Chapter 19 Continental Slope Contourites

Abstract

Publisher Summary Contourite systems are common on many slopes and show both depositional and erosional features. This chapter summarizes key case studies in different slope settings and discusses general and specific characteristics of different types of slope contourites. The continental slope is considered to be the steepest part of the continental margin, having a gradient of over 1:40. A conceptual sketch of different continental slope settings on the continental margins is provided. Contourite depositional systems have a basal discontinuity that represents the onset of activity of an impinging water mass along the slope. Selected examples of depositional and erosional features on upper, middle, and lower slope-contourite depositional systems (CDS) are also presented. The transition between the toe of the lower slope and the continental rise is a common setting for CDS. The separated and detached drifts, sheeted drifts, and mixed drifts are usually found in these settings. Some principle characteristics of continental-slope contourites describedare: (1) large-scale depositional features, (2) large-scale erosional features, (3) depositional units, and (4) facies characteristics. The chapter diagrammatically represents principle depositional features and inferred bottom-current paths—namely, simple and multiple current paths.