深水沉积学研究是国际上海洋地球科学研究的前沿热点，但“重力流与底流并存的复杂海底地形条件下，深水沉积过程及演化”研究尚有诸多未解之谜。本项目针对南海北缘东沙-尖峰陆坡区开展海洋沉积学综合解释与物理海洋学数值模拟多学科联合攻关。研究区海底地形复杂，发育深水峡谷、浊积扇、陆坡块体流沉积，存在复杂底流样式及底流沉积体系。其独特构造环境和复杂底流样式造就了不同深度下、规模不等且类型多样的深水沉积体系和丰富沉积记录，是研究深海沉积过程的理想场所。本项目基于高分辨率2D/3D地震资料、多波束海底地形资料和岩芯资料（ODP/IODP钻井、重力柱状岩芯和海底表层沉积物样品资料）等，结合公开发表的物理海洋观测资料，通过物理海洋数值模拟与深水地震沉积分析的方法，阐明南海北缘东沙-尖峰陆坡区深水沉积体系类型、内部构成和空间展布特征等，查明各类深水沉积体系发育的主控因素及其与现今复杂海底地形和底流活动的成因联系，检验复杂地形和高分辨率数值模拟流场结果下的泥沙输运及沉积结果，最终揭示中中新世以来的深水沉积格局演变和深层海流演变的耦合关系。主要研究内容包括：深水沉积体系类型、内部构成、空间展布及发育演化分析；基于复杂海底地形的深水底流泥砂输运数值模拟；地质历史时期（中中新世以来）深水沉积体系形成演化与底流活动之间的成因联系分析。创新之处在于，采用海洋沉积学综合解释与物理海洋数值模拟技术结合，分析深水沉积体系发育演化与深水底流活动可能存在的成因联系，可更好地揭示深水事件性沉积（重力流沉积）与稳态-亚稳态持续性沉积（百万年尺度底流沉积）之间的耦合作用机制。这种多学科综合研究思路创新将有助于深化深水沉积动力学研究，可望能为南海大陆边缘沉积格局演变和深层海流演变的关键科学问题提供新认识。

The northern continental margins of South China Sea have been taken as a typical case of integrated study based on a multidisciplinary joint research of deep-water sedimentology and physical oceanography. Varied topographies as well as complex flow patterns occurred at the marginal areas of the northern South China Sea, in which deep-water canyons, mass transported deposits and contourite deposits are developed. Due to a special tectonic background, complex bottom flow, and plentiful deep-water depositional records, it is favorable for studying the deep-sea depositional processes in northern continental margins of South China Sea. In this project, based on marine sedimentology and physical oceanography theories, the complex of deep-water depositional systems have been analyzed according to the integrated study on geological, geophysical data, marine investigation and computer modelling. The internal architecture as well as the plane distribution of the various deep-water depositional systems are summarized.. Through accurate description and dissection of the typical block of the Dongsha-Jianfeng slope, the objectives of this study are to reveal the complicated topographies and the sedimentary patterns of deep-water bottom currents, and to identify the controlling factors on the development of varied deep-water depositional systems and genetic relationship with bottom current activities. The coupling relationship between the deep-water sedimentary framework evolution and the deep-sea circulation evolution are explored in northern continental margins of South China Sea. Therefore, this study is expected to further deepen the holistic and comprehensive understandings of the deep-water sedimentary framework and deep-sea circulation evolutions over the continental margins of semi-closed ocean basins.