Quantitative Analysis of Turbidites and Related Sediment Gravity Flow Deposits

要求提供一年的资金，以支助一个试点项目，该项目旨在对沉积物重力流沉积物的比例关系进行定量测试。我们的计划是检验这样一个假设，即具有最小侵蚀截断和合并作用的水下沉积物重力流沉积物的床层厚度的统计分布应服从幂律N(h) h-B，其中N(h)为厚度大于h的层数，B为标度指数（Rothman et al, 1994）。这表明，至少在某些情况下，泥沙重力流沉积是尺度不变的（分形）。我们将确定（或至少为未来的研究设计一个策略）沉积物重力流沉积的幂律标度是否代表沉积系统本身的内在动力学特性（例如自组织临界），或者它是否间接反映了外部因果机制的幂律标度（例如地震，洪水）。此外，如果能够证明（无论其原因如何）沉积物重力流触发和沉积过程确实是尺度不变的，那么，地层厚度统计数据与预测幂律的偏离可能被解释为影响地层记录完整性的侵蚀和/或非沉积过程的定量证据。研究工作本身将包括背景迥异的PI之间的密切合作，以及一名研究生研究助理。将分析最近获得的几个数据集。将收集与沉积物重力流沉积物的时间尺度有关的额外数据。最后，数据收集将与新的物理理论的发展同步进行，这些理论与床层厚度、体积和几何形状有关。这项研究的结果将引起物理界和地球科学界成员的广泛兴趣。此外，研究拱顶与石油工业有明显的相关性，越来越多的证据表明薄层浊积岩储层可能具有巨大的经济价值。

Grotzinger 9506574 One year of funding is requested in order to support a pilot project designed to conduct quantitative tests of the scaling relationships of sediment gravity flow deposits. The plan is to test the hypothesis that the statistical distribution of bed thicknesses of subaqueous sediment gravity flow deposits with minimal erosional truncation and amalgamation should obey the power law N(h) h-B where N(h) is the number of layers of thickness greater than h and B is the scaling exponent (as suggested by Rothman et al, 1994). This indicates that, at least in some cases, sediment gravity flow deposition is scale invariant (fractal). We will determine (or at least devise a strategy for future research) whether power-law scaling for sediment gravity flow deposits represents an intrinsic dynamical property of the depositional system itself (e.g. self-organized criticality), or whether it indirectly reflects the power-law scaling of external, causal mechanisms (e.g. earthquakes, floods). Furthermore, if it can be demonstrated (regardless of its cause) that the sediment gravity flow triggering and deposition process is indeed scale invariant, then departures of bed thickness statistics from the predicted power law may possibly be interpreted as quantitative evidence of erosional and/or non-depositional processes that influence completeness of the stratigraphic record. The research effort itself will consist of a close collaboration between the PI's whose backgrounds are widely divergent, and a graduate research assistant. Several recently obtained data sets will be analyzed. Additional data will be collected that pertains specifically to the temporal scaling of sediment gravity flow deposits. Finally, data collection will proceed in parallel with development of new, physically-based theory that relates bed thickness, volume, and geometry. The results of this research will be of broad interest to members of the physics as well as earth science communities. Additionally, the rese arch has clear relevance to the petroleum industry where there is growing evidence that thin-bedded turbidite reservoirs may be of great economic importance.