code: 201535
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