Continental margin sedimentation: evolution of the seismic sequence stratigraphic model

深水和超深水的被动大陆边缘沉积包括相互交织的复杂过程，包括沉积物供应和构造和海平面强迫作用，这在传统的层序地层模型中是被认为的，但也包括诸如深海洋流对沉积物的再作用和迄今尚未考虑的规模的沉积物质量破裂等过程。由于缺乏对这些后一种沉积过程的认识，导致层序地层模型的发展，这种模型对近海油气勘探至关重要，无法准确地捕捉深水沉积物的分布模式。峡谷的形成和大规模的侵蚀不整合使这些模型的预测能力进一步复杂化。

Passive continental margin sedimentation in deep and ultra deep water consists of inter-twined complexities in processes that include sediment supply and tectonic and sea level forcing functions, as considered in conventional sequence stratigraphic models, but also processes such as sediment reworking by deep ocean currents and sediment mass-failures at scales that have heretofore not been accounted. Lack of recognition of these latter sedimentation processes led to development of sequence stratigraphic models, vital to offshore hydrocarbon exploration, that fail to accurately capture deep water sediment distribution patterns. Canyon formation and large scale erosional unconformities further complicate the predictive capability of these models.