John E Damuth | University of Texas at Arlington (original) (raw)

Papers by John E Damuth

We measured and analyzed near-ultraviolet/visible/near-infrared spectral data from core samples r... more We measured and analyzed near-ultraviolet/visible/near-infrared spectral data from core samples recovered from Ocean Drilling Program Sites 1165 (Wild Drift) and 1167 (Prydz Channel Trough Mouth Fan) using our laboratory-grade spectrophotometer to help determine temporal mineralogical changes downhole. These measurements included closely spaced (~10 cm) samples for the section from 0 to 54.17 meters below seafloor (mbsf) in Hole 1165B, which is the Pliocene-Pleistocene age interval being studied in detail by the High-Resolution Integrated Stratigraphy Committee (HiRISC). We also determined calcium carbonate content for all samples in this HiRISC interval. The Pleistocene and uppermost Pliocene sediments (0-10 mbsf) show wide carbonate fluctuations ranging from 0 to 37 wt%; however, below 10 mbsf, the carbonate content is generally zero. To examine the major components that contribute to spectral variability in the holes, the first-derivative values for all samples from Sites 1165 and 1167 were assembled into a single matrix and the matrix was then factor analyzed after being subject to a varimax rotation. For Sites 1165 and 1167, factoring first-derivative values from 255 to 745 nm produced the most easily interpretable results, with five factors that explain ~92.5% of the total variance in the data set.Factor 1 incorporates both goethite and chlorite, meaning that scores for this factor will be high where these two minerals covary.Factor 2 is interpreted as organic matter.Factor 3 appears to be a combination of clay minerals, possibly montmorillonite and illite.Factor 4 is interpreted as the mineral maghemite, a polymorph of hematite.Factor 5 is the mineral hematite.

Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Jul 1, 1995

The Western North Atlantic Region

OCEANS 82, 1982

Two criteria, geologic stability and barrier effectiveness, form the basis of the Subseabed Dispo... more Two criteria, geologic stability and barrier effectiveness, form the basis of the Subseabed Disposal Program's site qualification plan to evauate the ocean basins and identify those regions having characteristics most favorable for containment of radioactive waste. Stability criteria are used to define those regions least likely to be disturbed by tectonic forces or oceanographic changes during the lifetime of a waste repository. Barrier criteria define those lithologies most likely to form an effective barrier to the release of radionuclides. Two north Pacific regions and three north Atlantic regions were selected for further investigation based on the site qualification plan. The PAC I region, centered on the Shatsky Rise in the northwest Pacific, was subdivided into areas and locations on the basis of an exhaustive review of data.

