Mass transport deposits (MTDs) have attracted widespread attention from scholars because of their powerful sediment transport ability and capping effect on shallow natural gas reservoirs. Due to the rich types and development of MTDs, the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB) is considered an excellent place to study the triggering mechanisms of MTDs. Based on 2D seismic data, the types, characteristics, distribution, and sources of the Quaternary MTDs in the QDNB are recorded. In addition, the triggering mechanisms and sedimentary evolutionary patterns are examined. There are three types of MTDs in the study area: shelf-attached MTDs, slope-attached MTDs, and magmatic intrusion-triggered MTDs. The shelf-attached MTDs developed in the northwestern slope of the basin, and they are thick and wide in scale. The slope-attached MTDs developed in the northeastern slope area of the basin, and they are thin and wide in scale. A magmatic intrusion-triggered MTDs are developed in the bulge area of the southern basin, with small in scale and large thickness differences. The transport direction of these MTDs is mainly from the northwest-southeast and southeast-northwest. The analysis of the tectonic-sedimentary evolution of the QDNB reveals that the MTDs may have been controlled by the following five factors: first, the bottom configuration controlled the MTDs’ flow direction; second, the amplitude of the sea-level fluctuation and the reactivation intensity of the main fault in the basin may have triggered the large-scale, attached MTDs in the northern slope area; third, the high sedimentation rate controlled the attached MTDs, the shelf-attached MTDs developed when the source supply was strong, but the slope-attached MTDs developed when the source supply was weak. Furthermore, magmatic activity controlled the development and distribution scale of magmatic intrusion-triggered MTDs in the southern QDNB.

You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.