Wave" fi elds have long been recognized in marine sediments on the fl anks of basins and oceans i... more Wave" fi elds have long been recognized in marine sediments on the fl anks of basins and oceans in both tectonically active and inactive environments. The origin of "waves" (hereafter called undulations) is controversial; competing models ascribe them to depositional processes, gravity-driven downslope creep or collapse, and/or tectonic shortening. Here we analyze pervasive undulation fi elds identifi ed in swath bathymetry and new high-resolution multichannel seismic (MCS) refl ection data from the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. Although they exhibit some of the classical features of sediment waves, the following distinctive characteristics exclude a purely depositional origin: (1) parallelism between the crests of the undulations and bathymetric contours over a wide range of orientations, (2) steep fl anks of the undulations (up to ~40°), and (3) increases in undulations amplitude with depth. We argue that the undulations are folds formed by gravity-driven downslope creep that have been augmented by depositional processes. These creep folds develop over long time periods (≥0.5 m.y.) and stand in contrast to geologically instantaneous collapse. Stratigraphic growth on the upslope limbs indicates that deposition contributes to the formation and upslope migration of the folds. The temporal and spatial evolution of the creep folds is clearly related to rapid tilting in this tectonically active transform basin. (TUBITAK)-BİDEB supported a six-month research visit for Kurt to LDEO and the University of Missouri. We thank the captains and crew of the R/V K. Piri Reis, who made the acquisition of these data possible despite challenging conditions. We thank Hydroscience Technologies Inc. for supporting the seismic systems of R/V K. Piri Reis, Landmark for ProMAX software, and Seismic
Basins along transcurrent faults have long been of interest as petroleum reservoirs and as marker... more Basins along transcurrent faults have long been of interest as petroleum reservoirs and as markers of transform tectonics. We investigate a class of basins that develop on the transtensional side of fault bends, based on examples along two well-known continental transforms. The Tekirdag (western) and the Cinarcik (eastern) basins in the Marmara Sea are similar active structures on the `downstream'
ABSTRACT Basins along transcurrent faults have long been of interest as petroleum reservoirs and ... more ABSTRACT Basins along transcurrent faults have long been of interest as petroleum reservoirs and as markers of transform tectonics. We investigate a class of basins that develop on the transtensional side of fault bends, based on examples along two well-known continental transforms. The Tekirdag (western) and the Cinarcik (eastern) basins in the Marmara Sea are similar active structures on the `downstream' side of prominent bends along the North Anatolian fault (NAF). Much has been learned about these structures from submarine exploration in the Marmara Sea following the disastrous 1999 earthquakes on the NAF. The Ridge Basin along the San Andreas fault system in southern California exhibits similar features, despite being an exhumed Miocene structure viewed from a different perspective. The comparison points to signature characteristics of a type basin associated with transform bends and helps in developing hypotheses about the 3D development of these basins. The basins are asymmetric in two ways. They are half grabens bordered by the transform and are tilting progressively toward it. This fault is dipping toward the basin and is slipping obliquely, accommodating both transcurrence and extension. In addition, these basins are tilting toward the bend on the fault, which is `upstream' from the basin, considering the motion of the side of the fault where the basin is forming relative to the other side. As a result, the most rapid subsidence is near the fault and near the bend. But, the fastest subsidence and the deepest part are at opposite ends of these basins and keep getting further apart, because their growths are time-transgressive. This key feature stems from the asymmetry, which is not just geometric, but also kinematic. The basin and the deformation that accommodates the fault bend are confined to one side of the fault. This implies that the bend is fixed on the other side. The basin-side of the fault `flows' over the bend and, like water in a stream, subsides after the bend. This subsidence is fixed to the bend and moves upstream relative to the material (i.e., is time transgressive) at transform velocity, forming a typical onlap. Thus the basin subsides fastest where it is youngest and shallowest close to the bend, but is deepest where subsidence has progressed the longest, far from the bend. While the Marmara basins are young and still in transient growth, the Ridge Basin reached a steady state where the oldest parts of the basin have translated beyond the effect of the bend and basin growth is strictly horizontal. The Ganos and the Tuzla bends, responsible for the Tekirdag and Cinarcik basins, respectively, are fixed to opposite sides of the NAF and are thus expected to move away from each other at transform speed. At this stage in its evolution, the Marmara Trough is primarily growing longer not deeper. This notion is the basis for an evolutionary model of the Marmara Trough that accounts for the Marmara basins with ~30km of dextral motion on the transform.
