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Sedimentary Characteristics of Calciturbidites

Presentation · January 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31021.69608

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 Presentation on Sedimentary
Characteristics of Calciturbidites

By
BASIRU MOHAMMED KORE
 OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION
Introduction
Aim and objectıves
What are calciturbidites?
What are turbidity current?
Formation of turbidity current
Formation of calciturbidites
Depositional environment
Features of marine envireonmet
Sedimentary structures in Calciturbidites (Bouma Sequence)
Classification of calciturbidites based on grain size
Economic importance
Conclusion
 INTRODUCTION
 The name calciturbidite is derived from its characteristic of being opaque
mixtures of calcareous sediment and water (turbid) and not the turbulent
flow.
Calciturbidites are sediments which are transported and deposited in
sedimentary basins by density flow (turbidity currents).
 Turbidity Currents are gravity flows in which the sediment is supported by
upward turbulence of the fluid within the flow.
 They are triggered by gravity.
 The mass of suspended sediment is denser than water.
 Typically produces normal graded bedding.
 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
 The aim is to understand how turbidites develop and why they are
important

OBJECTIVES
 To understand the impact of turbidity currents in the formation of
calciturbidites
 To outline the economic importance of calciturbidites
 What are calci-turbidites?
 Calciturbidıtes are calcium
rich deposits resulting from
turbidity currents
 They are deposited when the
current loses its energy
 Turbidites in general were first
described by Arnold H. Bouma
(1962) while studying
deepwater sedimentation
 They host important
economic resources like
hydrocarbon

Calcareous turbidites, Hawasina, Cretaceous, Oman

 What are Turbidity currents?
 Turbidity currents are fast
flowing current driven
downslope by their high
density from suspended
load

 They are mainly active in

areas with seismic
instability and under water
slope

 They aid deposition of

sediments to form a graded
bed Arnold H. Bouma, charles G. Stone,ed (2000)
 Formation of turbidity currents
They are
caused by
1. Earthquakes
2. Slope failure
3. Landslides
4. Major storms

Lower, D.R. 1982 sediment gravity flows:

 Formation of calciturbidites
 On the edges of the continental shelves
tilting down into deeper waters,
sediments are formed
 Submarine landslides develop along
the slope carrying the sediments into
deeper water, mixing with seawater as it
goes to form what is called a turbidity
current.
 The sediments gradually settle out of
the turbidity current onto the deeper
ocean floor (abyssal plain) in a graded Weimer, P. And link M.H
sequence.
 This graded deposit becomes a rock
known as a turbidite but if rich in calcium,
it is termed a calci-turbidite.
 DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENT
 Calciturbidites are usually deposited in deep oceans.

 Deep oceans are the largest areas of sediment accumulation on Earth.

 The ocean basins are bordered by continental margins that are important
areas of terrigenous clastic and carbonate deposition.

 Sediment supplied to the ocean basins may be transformed from the

shallow marine shelf areas, or is supplied directly from river and delta
system.

 Marine environments include reefs, the continental shelf, slope, rise, and
abyssal plain
 Features of marine environment
 Continental
shelf

 Reef

 Slope

 Abyssal fan
 Sedimentary structures in Calci-turbidites
 The sequence that
specifically describes the
ideal vertical succession of
structures deposited by
turbidity currents that
progressively lose energy
is known as Bouma
sequence

 Bouma sequence is
deposited during waning
flow as turbidity currents Walker, R.G 1987,
move downslope, flows
lose energy as they react
to changes in the slope of
the surface
 BOUMA SEQUENCE
 The sequence is divided into 5
distinct strategraphic layers (A-E)

 Each layer describes a specific

set of sedimentary structures
and a specific lithology with a
fining-upward sequence

Arnold H. Bouma, charles G. Stone,ed (2000)

 Field observation of Bouma sequence

Arnold H. Bouma, charles G. Stone,ed (2000)

 Classification of calciturbidites based on grain size

 Sandy calciturbidites They are

composed of
medium grained
sandstone and
calcarenite

Volcanogenic Calcarenite

Pettingill, H,S (1999)

 Silt and mud calciturbidite

Very thin-
bedded siltstone
and mudstone

Pinterest, 2015
 Biogenic calciturbidite

Made up of
variable bedded
muddy and
biogenic deposits

Ainsa Basin, southern foreland of the Pyrenees

 Specific classification terminologies
 Based on grain size, calciturbites could be described as:

Calcirudites Gravel size ˃ 2mm

Calcarenites(Calcareou
Sand size 2-0.063 mm
s sandstone)

Silt, clay size ˂ 0.063

Calcilutites mm
 Economic importance of calciturbidites
 Calciturbidites can provide the tectonic and depositional history of ancient
sedimentary sequences

 They provide evidence for occurrence of landslides and earthquakes

 They are hosts of lode gold deposits e.g. Victoria in Australia

 Lithified accumulations of calciturbidites may become reservoirs for

hydrocarbon
 Calciturbidites in Hydrocarbon (Liquid and
natural gas) exploration
 About 80% of the
deep water resources
are associated with
calciturbidites

 Calciturbidites
contain large reserves
compared to reserves
found in shallow
water
 Occurrence in the world
 Calciturbidite deposits
are found in many parts
of the world such as;
California Basins, North
Sea Basin, Brazil
(Campos Basin), Gulf of
Mexico, West Africa
(Angola, Gabon, Congo,
Nigeria) and recently in
NW Australia and Turkey
In Turkey calciturbidites have been discovered and studied in Mudurnu,
Kumluca and Akdağ in the northern part of the country

 Some deposits have recently been discovered in the SW part within the
Muğla province
 Conclusion
 Calciturbidites are opaque mixtures of calcareous sediment and water
(turbid) transported and deposited in deep sedimentary basins by turbidity
currents
 Turbidity Currents are gravity flows in which the sediment is supported by
upward turbulence of the fluid within the flow.
 The Bouma sequence is used to characterize a turbiditic succession
 Calci-turbidites are host to many resources such as hydrocarbon and gold
 Calci-turbidites can help understand the tectonic and depositional history
of an ancient sedimentary basin
 REFERENCE
 Murat G.(2015) Occurance of chert in jurassic-cretaceous calciturbidite (SW TURKEY) open
geoscience, v 7 pp 446-464
 John J.G. reijmer, pauline palmieri, Ralph Greon, Marc Floquet. Calciturbidites and calcidebrites:
sea level variations or tectonic processes.(Bahamas) sedimentary geology. v 317, pp53-70
 J.J.G Reimer, T. Mulder, J. Borgomano. (2015) Carbonate slopes and gravity deposits. Sedimentary
geology.
 Bouma anold H, (1962) Sedimentology of some flych deposits, A grahic approach to facies
interpretation. Elseveier p. 168p
 Anold H. Bouma, charles G. Stone, ED. (2000) fine-grain tubidite systems. American association of
petroleum geologist.
 S.A lamas, P. Joseph, ed. (2004) confined turbidite system, geological society of london.
 Lowe. D.R (1982) sedimentary gravity flows: ll. Depositional models with special reference to the
deposita of high density turbidity currents,( journal of sedimentology society of economic
paleontologist and minerologist, v.52 p279-297
 THANK YOU

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