Abstract Our selected major landmarks for the past half-century of turbidite studies are based on... more Abstract Our selected major landmarks for the past half-century of turbidite studies are based on more than 50 years of research in turbidite systems by each of us. Considering that our studies focused mainly on modern systems, we present here some major highlights for research on turbidite systems from our prospective. Time constraints limit the number of highlights we can cite and discuss and that we do not include experimental and modeling research. Prior to the past 50 years, Forel (1885, 1895) measured an underwater channel and described sediment-laden density currents that built the Rhone Channel and levee in Lake Geneva, Switzerland, in the late 1800s. Significant advances about earthquake triggering, turbidity-current flow and graded sand deposits were made in the 1950s by Arnold Bouma’s major professor Ph. H. Kuenen (e.g., Kuenen and Migliorini, 1950). In the 1950s and early 1960s, researchers such as Bruce C. Heezen, Maurice Ewing, and David Ericson confirmed the existence of turbidity currents in the modern ocean through core studies and documentation of submarine cable breaks (e.g., Heezen and Ewing, 1952; Ericson et al., 1952; Heezen et al., 1964). In the 1960s, the Bouma (1962) sequence, which Arnold developed based on outcrops, provided immediate relevance for the characterization of turbidites in modern submarine environments (e.g., Astoria Fan a and b structures in proximal channels, Tc–Te in levees, Ta–Te in lobes, and d and e in basin plains), as well as for ancient outcrops, and industry boreholes (Figs. 1–3) (Nelson, 1968; Nelson and Nilsen, 1984; Nelson et al., 2009a). Bouma’s (1962) model of turbidite systems based on the Ta–Te sequence is still relevant today for base-of-slope sand-rich aprons that are not channelized (Fig. 4). Studies of modern turbidite systems in the late 1960s soon recognized the importance of channelized deposition in small-sized (5–100 km) and large-sized (100s of km) unconfined submarine fans (Fig. 5) (e.g., Nelson, 1968; Nelson et al., 1970; Normark, 1970). The Bouma (1962), Nelson (1968), and Normark (1970) models still provide the basic depositional patterns for unconfined turbidite systems. In the early 1970s, Mutti and Ricchi Lucchi (1972) presented a submarine fan model based on outcrop studies. Their turbidite facies associations proposed in this model has continued to provide an excellent key to help researchers understand and compare modern and ancient turbidite systems (Fig. 6). In particular, their recognition of inner fan fining-upward channel fill and outer fan, prograding thickening-upward sequences still remains a standard approach to understanding outcrops and subsurface boreholes (Fig. 7) (Mutti and Ricchi Lucchi, 1975). In the late 1970s, the comparison of modern and ancient thin-bedded turbidites ended the debate that thin turbidites equaled distal turbidites and distinguished proximal, thin, highly structured levee turbidites from thin, more flat-laminated, truly distal turbidites (Mutti and Ricci Lucchi, 1972; Nelson et al., 1975, 1978). In the early 1980s, the introduction of side-scan sonar and bathymetric swath mapping combined with high-resolution seismic studies revealed the complex morphology and architecture of modern submarine fans and their formation by turbidity-current processes. A GLORIA side-scan survey of the Amazon Fan revealed that turbidity currents can form highly meandering distributary channels and that these channels switched courses across the fan by avulsion (Fig. 8) (e.g., Damuth et al., 1982, 1988). Subsequently, these features have been documented to be ubiquitous on modern and ancient fans. Side-scan sonar and bathymetric swath mapping has also led to recognition of more detailed turbidite system depositional patterns in unconfined and confined basin settings and better definition of the main tectonic, sediment supply and climatic/sea level controlling factors (Figs. 9 and 10) (Nelson, 1983; Nelson and Maldonado, 1988). In the late 1980s, Mutti and Normark (1987) introduced the hierarchy of turbidite system scales and the particularly important concept of the main turbidite system elements of erosive features, channels, levees, and lobes (Fig. 11) (Mutti and Normark, 1987). A significant step forward in ground truthing the lithology of these turbidite system elements was accomplished on Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Leg 96, which for the first time, drilled several holes on a modern fan, the Mississippi Fan. Led by Arnold Bouma, Leg 96 recovered sand and gravel from the most recently active channel on the middle fan and thick silt/sand turbidites from the lower fan lobes (Fig. 12) (Bouma et al., 1985). Another important step forward in the late 1970s and into the 1980s was the development by industry of a depositional model for deepwater sedimentation based on seismic-sequence stratigraphy. The Vail-Exxon sea-level model helped define an entire new concept of continental-margin stratigraphy based on sea-level…

