A Discussion and Classification of Subaqueous Mass-Transport with Particular Application to Grain. Flow, Slurry-Flow, and Fluxoturbidites

Carter, R M, 1975 A discussion and classlfmatlon of subaqueous mass-transport with particular application to gram-flow, slurry-flow, and fluxoturbldltes Earth-Sci Rev, 11 145--177 Sediments will remmn at rest on the sea-floor provided forces of shear resistance exceed the downslope shear stress imposed by gravity The shear resmtance of granular water-saturated sediments IS dmcussed within the constraints imposed by the Coulomb model of shear failure, and the phenomena of thixotropy, liquefaction, retrogressive flow shdlng and fluidizatlon are discussed as mechanisms for producing the mass-mobllmation of sediment Processes of laminar mass-flow (= inertia flow) are broadly divided into those involving water as the interstitial fluid (gram-flow) and those having an interstitial fluid of enhanced viscosity (slurry-flow) Recent and experimental examples of inertiaflow are summarised and dmcussed under the headings gram-fall, grain-flow, slump-creep and fluxoturbldltes It is concluded that gram-flow and slump-creep deposits may be more widespread in the sedimentary record than present reports indicate It is recommended that the term fluxoturbIdite be restricted to its original sense, to describe the deposits of proximal turbldlteS in which the lmmediate|y pre-depositlonal transport was by inertia-flow A suggested terminology for subaqueous mass-transport processes and their products is summarmed in the form of a flow-chart, terminological distinction being drawn between the processes of mobllmatlon, transport and deposition of the sediment, and between the various sedimentary beds or facies that result from emplacement by mass-transport