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Deep-Sea Fans

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Encyclopedia of Marine Geosciences

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Synonyms

Single-point-sourced turbidite system; Submarine fan

Definition

The term “deep-sea fan” has been coined by Normark (1970) to describe modern turbidite systems with a point source that typically display a fan-shaped outline. This morphological analysis was based on the Pleistocene Californian fans San Lucas and Astoria. Mutti and Ricci Lucchi (1972) used a similar model to describe the fan-shaped facies association of Cretaceous and Tertiary turbidite systems in the Apennines and Spanish Pyrenees.

The Depositional System

Models that are more recent try to make a synthesis between morphology, sedimentary processes, depositional environment, and sedimentary facies (Walker, 1978; Mutti, 1979; Barnes and Normark, 1985). They include control factors such as sedimentary source, tectonic context, and eustatic changes.

The term “turbidite system” was thus preferentially used to embrace all deepwater clastic depositional systems. The environmental model of Reading and Richards (1994)...

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Bibliography

  • Barnes, P. M., and Normark, W. R., 1985. Diagnostic parameters for comparing modern submarine fans and ancient turbidite systems. In Bouma, A., Normark, W., and Barnes, N. (eds.), Submarine Fans and Related Turbidite Systems. New York: Springer, pp. 13–14.

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  • Miall, A. D., 1985. Architectural-element analysis: a new method of facies analysis applied to fluvial deposits. Earth-Science Reviews, 22, 261–308.

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  • Mutti, E., 1979. Turbidites et cônes sous-marins profonds. In Homewood, P. (ed.), Sédimentation Détritique (Fluviatile, Littorale et Marine). Fribourg: Institut de Géologie de l’Université de Fribourg, pp. 353–419. Short Course.

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  • Mutti, E., and Ricci Lucchi, F., 1972. Le torbiditi dell’Appennino settentrionale: introductione all’analisi di facies. Memorie della Societa’ Geologica Italiana, 11, 161–199.

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  • Normark, W. R., 1970. Growth patterns of deep-sea fans. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 54, 2170–2195.

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  • Reading, H. G., and Richards, M. T., 1994. The classification of deep-water siliciclastic depositional systems by grain size and feeder systems. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 78, 792–822.

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  • Richards, M., Bowman, M., and Reading, H., 1998. Submarine-fan systems I: characterization and stratigraphic prediction. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 15, 689–717.

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  • Walker, R. G., 1978. Deep-water sandstone facies and ancient submarine fans: models for exploration for stratigraphic traps. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 62, 932–966.

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  • Walker, R. G., 1992. Turbidites and submarine fans. In Walker, R. G., and James, N. P. (eds.), Facies Models: Response to Sea Level Changes. St. John’s: Geological Association of Canada, pp. 1–14. GEOtext 1.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universite’ de Bordeaux, UMR CNRS 5805 EPOC, Avenue des facultés, 33185, Cedex, Talence, France

    Thierry Mulder

  2. Institut für Geographie und Geologie, Ernst Moritz Arndt Universität, Friedr.-Ludwig-Jahn-Str. 17A, D-17487, Greifswald, Germany

    Heiko Hüneke

Authors
  1. Thierry Mulder
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  2. Heiko Hüneke
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thierry Mulder .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland

    Jan Harff

  2. Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

    Martin Meschede

  3. Leibiniz Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    Sven Petersen

  4. Academy of Sciences, Humanities, and Lit c/o Helmholtz-Center for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany

    Jörn Thiede

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Mulder, T., Hüneke, H. (2015). Deep-Sea Fans. In: Harff, J., Meschede, M., Petersen, S., Thiede, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Marine Geosciences. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6644-0_52-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6644-0_52-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6644-0

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Deep-Sea Fans
    Published:
    05 March 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6644-0_52-3

  2. Original

    Deep-Sea Fans
    Published:
    12 February 2014

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6644-0_52-2

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