Abstract The field of turbidite paleoseismology has advanced rapidly during the past few years fo... more Abstract The field of turbidite paleoseismology has advanced rapidly during the past few years following the proof of paleoseismic turbidites (Fig. 1) (e.g., Adams, 1990; Nakajima and Kanai, 2000; Nelson et al., 2000; Gutierrez-Pastor et al., 2009). The evidence shows that there are common patterns and types of seismo-turbidites generated by earthquakes in active tectonic margins (e.g., Nelson et al., 2012, 2013; Gutierrez-Pastor et al., 2013). Earthquakes generate mass-transport deposits (MTDs) plus megaturbidite, multi-pulsed, stacked, and homogenite seismo-turbidites. Definitions for the common types of seismo-turbidites and locations where they have been observed (Nelson et al., 2013) are: Multi-pulsed—individual turbidite with multiple coarse-grained pulses that result from a surging turbidity current created by ~Mw 9 earthquake rupture pattern. These have been observed offshore in Cascadia Basin, 1700; Chile, 1960; Sumatra, 2004; and Japan, 2011 (Goldfinger et al., 2012; St. Onge et al., 2012; Patton et al., 2013; Ikehara et al., 2013). Stacked—multiple turbidites deposited on a basin floor or below canyon and channel confluences that result from multiple turbidity currents triggered coevally along a basin margin by an ~ =/<Mw 8 earthquake. These have been observed offshore from San Andreas Fault, Chile, Haiti, Ionian Sea, and New Zealand, plus lakes Biwa and Zurich (Goldfinger et al., 2007; Van Daele et al., 2013; McHugh et al., 2011; Polonia et al., 2013; Pouderoux et al., 2012; Nakajima and Kanai, 2000; Strasser et al., 2006). Megabed—individual bed containing debrite overlain by turbidite (Haughton et al., 2009, definition). This bed results from an earthquake-triggered debris flow that evolves into a turbidity current. These have been observed offshore in Chile, Labrador Sea, Marmara Sea, and Lake Lucerne (Van Daele et al., 2013; Tripsanas et al., 2008; Beck et al., 2007; Anselmetti et al., 2010). Homogenite—ponded massive, thick (up to 10s of m) mud overlying structured turbidite basal sand or debrite that results from multiple turbidity currents triggered syncronously along a confined basin margin by an earthquake. These have been observed offshore in Chile, Haiti, Ionian Sea, Lesser Antilles, Marmara Sea, Lake Lucerne (Van Daele et al., 2013; McHugh et al., 2011; Polonia et al., 2013; Beck et al., 2007, 2012; Anselmetti et al., 2010). Seiche deposits—seismo-turbidite cap of laminated silts or muds with opposing paleocurrent directions. These have been observed offshore in Chile, Haiti, Ionian Sea, and Marmara Sea (Van Daele et al., 2013; McHugh et al., 2011; Polonia et al., 2013; Beck et al., 2007). Tsunamites—seismo-turbidites generated by tsunami waves, These only have been verified offshore for the Ionian Sea Messinian (Fig. 7) and Japan 2011 earthquakes (Polonia et al., 2013; Kazuno et al., 2013). The strongest (Mw 9) earthquake shaking signatures (e.g., Cascadia) appear to create multi-pulsed individual turbidites, where the number and character of multiple coarse-grained pulses for correlative turbidites generally remain constant both upstream and downstream in channel systems of different turbidite systems along the margin (Fig. 2) (Goldfinger et al., 2012; Nelson et al., 2012; Gutierrez-Pastor et al., 2013). Multiple turbidite pulses, which correlate with multiple ruptures shown in seismograms of historic earthquakes (e.g., Chile, 1960; Sumatra, 2004; and Japan, 2011), support this hypothesis (St. Onge et al., 2012; Patton et al., 2013; Ikehara et al., 2013). The weaker (Mw ~ =/<8) earthquakes (e.g., California San Andreas Fault) generate dominantly upstream simple fining-up (uni-pulsed, e.g., Bouma type) turbidites in single tributary canyons and channels (Figs. 3 and 4); however, downstream stacked turbidites result from synchronously triggered multiple turbidity currents that deposit in channels below confluences of the tributaries (Figs. 4 and 5) (Goldfinger et al., 2007; Nelson et al., 2012; Gutierrez-Pastor et al., 2013). In confined basins of active tectonic settings, a single earthquake can trigger coeval multiple landslides along the basin margins (Fig. 6) (e.g., Strasser et al., 2006; Van Daele et al., 2013). These landslides evolve into multiple turbidity currents that pond in basin centers and deposit a stack of multiple turbidites from one earthquake event. The synchronous triggering of the stacked turbidites is proven by the different mineralogies or flow directions linked to separate canyon or slope sources (Figs. 5 and 6) (e.g., Nakajima and Kanai, 2000; Goldfinger et al., 2007; Van Daele et al., 2013). In active tectonic margin settings, both multi-pulsed and stacked turbidites create potentially thick amalgamated-like reservoir sands in proximal settings of base of slope sand-rich aprons and confined basins, or in outer fan lobes of unconfined basins (Figs. 4 and 5) (Nelson et al., 2012; Gutierrez-Pastor et al., 2013). Petroleum reservoirs in unconfined basin…

Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, 1985

The Gulf of Mexico Intraslope Basins (GIB) Project was an industry-sponsored project. It was a co... more The Gulf of Mexico Intraslope Basins (GIB) Project was an industry-sponsored project. It was a collaborative effort between the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Texas at Arlington. This atlas presents reports and maps from Phase I (1998-2000) of the project. For more information, contact gib@ig.utexas.edu.

AAPG Bulletin, 1978

Previous geophysical investigations of the Sao Paulo plateau off southern Brazil have revealed th... more Previous geophysical investigations of the Sao Paulo plateau off southern Brazil have revealed that a large field of diapiric structures underlies the plateau. In April 1974, detailed geologic and geophysical surveys were conducted on two of these diapirs to determine whether the diapirs are composed of salt as previously speculated. Closely spaced multigrad measurements across the diapirs showed progressive increases in thermal gradient from the flanks to the centers. Values at the diapir centers were up to four times the regional thermal gradient measured for the plateau. Piston cores on the diapirs recovered sedimentary rocks as old as middle Eocene. Abnormally high salinities of 40 to 50 parts per thousand were measured in the interstitial waters of the Eocene sedimen s and indicate an underlying high concentration of salt. These data provide direct evidence that at least some of the diapiric structures beneath the Sao Paulo plateau are composed of salt.

Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Jul 1, 1995

The Western North Atlantic Region

OCEANS 82, 1982

Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, 1985

AAPG Bulletin, 1978