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Depositional process and mechanical properties of carbonate turbidites
Dewi, Viska T.
Dewi, Viska T.
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2025
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2026-11-11
Abstract
Carbonates in deep-water environments, resedimented by sediment-gravity flows, exhibit greater complexity and variability than siliciclastic, as carbonate grains display a broader range of settling velocities. This variation is influenced not only by grain size but also by shape and density. These factors are governed by diverse morphologies, skeletal structures, and mineral compositions, which ultimately affect sediment-transport processes. Turbidity currents are the key transport mechanism in generating deep-marine successions. However, studies about depositional processes and turbidite bed types have predominantly focused on siliciclastic systems. This research utilizes polished slab and thin section data from two locations representing a variety of slope sub-environments—the Mississippian Lake Valley Formation in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico, and the Permian Bell Canyon Formation in the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas. The study aims to enhance understanding of calciturbidite depositional processes (including both high-density and low-density turbidites) and investigates its impact on the mechanical properties through an assessment of fracture intensity. I specifically analyze grain-size distribution trends and grain orientations through quantitative methods, integrating observations to reconstruct hydrodynamic processes. This includes examining the relationship between flow velocities, bed thickness, aggradation rates, and the relative duration of deposition. Such interpretations help determine whether the deposits originated from high-density or low-density turbidity currents. Our findings have significant implications for predicting sedimentological and geomechanical characteristics in both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs, particularly within calciturbidites in carbonate slope settings.
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