Depositional model and stratigraphic architecture of rift climax Gilbert-type fan deltas (Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

International audienceFacies, depositional model and stratigraphic architecture of Pleistocene giant Gilbert-type fan deltas are presented, based on outcrop data from the Derveni­Akrata region along the southern coast of the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. The common tripartite consisting of topset, foreset and bottomset [Gilbert, G.K., 1885. The topographic features of lake shores: Washington, D.C., United States Geol. Survey, 5th Annual Report, 69­123.] has been identified, as well as the most distal environment consisting of turbidites, and is organised in a repetitive pattern of four main systems tracts showing a clear facies and volumetric partitioning. The first systems tract (ST1) is characterised by the lack of topset beds and the development of a by-pass surface instead, thick foresets and bottomset beds, and thick well-developed turbiditic systems. This systems tract (ST1) is organised in an overall progradational pattern. The second systems tract (ST2) is characterised by a thin topset and almost no foreset equivalent. This systems tract is not always well-preserved and is organised in an overall retrograding trend with a landward shift in the position of the offlap break. The offshore is characterised by massive sandy turbidites. The third systems tract (ST3) is characterised by small-scale deltas prograding above the staked topsets of the giant Gilbert-type fan delta. Those small Gilbert-type fan deltas are generally organised in a pure progradation evolving to an aggradational­progradational pattern. In the distal setting of those small Gilbert-type fan deltas, almost no deposits are preserved on the remaining topography of the previous Gilbert-type fan delta. The fourth systems tract (ST4) is characterised by continuous vertically aggrading topsets that laterally pass into aggrading and prograding foresets. Bottomsets and distal turbiditic systems are starved. This fourth systems tract (ST4) is organised in an overall aggrading trend. These giant Gilbert-type fan deltas correspond to the Middle Group of the Corinth Rift infill and their stratigraphic development was strongly influenced by evolving rift structure. They record the migration of the depocenter from the rift shoulder to the rift axis in four main sequences from ca. 1.5 to 0.7 Ma, related to the migration of fault activity. It is worth noting that the maximum paleobathymetry was recorded during the final stage of the progradation of the Middle Group, suggesting that the rift climax was diachronous at the scale of the entire basin. The rapid (< 1 Ma) structural and sedimentological evolution, the migration of fault activity as well as the youth of the Corinth Rift, are probably exceptional factors allowing the characterisation of such diachronism

Dynamic of a lacustrine sedimentary system during late rifting at the Cretaceous&#8208;Palaeocene transition: Example of the Yacoraite Formation, Salta Basin, Argentina

The architecture of lacustrine systems is the result of the complex interaction between tectonics, climate and environmental parameters, and constitute the main forcing parameters on the lake dynamics. Field analogue studies have been performed to better assess such interactions, and their impact on the facies distribution and the stratigraphic architecture of lacustrine systems. The Yacoraite Formation (Late Cretaceous/Early Palaeocene), deposited during the sag phase of the Salta rift basin in Argentina, is exposed in world-class outcrops that allowed the dynamics of this lacustrine system to be studied through facies analysis and stratigraphic evolution. On the scale of the Alemania-Met\ue1n-El Rey Basin, the Yacoraite Formation is organized with a siliciclastic-dominated margin to the west, and a carbonate-dominated margin to the east. The Yacoraite can be subdivided into four main \u2018mid-term\u2019 sequences and further subdivided into \u2018short-term\u2019 sequences recording high frequency climate fluctuations. Furthermore, the depositional profiles and identified system tracts have been grouped into two end-members at basin scale: (a) a balanced \u2018perennial\u2019 depositional system for the lower part of the Yacoraite Formation and (b) a highly alternating \u2018ephemeral\u2019 depositional system for the upper part of the Yacoraite Formation. The transition from a perennial system to an ephemeral system indicates a change in the sedimentary dynamics of the basin, which was probably linked with the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary that induced a temporary shutdown of carbonate production and an increase in siliciclastic supply

Tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Plio-Pleistocene Corinth rift, Greece

