Premium
Turbidite Events Recorded in Deep‐sea Core IR‐GC1 off Western Sumatra: Evidence from Grain‐size Distribution
Author(s) -
QIU Zhongyan,
HAN Xiqiu,
WANG Yejian
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/1755-6724.13372
Subject(s) - turbidite , geology , sedimentary depositional environment , turbidity current , abyssal plain , deep sea , volcano , sediment , geochemistry , oceanography , geomorphology , structural basin
Sediment core IR‐GC1, from the abyssal basin of the Indian Ocean off Sumatra, may provide important information on depositional events related to earthquakes and tsunamis. In this study, based on a combination of grain‐size analysis with lithological studies and oxygen isotope stratigraphy, seven deep‐sea turbidite layers were identified, corresponding to seven turbidity events that occurred at 128–130, 105–107, 98–100, 86–87, 50–53, 37–41 and 20–29 ka. The sediments of the turbidite deposits are characterized by coarse grain sizes, poor sorting, wide kurtosis, bimodal frequency distributions and clear depositional variations. Particle size grading is also an important signature of deep‐sea turbidite deposits and can be used as an indicator to identify turbidite layers. Possible triggering mechanisms for the turbidite events include tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and sea‐level changes.