SEDIMENT GRAVITY FLOW

Sediment Gravity Flow

Mechanisms
Sediment Gravity Flows:
20%-70% suspended sediment
High density/viscosity fluids
suspended sediment charged fluid within a lower density,
ambient fluid
mass of suspended particles results in the potential energy for
initiation of flow in a the lower density fluid (clear water or air)

mgh = PE
m = mass
g = force of gravity
h = height
PE= Potential energy
 Sediment Gravity Flow
Classification :
1. Fluidal (Newtonian) Flow
Mechanism : Fluidized Flow
Turbidity Current
2. Mass (non-Newtonian) Flow
Mechanism : Mud/Debris Flow
Grain Flow
Four Types of Sediment Gravity Flows
Four Types of Sediment Gravity Flows
Grain flows-occurs
when cohesionless
sediments (ex. dry
sand) moves
downward under
the pull of gravity.
Although there is air
or water trapped
between the grains,
it merely acts as a
lubricant and does
not actually propel
the grains.
What is a turbidity current ?
What are the gravity deposits ?
Grain Flow
The most familiar
examples of grain
flow are sand
avalanches. They
occur whenever a
sand dune
becomes steeper
than the angle of
repose (25-30).
 Grain Flow
Grain flows move by dispersive pressure
between grains.
Deposits are thin, well sorted and show
inverse graded bedding.
Grain flows also occurs in the deep sea,
where sand avalanches down the sides of
steep submarine canyons.
 Fluidized Sediment Flows
Concentrated dispersions of grains
supported by pore water in between.
They begin to flow when something
increases the pressure on the interstitial
pore water, turning the once-firm sand into
a soupy liquid, ex. quicksand.
Quicksand - grain shift and settle past one
another; liquefaction. A person should not
continue to sink (as in a swimming pool)
beyond your point of buoyancy. To get out
swim as you would in a pool. Lie flat.
 Fluidized Sediment Flows
Mechanism forms when unstable masses of
sediment are shaken by eartquake.
Can flow down very gentle slope with
tremendous speeds.
Duration of flows depend on amount of fluid
available and only be important very near the
source.
Deposits are massive or show vague planar
laminae and dish-pillar structure.
Liquefaction occurs in others instances, for
example in shockwaves sent through
saturated soil by an earthquake.
 Fluidized Sediment Flows
Dlm sistem aliran ini sedimen terdukung oleh
aliran fluida ke atas melalui sedimen yang
membuat butiran mengapung.
Terjadi pada saat massa sedimen yang tidak
stabil digoncang oleh gempa.
Aliran air ke atas menyebabkan pengurangan
kekuatan massa karena butiran tidak
terdukung lagi oleh kontak antar butir shg
aliran dpt bergerak pd lereng landai (3- 10).
Dpt terjadi di lingkungan darat atau air dg
kecepatan tinggi.
 Fluidized Sediment Flows
Durasi dari aliran tergantung pada jumlah
kandungan air.
Hanya terjadi di daerah dekat sumber krn
tidak mempunyai cukup waktu untuk
menempuh jarak jauh.
Gerakan air ke atas membentuk dish dan
pillar structures (yg terbentuk sbg kolom air
yg melalui sedimen selama dewatering).
 Fluidized Sediment Flows