The 1500-km-long North Anatolian continental transform (NAF) accommodates the westward motion of ... more The 1500-km-long North Anatolian continental transform (NAF) accommodates the westward motion of the Anatolian platelet relative to Asia. The Marmara Trough in western Turkey is a large composite Quaternary structure that includes three main extensional basins with water depths reaching ~1200m separated by shallower ridges. Syntectonic sedimentation in the basins with highly variable sea-level-related changes in accumulation rates provide valuable
We collected high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) and chirp seismic data across ... more We collected high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) and chirp seismic data across the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) system in the Marmara Sea aboard the R/V K. Piri Reis during July 2008. Three 1200+ m-deep bathymetric basins are arrayed along the North strand of the NAF. This strand passes closest to Istanbul and is considered to carry most of the current
High Resolution (HR) marine seismic acquisition contributes to numerous research fields. The vert... more High Resolution (HR) marine seismic acquisition contributes to numerous research fields. The vertical resolution is of metric scale in order to study geological processes at a short time scale or to characterise small objects. 3D seismic imaging allows optimal resolution to be reached whereas 2D images are blurred mainly by side effects. Developed for the oil industry decades ago and tailored to the exploration for hydrocarbon reservoirs, 3D seismic, as applied to higher resolution targets, is more recent. Available technological advances in acquisition have allowed research institutes to develop innovative 3D high-resolution marine seismic systems tailored to these targets.
A source to sink system describes the natural link between mountains, plains and deltas, by analy... more A source to sink system describes the natural link between mountains, plains and deltas, by analysing the (re)distribution of material at shallow crustal depth and at the Earth's surface, exploring the links between coupled tectonic and surface processes. Sediment fluxes are the product of erosion and movement of material in and from sources (mountains), the transport and movement of sediments and solutes by river systems to the plains, and deposition and storage in sink zones. The ESF-EUROCORES TOPO-EUROPE SourceSink programme is a fully integrated research effort to significantly advance our predictive capabilities on the quantitative analyses of coupled active and past drainage systems by means of step-wise 4D reconstructions of sediments mass transfer, integrating geophysics, geology, geomorphology, state of the art high-resolution dating, and numerical and analogue modelling. The area selected for this programme is the Danube River Basin-Black Sea source to sink system, a world-class natural laboratory that is uniquely suited in the heart of Europe's topography, covering almost half of its surface, providing opportunities for excellent field sites to study in integration surface and subsurface data that cover the complete chain of source, carrier and sink. Quantifying and modelling the complete system in relation to the controlling parameters has resulted in significant understanding of forcing factors and linking temporal and spatial scales across multiple orogen and basin systems. This research has provided the opportunity to widen the geographical scope to other natural scenarios, where a number of mountain chains with similar geodynamic genesis separate sedimentary basins with comparable evolution.
Abstract: The seismic characteristics of the lower crust of Serre Mountains, South Calabria (Sout... more Abstract: The seismic characteristics of the lower crust of Serre Mountains, South Calabria (Southern Italy) were investigated by a Deep Seismic Sounding experiment along the main profile of about 30 km long. In this profile, 31 dynamite shots (10-95 kg) recorded by five ...
Abstract: The Black Sea is one of the largest inland seas in the world. Off the shelf, the water ... more Abstract: The Black Sea is one of the largest inland seas in the world. Off the shelf, the water depth quickly plunges to an average depth of 2 km. The Black Sea sediments are rich in calcite and organic carbon, the latter showing a high degree of preservation due to anoxia ...
