Interactions between deep-water gravity flows and active salt tectonics

ABSTRACT Behavior of sediment gravity flows can be influenced by seafloor topography associated with salt structures; this modify the depositional architecture deep-water sedimentary systems. Typically, salt-influenced successions are poorly imaged in seismic reflection data, and exhumed systems rare, hence detailed sedimentology stratigraphic these remains understood. The Triassic (Keuper) Bakio Guernica bodies Basque–Cantabrian Basin, Spain, were active during sedimentation. diapirs grew reactively, then passively, Aptian–Albian, flanked carbonate (Aptian–earliest Albian Urgonian Group) siliciclastic (middle Albian–Cenomanian Black Flysch successions. study compares two minibasins, confined (Sollube basin) partially (Jata actively growing diapirs, comparable to minibasins subsurface. presence a well-exposed halokinetic sequence, progressive rotation bedding, beds that pinch out towards topography, soft-sediment deformation, variable paleocurrents, intercalated debrites indicate deposition. Overall, Group coarsens thickens upwards response regional axial progradation, which is modulated laterally derived from slopes. variation type number Sollube Jata basins indicates had different tectonostratigraphic histories despite their proximity. In basin, routing between structures, eventually depositing amalgamated sandstones basin axis. Different facies architectures observed due partial confinement. Exposed individualized, vary both spatially temporally agreement observations subsurface basins. Salt-related, degree confinement shown important modifiers systems, resulting variability, remobilization deposits, channelization flows. findings directly applicable exploration development energy reservoirs globally, enabling better prediction areas where imaging challenging.