Dish-pillar structure
generated by fluidized flow
 Liquified Flows
Sama dg fluidized flow tetapi hanya sebagian
butir yg terdukung oleh gerakan fluida ke
atas.
Terjadi selama tahap akhir dari deposisi high
density turbidite atau sedimen terairkan krn
proses luar (seperti gempa) dimana sedimen
bergerak menuruni lereng dan air yang
dikandungnya bergerak ke atas.
Jika lereng cukup curam aliran dpt berubah
menjadi arus turbid dan dpt berubah kembali
menjadi liquified flow pd saat aliran bergerak
lambat.
 Liquified Flows
Membentuk dish dan pillar structures.
Deposit masiv, kadang-kadang membentuk
planar laminae yang tidak jelas.
Tdk dpt mengerosi lapisan di bawahnya krn
alirannya lambat.
 Mud Flows and Debris Flows
Mud flows are composed of a slury-like mass of
liquefied mud that move downhill under the force
of gravity.
If there are large particles, ranging up to boulder
size, they are known as Debris flows.
Mud flows and Debris flows are most common
in steep mountain canyons during heavy
rainstorm.
Lahars are mud/debris flows in the volcanic
area.
 Mud Flows and Debris Flows
Depend on the cohesive strength of the matrix,
larger grains are supported by the high density
and viscousity of the matrix-water mixture.
The texture can be varies depending on the
concentration of coarse grain (mud supported or
grain supported).
The bed is generally massive, inverse grading is
common feature.
Deposition occurs when internal stress is
overcome by cohesion of the matrix.
Mud Flows and Debris Flows

These flows
have the
consistency of
wet cement and
can move as
fast as water in
a flash flood.
Sequence of aerial photograph of a debris
flow moving along a canyon bottom.
Mud Flows and Debris Flows

An exotic block
can be transported
by lahar due to the
high viscousity
and density of
ash-water mixture.
Mud Flows and Debris Flows
Some beds exhibit
reverse (inverse)
grading, with the
coarsest material
at the top and the
finer at the bottom.
The pressure push
the largest grains
to the top, when
stop they settle.
 Turbidity Currents
Turbidity currents are gravity flows in which the
sediment is supported by upward turbulence of
the fluid within the flow.
It is trigger by gravity.
The mass of suspended sediment is denser than
water.
Occures in areas where sediments is
accumulating subaqueously above or near a
slope, so that as the sediments move downslope
it can mix with water and flow turbulently with
tremendous speed.
 Delta front offlap Shelf break

Slope 1000 - 2000 m

Delta plain Delta front Prodelta shelf

x10 to >100m

Difference of 2 orders of magnitude

Many types of environment can be observed in the shelf
They are conditioned by :
- the fluid dynamics
- physiography of the basin
- latitude
24 - Reference, date, place
- climatic conditions
- clastic input in the system etc.
Idealized passive continental margin
 Slope and Basin Floor Deposits

Model for Miocene sand deposition during lowstands of sea

- Reference, date, place 26

level in the Kutei Basin

 A profile of experimental high-density turbidity current showing density
stratification. Note a lower laminar inertia-flow and an upper turbulent flow.
From Postma et al. (1988).

It is the deposit of a more complex flow whose final state is that of a fully turbulent
turbidity current.
27 - Reference, date, place
This includes all those beds which appear to have formed through genetically related
gravity flows the last of which is a waning and depleting turbidity current
 Turbidity Currents
The composition is varied and they deposit a
wide range of sediment types and sedimentary
structures depending on the concentration and
grain size of the sediments.
3 populations of sediment sizes transported by
turbidity currents : 1) mud and fine to medium
sands, 2) coarse sands to small pebbles,
3) pebbles to cobbles.
2 types of turbidity current :
1. Low density turbidity current
2. High density turbidity current
 Low Density Turbidity Currents
The sediment concentration is < 20%
Can transport and deposit clay, silt and sand.
Deposition from bed load & suspended load.
Initial deposits are coarsest transported particles
deposited (ideally) under upper (plane bed) flow
regime.
As flow velocity decreases (due to loss of
minimum mgh) finer particles are deposited
under lower flow regime conditions.
Final deposition occurs under suspension
settling mode with hemipelagic layers.
 An idealized
Bouma Sequence
Low Density Turbidity Currents

Uncomplete
Bouma
Sequence
formed by low
density turbidity
current
Outcrop of Turbidite Sequence
High Density Turbidity Currents
The sediment concentration is > 20%
Can transport and support grains larger than
sand.
Deposition from traction load, traction carpet
accretion & suspension.
Deposits are sandy and gravelly.
Inverse graded bedding form during the traction
carpet deposition and is caused by dispersive
pressure.
Normal graded bed forms from suspension
deposition as the velocity drops.
High Density Turbidity Currents

