Supercritical and subcritical turbidity currents and their deposits- A synthesis

George Postma, Matthieu Cartigny

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Common facies models of turbidite deposits are based on idealized sequences of turbidite
units, which are assumed to reflect the depositional processes of a decelerating turbidity current.
We show how suites of turbidite units, i.e., distinct turbidite facies associations that
are easily described from core and outcrop, may characterize the entire range of large-scale
dynamics of turbidity currents, enabling estimates of their densimetric Froude number (Fr;
subcritical versus supercritical) and suspension fall-out rate (stratified versus nonstratified
flows). The linking of facies associations with large-scale flow dynamics resolves process-facies
links that were hitherto unresolved by the common turbidite facies models.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)987-990
JournalGeology
Volume42
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

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