The onshore central Corinth rift contains a syn-rift succession >3 km thick deposited in 5–15 km-wide tilt blocks, all now inactive, uplifted and deeply incised. This part of the rift records upward deepening from fluviatile to lake-margin conditions and finally to sub-lacustrine turbidite channel and lobe complexes, and deep-water lacustrine conditions (Lake Corinth) were established over most of the rift by 3.6 Ma. This succession represents the first of two phases of rift development – Rift 1 from 5.0–3.6 to 2.2–1.8 Ma and Rift 2 from 2.2–1.8 Ma to present. Rift 1 developed as a 30 km-wide zone of distributed normal faulting. The lake was fed by four major N- to NE-flowing antecedent drainages along the southern rift flank. These sourced an axial fluvial system, Gilbert fan deltas and deep lacustrine turbidite channel and lobe complexes. The onset of Rift 2 and abandonment of Rift 1 involved a 30 km northward shift in the locus of rifting. In the west, giant Gilbert deltas built into a deepening lake depocentre in the hanging wall of the newly developing southern border fault system. Footwall and regional uplift progressively destroyed Lake Corinth in the central and eastern parts of the rift, producing a staircase of deltaic and, following drainage reversal, shallow marine terraces descending from >1000 m to present-day sea level. The growth, linkage and death of normal faults during the two phases of rifting is interpreted to reflect self-organisation and strain localisation along co-linear border faults. In the west, interaction with the Patras rift occurred along the major Patras dextral strike-slip fault. This led to enhanced migration of fault activity, uplift and incision of some early Rift 2 fan deltas, and opening of the Rion Straits at c. 400–600 ka. The landscape and stratigraphic evolution of the rift was strongly influenced by regional palaeotopographic variations and local antecedent drainage, both inherited from the Hellenide fold and thrust belt

Catchment drainage network scaling laws found experimentally in overland flow morphologies

The scaling relation between the drainage area and stream length (Hack's law), along with exceedance probabilities of drainage area, discharge, and upstream flow network length, is well known for channelized fluvial regions. We report here on a laboratory experiment on an eroding unconsolidated sediment for which no channeling occurred. Laser scanning was used to capture the morphological evolution of the sediment. High-intensity, spatially nonuniform rainfall ensured that the morphology changed substantially over the 16-hr experiment. Based on the surface scans and precipitation distribution, overland flow was estimated with the D8 algorithm, which outputs a flow network that was analyzed statistically. The above-mentioned scaling and exceedance probability relationships for this overland flow network are the same as those found for large-scale catchments and for laboratory experiments with observable channels. In addition, the scaling laws were temporally invariant, even though the network dynamically changed over the course of experiment

Rapid spatiotemporal variations in rift structure during development of the Corinth Rift, central Greece

The Corinth Rift, central Greece, enables analysis of early rift development as it is young (<5Ma) and highly active and its full history is recorded at high resolution by sedimentary systems. A complete compilation of marine geophysical data, complemented by onshore data, is used to develop a high-resolution chronostratigraphy and detailed fault history for the offshore Corinth Rift, integrating interpretations and reconciling previous discrepancies. Rift migration and localization of deformation have been significant within the rift since inception. Over the last circa 2Myr the rift transitioned from a spatially complex rift to a uniform asymmetric rift, but this transition did not occur synchronously along strike. Isochore maps at circa 100kyr intervals illustrate a change in fault polarity within the short interval circa 620-340ka, characterized by progressive transfer of activity from major south dipping faults to north dipping faults and southward migration of discrete depocenters at ~30m/kyr. Since circa 340ka there has been localization and linkage of the dominant north dipping border fault system along the southern rift margin, demonstrated by lateral growth of discrete depocenters at ~40m/kyr. A single central depocenter formed by circa 130ka, indicating full fault linkage. These results indicate that rift localization is progressive (not instantaneous) and can be synchronous once a rift border fault system is established. This study illustrates that development processes within young rifts occur at 100kyr timescales, including rapid changes in rift symmetry and growth and linkage of major rift faults

Pleistocene terrace deposition related to tectonically controlled surface uplift: an example of the Kyrenia Range lineament in the northern part of Cyprus