Wave" fi elds have long been recognized in marine sediments on the fl anks of basins and oceans i... more Wave" fi elds have long been recognized in marine sediments on the fl anks of basins and oceans in both tectonically active and inactive environments. The origin of "waves" (hereafter called undulations) is controversial; competing models ascribe them to depositional processes, gravity-driven downslope creep or collapse, and/or tectonic shortening. Here we analyze pervasive undulation fi elds identifi ed in swath bathymetry and new high-resolution multichannel seismic (MCS) refl ection data from the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. Although they exhibit some of the classical features of sediment waves, the following distinctive characteristics exclude a purely depositional origin: (1) parallelism between the crests of the undulations and bathymetric contours over a wide range of orientations, (2) steep fl anks of the undulations (up to ~40°), and (3) increases in undulations amplitude with depth. We argue that the undulations are folds formed by gravity-driven downslope creep that have been augmented by depositional processes. These creep folds develop over long time periods (≥0.5 m.y.) and stand in contrast to geologically instantaneous collapse. Stratigraphic growth on the upslope limbs indicates that deposition contributes to the formation and upslope migration of the folds. The temporal and spatial evolution of the creep folds is clearly related to rapid tilting in this tectonically active transform basin. (TUBITAK)-BİDEB supported a six-month research visit for Kurt to LDEO and the University of Missouri. We thank the captains and crew of the R/V K. Piri Reis, who made the acquisition of these data possible despite challenging conditions. We thank Hydroscience Technologies Inc. for supporting the seismic systems of R/V K. Piri Reis, Landmark for ProMAX software, and Seismic
Basins along transcurrent faults have long been of interest as petroleum reservoirs and as marker... more Basins along transcurrent faults have long been of interest as petroleum reservoirs and as markers of transform tectonics. We investigate a class of basins that develop on the transtensional side of fault bends, based on examples along two well-known continental transforms. The Tekirdag (western) and the Cinarcik (eastern) basins in the Marmara Sea are similar active structures on the `downstream'
ABSTRACT Basins along transcurrent faults have long been of interest as petroleum reservoirs and ... more ABSTRACT Basins along transcurrent faults have long been of interest as petroleum reservoirs and as markers of transform tectonics. We investigate a class of basins that develop on the transtensional side of fault bends, based on examples along two well-known continental transforms. The Tekirdag (western) and the Cinarcik (eastern) basins in the Marmara Sea are similar active structures on the `downstream' side of prominent bends along the North Anatolian fault (NAF). Much has been learned about these structures from submarine exploration in the Marmara Sea following the disastrous 1999 earthquakes on the NAF. The Ridge Basin along the San Andreas fault system in southern California exhibits similar features, despite being an exhumed Miocene structure viewed from a different perspective. The comparison points to signature characteristics of a type basin associated with transform bends and helps in developing hypotheses about the 3D development of these basins. The basins are asymmetric in two ways. They are half grabens bordered by the transform and are tilting progressively toward it. This fault is dipping toward the basin and is slipping obliquely, accommodating both transcurrence and extension. In addition, these basins are tilting toward the bend on the fault, which is `upstream' from the basin, considering the motion of the side of the fault where the basin is forming relative to the other side. As a result, the most rapid subsidence is near the fault and near the bend. But, the fastest subsidence and the deepest part are at opposite ends of these basins and keep getting further apart, because their growths are time-transgressive. This key feature stems from the asymmetry, which is not just geometric, but also kinematic. The basin and the deformation that accommodates the fault bend are confined to one side of the fault. This implies that the bend is fixed on the other side. The basin-side of the fault `flows' over the bend and, like water in a stream, subsides after the bend. This subsidence is fixed to the bend and moves upstream relative to the material (i.e., is time transgressive) at transform velocity, forming a typical onlap. Thus the basin subsides fastest where it is youngest and shallowest close to the bend, but is deepest where subsidence has progressed the longest, far from the bend. While the Marmara basins are young and still in transient growth, the Ridge Basin reached a steady state where the oldest parts of the basin have translated beyond the effect of the bend and basin growth is strictly horizontal. The Ganos and the Tuzla bends, responsible for the Tekirdag and Cinarcik basins, respectively, are fixed to opposite sides of the NAF and are thus expected to move away from each other at transform speed. At this stage in its evolution, the Marmara Trough is primarily growing longer not deeper. This notion is the basis for an evolutionary model of the Marmara Trough that accounts for the Marmara basins with ~30km of dextral motion on the transform.
