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Lecture 15 - Deltas and Estuaries

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Lecture 15 - Deltas and Estuaries

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khalid7xz1
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Marginal marine environment:

Delta and estuaries


Lecture 15
(Ch. 9, Boggs)
Concept check
• What is the difference, and controlling factors, on delta vs.
estuary?
• Which types of delta do you know and what controls their
shape/character?
• Which type of flows do you have in delta-estuary environment?
• Which type of delta do you know based on the angle of the
forests?
• Draw a cross-section through a Gilbert type delta and indicate the
three main type of beds/sets
• What are the main characteristics (subenvironments, flow,
deposits)of river, wave and tide dominated deltas?
• Draw a stratigraphic section for a prograding delta
• Is there a relationships between number of distributary channel
and delta type? Explain.
• What is a typical tectonic setting for Gilbert-type delta?
Marginal marine environment
• It is a depositional setting
that lies along the
boundary between
continental and marine
environment
• It is a narrow zone
dominated by rivers,
waves and tidal influence
• Some parts are often to
always exposed others
are always under water
• It is usually characterized
by high energy currents
(e.g., waves, tides)
although parts of
estuaries are
characterized by quite
conditions
Delta = the rate of sediment supply > rate of erosion
and sediment re-distribution (Elliott, 1986)
Major deltas of the World

Amazon

Pleistocene sea-level rise coupled with high sediment supply has


promoted delta formation in the last ca. 1.8 Ma
Estuary
Estuaries and
lagoons are
typical of
transgressive
coasts
(retrogradetional
depo system)

Deltas are
typical of
regressive
coasts and
Delta progradational
depo system
Delta = described first by the Greek
philosopher Herodotus (490 B.C.) to
describe the D-shaped deviational area of
the Nile

Nile Delta
Egypt
(mix fluvial-wave dominated)
elenga River,
Lake Baikal
Irriwaddy River,
Mississippi delta
(fluvial) Mississippi
delta plain
Type of flow
• Homopycnal: density of the river = density of
the ocean/lake
• Hyperpycnal: density of river > density of the
ocean/lake (density currents = turbidites)
• Hypopycnal: density of river < density of the
ocean/lake (horizontal plane jet on top of
basin water)
Deltas (Rivers) are major
Mississippi
carriers
delta
of sediments
plume into the ocean

Example of Hypopycnal flow


generates flocculation (aggregation of fine sediments
into small lumps owing to the presence of positively
charges ions in seawater that neutralize negative
charges on clay particles
Types of delta
• Gilbert-type delta: foresets angle ~25-
30o (associated with high accommodation space and
normal faults)
• Shoalwater delta: shallow water delta
with no clear foresets, bottom sets and
topsets
Gilbert-type deltas are often developed in lakes, where
river water and lake water are of the same density. It
was first described by the American geologist
Grove Karl Gilbert (1843–1918)).
Alluvial deposits

25-30o

Coarser material
Grain flow and avalanching Sediment gravity flow
and turbidites
Gilbert-type delta, Washington State
Controlling factors on the
characteristic of a delta
• Outflow velocity
• Turbulent bed friction seaward of the
river mouth
• Otflow buoyancy
Types of delta sub-environments
Barrierspit
island
Mississippi crevasse splay
Mississippi mud flat
Baronspits
Beach ridges inboard side
Beach ridges
Mississippi delta plain, roots

Mangrooves
Tide dominated deltas

• Tidal currents stronger than


3 times larger than Mississippi river outflow
Water discharge 2 times the Mississippi
Mean tidal range: 4m • Redistribution of river mouth
Tidal currents: ca. 4m/s sediments
• Sand filled funnel-shaped
distributaries
Wave dominated delta
Paraiba do Sul (Brazil)

• Redistribution of
river mouth
sediment by
long-shore
currents
• Beach ridges
• High energy
environment
Fan delta

Coastal prism
of sediments
delivered by
an alluvial fan
and deposited
mainly under
water
Relationships between number
of distributary channels and
delta type

Oliariu and Battacharya (2006)


Architecture of a delta as a function of the frequency
and size of distributary channels

Oliariu and Battacharya (2006)


Delta architecture
Main deltas facies (fluvial dominated delta)
Main deltas facies (fluvial dominated delta)
Facies
Upper Delta Plain facies
Lower Delta Plain facies
Delta building out (progradational
sequence): Delta cycles
After Sundal et al (2016)
Typical tectonic setting of Gilbert-
type delta

Example:
Baja California Mexico

Hangingwall basin

Mortimer et al. (2015)


Typical Gilbert delta type facies
The Gilbert-delta facies

topsets -topset facies comprise channel-


form conglomerates and laterally
equivalent rooted fine-grained
sandstones that are interpreted
as alluvial.
Foresets facies -foresets: sub-aqueous steeply
beds. Sedimentary processes
dominating the foresets are grain
flows and avalanching down the
foreset slope.
-bottom sets: planar stratifed
beds comprising conglomerates
and fine-to -medium-grained
sandstones with occasional inter-
stratifed
Bottom sets disorganised pebble beds with
abundant shell material and
bioturbation.
Mississippi growth faults
Possible Gilbert Delta in seismic
Delta deposits are good
reservoirs
• See Sundall et al. (2016) online

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