AbstractIn this study, we consider how surface uplift of a narrow mountain range has interacted with glacial-related sea-level cyclicity and climatic change to produce a series of marine and non-marine terrace systems. The terrace deposits of the Kyrenia Range record rapid surface uplift of a long-lived tectonic lineament during the early Pleistocene, followed by continued surface uplift at a reduced rate during mid-late Pleistocene. Six terrace depositional systems are distinguished and correlated along the northern and southern flanks of the range, termed K0 to K5. The oldest and highest (K0 terrace system) is present only within the central part of the range. The K2–K5 terrace systems formed later, at sequentially lower levels away from the range. The earliest stage of surface uplift (K0 terrace system) comprises lacustrine carbonates interbedded with mass-flow facies (early Pleistocene?). The subsequent terrace system (K1) is made up of colluvial conglomerate and aeolian dune facies on both flanks of the range. The later terrace systems (K2 to K5) each begin with a basal marine deposit, interpreted as a marine transgression. Deltaic conglomerates prograded during inferred global interglacial stages. Overlying aeolian dune facies represent marine regressions, probably related to global glacial stages. Each terrace depositional system was uplifted and preserved, followed by subsequent deposits at progressively lower topographic levels. Climatic variation during interglacial–glacial cycles and autocyclic processes also exerted an influence on deposition, particularly on short-period fluvial and aeolian deposition

Architecture stratigraphique et flux sédimentaires sur la marge Sud du golfe de Corinthe (Grèce) : Analyse de terrain, modélisations expérimentales et numériques (Thèse soutenue le 2 février 2007)

The objective of the present work is to characterize sediment supply dynamics within the Plio-Pleistocene Corinth Rift using an integrated approach based on field observations and analyses, experimental modeling and numerical modeling. Detailed sedimentological, structural and biostratigraphical studies on the southern coast of the rift provide a tectono-stratigraphic model within a well-constrained climatic and eustatic setting. Stratigraphic simulations (DIONISOS) are used to validate this model, to quantify the sediment supply and to discuss the relative role of four controlling factors on stratigraphic architecture (sediment flux, water flux, subsidence, eustasy). Finally, a geomorphological experimental approach has been developed to study the relative role of factors (rainfall, uplift rate.....) that control sediment supply and their record within the sedimentary signal.L'objectif de ce travail est de caractériser l'évolution du flux sédimentaire sur la marge sud du golfe de Corinthe, avec un aller-retour entre données de terrain, modélisations expérimentales et modélisations numériques. L'acquisition de données de terrain a permis d'établir l'évolution tectono-sédimentaire du rift de Corinthe dans le contexte climatique et eustatique bien contraint du Plio-Pléistocène. Les simulations numériques stratigraphiques (DIONISOS) ont ensuite permis de valider ce modèle d'évolution, de quantifier les flux sédimentaires et de discuter des facteurs de contrôle de l'architecture stratigraphique à différentes échelles de temps et d'espace. Les modélisations expérimentales ont enfin permis de discuter des facteurs de contrôle des flux sédimentaires et de leurs enregistrements dans les corps sédimentaires

Architecture stratigraphique et flux sédimentaires sur la marge sud du golfe de Corinthe (Grèce) (analyse de terrain, modélisations expérimentales et numériques)

L objectif de ce travail est de caractériser l évolution du flux sédimentaire sur la marge sud du golfe de Corinthe, avec un aller-retour entre données de terrain, modélisations expérimentales et modélisations numériques. L acquisition de données de terrain a permis d établir l évolution tectono-sédimentaire du rift de Corinthe dans le contexte climatique et eustatique bien contraint du Plio-Pléistocène. Les simulations numériques stratigraphiques (DIONISOS) ont ensuite permis de valider ce modèle d évolution, de quantifier les flux sédimentaires et de discuter des facteurs de contrôle de l architecture stratigraphique à différentes échelles de temps et d espace. Les modélisations expérimentales ont enfin permis de discuter des facteurs de contrôle des flux sédimentaires et de leurs enregistrements dans les corps sédimentaires.The objective of the present work is to characterize sediment supply dynamics within the Plio-Pleistocene Corinth Rift using an integrated approach based on field observations and analyses, experimental modeling and numerical modeling. Detailed sedimentological, structural and biostratigraphical studies on the southern coast of the rift provide a tectono-stratigraphic model within a well-constrained climatic and eustatic setting. Stratigraphic simulations (DIONISOS) are used to validate this model, to quantify the sediment supply and to discuss the relative role of four controlling factors on stratigraphic architecture (sediment flux, water flux, subsidence, eustasy). Finally, a geomorphological experimental approach has been developed to study the relative role of factors (rainfall, uplift rate.....) that control sediment supply and their record within the sedimentary signal.RENNES1-BU Sciences Philo (352382102) / SudocSudocFranceF