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Finding order in chaos: a multi scale study of mass-transport deposits
Cardona, Sebastian
Cardona, Sebastian
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2020
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2021-06-04
Abstract
Even in chaos, there is a pinch of order. This research compiles the research collaborations investigating deposits from siliciclastic submarine failures—also known as mass transport complexes (MTCs) or deposits (MTDs)—using multi-scale methodologies and datasets including outcrops, cores, and seismic data. Although these deposits are chaotic by nature, detailed outcrop studies reveal a scale-independent degree of order. It is now widely recognized that such deposits are ubiquitous stratigraphic components in ancient and modern deepwater basins. Nevertheless, when compared to other deposits (e.g., turbidites), submarine failure deposits are still understudied. This dissertation addresses this gap by establishing a depositional model for outcrops of submarine failure deposits by using well-established sedimentology methodologies and further their systematic char-acterization in the world-class outcrops of the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand. Besides the sedimentologic amusement innate to these deposits, understanding the nature of such deposits carries societal and economic implications. This dissertation also includes the results of my participation as shipboard sedimentologist in the IODP Expedition 372, that investigated a submarine landslide located offshore Gisborne, New Zealand. This landslide is potentially linked to gas hydrate dissociation. This dissertation characterizes the physical properties of the strain-weakening layer in this landslide using physical and microscopic methodologies Finally, this dissertation addresses an out-standing challenge faced by exploration companies as deepwater frontiers expand—predicting the sealing quality of submarine failure deposits in hydrocarbon accumulations. A novel methodology is proposed, which has been already applied by several companies with positive feedback. The refinement of the proposed methodology poses questions for future research that will enhance the understanding and prediction of how submarine failure deposits interact with fluid in the subsurface.
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