Abstract

Mass transport deposits (MTDs) are common features that help us reconstruct the depositional environment in deepwater basins. Unlike turbidite sands that form in similar environments, MTDs only rarely form hydrocarbon reservoirs. Near the water bottom, recent MTDs can indicate the risk of future hazards to submarine platform legs, drill stems, pipelines, and communication cables. MTDs commonly exhibit an overall chaotic seismic pattern; several other associated features help to differentiate MTDs from other kinds of deposits in deep water depositional environments. MTDs have similar characteristics in intraslope basins (also called salt minibasins) but vary as a function of restricted transport direction for sediment input, limited accommodation space, and syndepositional salt movement. By coupling principles of geomorphology with seismic attributes and a depositional model, we analyze the characteristics of an MTD within an offshore Gulf of Mexico study area to determine how it differs from other deepwater architectural elements.

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