Continental margin sedimentation: evolution of the seismic sequence stratigraphic model

深水和超深水中的被动大陆边沉积包括沉积物供应和构造及海平面强迫作用等过程的复杂性，如常规层序地层模型所考虑的那样，但也包括深洋流对沉积物的改造和沉积物质量破坏等过程，其规模迄今尚未得到考虑。缺乏对这些沉积过程的认识导致了层序地层模型的发展，这对近海油气勘探至关重要，但无法准确地捕捉深水沉积物分布模式。峡谷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.