Traction carpet
deposition process
in high density
turbidity currents.
High Density Turbidity Currents

Outcrop of high-
density turbidite
pebbly
sandstone
Model Facies of High Density
Turbidity Current
Geometry of submarine fans and the
associations of facies
 Sedimentary
structures of
the four major
types of
sedimentary
gravity flow
deposits.
BIOLOGICAL PROCESS
 A. Aktivitas Metabolisme Organisme
- Beberapa organisme menghasilkan CaCO3
sbg kerangka luar (cangkang) utk melindungi
bagian tubuh yg lunak dr serangan predator
dan kondisi ekologis.
- Organisme laut dangkal (koral) mrpk pabrik
CaCO3 dg cara melakukan katalisa ion
kalsium dan karbonat yg terlarut dlm air
samodra menjadi cangkang CaCO3 padat.
- Fotosintesa pada alga merah dan hijau
mempercepat sekresi CaCO3.
 A living coral-algal reef sheds bioclastic sediment
into the fore-reef and back-reef environments.

The fore reef consists of coarse, angular fragments of reef.

Coralline algae are the major contributors of carbonate sand and mud
in the back-reef environment. Beaches and dunes = bioclastic sand.
The sediments in each area can lithify to form highly varied limestones.
Coralline algae on the seafloor off the Bahamas
can produce large quantities of carbonate mud.
 B. Degradasi Cangkang CaCO3
- Degradasi karena aktivitas konsumsi pada
organisme bercangkang oleh vertebrata (ikan)
& invertebrata (holothuroida, gastropoda).
- Degradasi krn burrowing oleh organisme
benthos pada sedimen tak terkonsolidasi utk
perlindungan atau mencari makan.
- Degradasi krn boring oleh organisme (bakteri,
moluska, echinodermata, tanaman) pada
substrat keras.
 C. Peletisasi
- Aktivitas metabolisme organisme
(cacing, moluska, echinoid)
menghasilkan pelet.
- Ukuran dan bentuk bervariasi
tergantung organismenya.
 D. Sediment Trapping
- Terjadi di lingkungan laut dangkal.
- Alga mengeluarkan film yg mengandung
material organik bergetah (mucilage) yg
dapat menjebak partikel sedimen, prosesnya
dapat terjadi berulang-ulang.
- Membentuk stromatolit (endapan dengan
struktur laminasi terlitifikasi yg tersusun
oleh perselingan lapisan yg terbentuk
oleh mikroorganisme, biasanya alga dan
partikel-partikel luar yg tersementasi).
Stromatolite yang dibentuk
oleh sediment trapping
 E. Sediment Baffling
Beberapa tumbuhan laut (thalasia) dan
tumbuhan marsh (spartina) dpt membentuk
karpet di atas substrat yg secara fisis
dapat menjebak partikel atau memperlambat
arus sehingga kompetensinya berkurang dan
sedimen yg ditransport mengendap.
CHEMICAL PROCESS
 Diagenesis
Diagenesis is the Post-
Depositional Chemical and
Mechanical Changes that
Carbonate
Occur in Sedimentary Rocks
Cemented
Some Diagenetic Effects Include
Oil Compaction
Stained Precipitation of Cement
Dissolution of Framework
Grains and Cement
The Effects of Diagenesis May
Enhance or Degrade Reservoir
Quality
Whole Core
Misoa Formation, Venezuela
Lithification: Compaction and Cementation.

1) Compaction : reduction of pore space due to

weight of overlying sediments.
Porosity = percentage of voids : Loose sand : 30-50%
Lithified sand : 10-20%
Siltstone : <5%
Granite : 0%!
Permeability : ability of rock to allow water to pass.
Requires that pores are interconnected.
Reorientation of grains reduces permeability/porosity.
 Lithification
2) Cementation : precipitation from pore
water (CaCO3, SiO2, Fe2O3, etc.).
Crystalline Limestone

F.O.V. = 3 mm
Chemical Process