The 1500-km-long North Anatolian continental transform (NAF) accommodates the westward motion of ... more The 1500-km-long North Anatolian continental transform (NAF) accommodates the westward motion of the Anatolian platelet relative to Asia. The Marmara Trough in western Turkey is a large composite Quaternary structure that includes three main extensional basins with water depths reaching ~1200m separated by shallower ridges. Syntectonic sedimentation in the basins with highly variable sea-level-related changes in accumulation rates provide valuable
We collected high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) and chirp seismic data across ... more We collected high-resolution multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) and chirp seismic data across the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) system in the Marmara Sea aboard the R/V K. Piri Reis during July 2008. Three 1200+ m-deep bathymetric basins are arrayed along the North strand of the NAF. This strand passes closest to Istanbul and is considered to carry most of the current
High Resolution (HR) marine seismic acquisition contributes to numerous research fields. The vert... more High Resolution (HR) marine seismic acquisition contributes to numerous research fields. The vertical resolution is of metric scale in order to study geological processes at a short time scale or to characterise small objects. 3D seismic imaging allows optimal resolution to be reached whereas 2D images are blurred mainly by side effects. Developed for the oil industry decades ago and tailored to the exploration for hydrocarbon reservoirs, 3D seismic, as applied to higher resolution targets, is more recent. Available technological advances in acquisition have allowed research institutes to develop innovative 3D high-resolution marine seismic systems tailored to these targets.
A source to sink system describes the natural link between mountains, plains and deltas, by analy... more A source to sink system describes the natural link between mountains, plains and deltas, by analysing the (re)distribution of material at shallow crustal depth and at the Earth's surface, exploring the links between coupled tectonic and surface processes. Sediment fluxes are the product of erosion and movement of material in and from sources (mountains), the transport and movement of sediments and solutes by river systems to the plains, and deposition and storage in sink zones. The ESF-EUROCORES TOPO-EUROPE SourceSink programme is a fully integrated research effort to significantly advance our predictive capabilities on the quantitative analyses of coupled active and past drainage systems by means of step-wise 4D reconstructions of sediments mass transfer, integrating geophysics, geology, geomorphology, state of the art high-resolution dating, and numerical and analogue modelling. The area selected for this programme is the Danube River Basin-Black Sea source to sink system, a world-class natural laboratory that is uniquely suited in the heart of Europe's topography, covering almost half of its surface, providing opportunities for excellent field sites to study in integration surface and subsurface data that cover the complete chain of source, carrier and sink. Quantifying and modelling the complete system in relation to the controlling parameters has resulted in significant understanding of forcing factors and linking temporal and spatial scales across multiple orogen and basin systems. This research has provided the opportunity to widen the geographical scope to other natural scenarios, where a number of mountain chains with similar geodynamic genesis separate sedimentary basins with comparable evolution.
Abstract: The seismic characteristics of the lower crust of Serre Mountains, South Calabria (Sout... more Abstract: The seismic characteristics of the lower crust of Serre Mountains, South Calabria (Southern Italy) were investigated by a Deep Seismic Sounding experiment along the main profile of about 30 km long. In this profile, 31 dynamite shots (10-95 kg) recorded by five ...
Abstract: The Black Sea is one of the largest inland seas in the world. Off the shelf, the water ... more Abstract: The Black Sea is one of the largest inland seas in the world. Off the shelf, the water depth quickly plunges to an average depth of 2 km. The Black Sea sediments are rich in calcite and organic carbon, the latter showing a high degree of preservation due to anoxia ...
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