Abstract
Unravelling provenance for deep-water turbidite systems is complicated by a relatively poor understanding of the effects of basin morphology and large-scale bedforms and channel configuration on the distribution of sediment within these turbidite deposits. Outcrop studies of ancient deposits are generally limited to scales of observations that are neither large enough nor sufficiently closely-spaced to recognize the complexities seen on modern turbidite systems. Examples from several relatively well-studied modern submarine fans illustrate examples of (1) headless channels, (2) hanging tributary and distributary channels, (3) channel abandonment leading to lobe or fan bypass, (4) meandering (or sinuous) channels, (5) sediment waves, and (6) erosional scours of channel dimensions. These and related morphologic features help to identify the complexities of depositional processes on modern submarine fans with implications for provenance interpretation in ancient turbidite systems.
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