How canyons evolve by incision into bedrock: Rainbow Canyon, Death Valley National Park, United States

Incising rivers may be confined by low-slope, erodible hillslopes or steep, resistant sidewalls. In the latter case, the system forms a canyon. We present a morphodynamic model that includes the essential elements of a canyon incising into a plateau, including 1) abrasion-driven channel incision, 2) migration of a canyon-head knickpoint, 3) sediment feed from an alluvial channel upstream of the knickpoint, and 4) production of sediment by sidewall collapse. We calculate incision in terms of collision of clasts with the bed. We calculate knickpoint migration using a moving-boundary formulation that allows a slope discontinuity where the channel head meets an alluvial plateau feeder channel. Rather than modeling sidewall collapse events, we model long-term behavior using a constant sidewall slope as the channel incises. Our morphodynamic model specifically applies to canyon, rather than river–hillslope evolution. We implement it for Rainbow Canyon, CA. Salient results are as follows: 1) Sediment supply from collapsing canyon sidewalls can be substantially larger than that supplied from the feeder channel on the plateau. 2) For any given quasi-equilibrium canyon bedrock slope, two conjugate slopes are possible for the alluvial channel upstream, with the lower of the two corresponding to a substantially lower knickpoint migration rate and higher preservation potential. 3) Knickpoint migration occurs at a substantially faster time scale than regrading of the bedrock channel itself, underlying the significance of disequilibrium processes. Although implemented for constant climactic conditions, the model warrants extension to long-term climate variation.

Sedimentary characteristics and internal architecture of a river-dominated delta controlled by autogenic process: implications from a flume tank experiment

Autogenic processes are widely found in various sedimentary systems and they play an important role in the depositional evolution and corresponding sedimentary architecture. However, autogenic processes are often affected by changing allogenic factors and are difficult to be identified and analyzed from modern and ancient records. Through the flume tank experiment under constant boundary conditions, the depositional process, evolution principles, and the sedimentary architecture of a river-dominated delta was presented, and a corresponding sedimentary architecture model was constructed. The evolution of river-dominated delta controlled only by autogenic process is obviously periodic, and each autogenic cycle can be divided into an initial progradational stage, a middle retrogratational stage, and a late aggradational–progradational stage. In the initial progradational stage, one feeder channel incised into the delta plain, mouth bar(s) was formed in front of the channel mouth, and small-scale crevasse splays were formed on the delta plain. In the middle retrogradational stage, the feeder channel was blocked by the mouth bar(s) which grew out of water at the end of the initial stage, and a set of large-scale distributary splay complexes were formed on the delta plain. These distributary splay complexes were retrogradationally overlapped due to the continuous migration of the bifurcation point of the feeder channel. In the late aggradational–progradational stage, the feeder channel branched into several radial distributary channels, overlapped distributary channels were formed on the delta plain, and terminal lobe complexes were formed at the end of distributary channels. The three sedimentary layers formed in the three stages constituted an autogenic succession. The experimental delta consisted of six autogenic depositional successions. Dynamic allocation of accommodation space and the following adaptive sediments filling were the two main driving factors of the autogenic evolution of deltas.

Seismic reservoir mapping from 3‐D AVO in a North Sea turbidite system

We present a methodology for estimating uncertainties and mapping probabilities of occurrence of different lithofacies and pore fluids from seismic amplitudes, and apply it to a North Sea turbidite system. The methodology combines well log facies analysis, statistical rock physics, and prestack seismic inversion. The probability maps can be used as input data in exploration risk assessment and as constraints in reservoir modeling and performance forecasting. First, we define seismic‐scale sedimentary units which we refer to as seismic lithofacies. These facies represent populations of data (clusters) that have characteristic geologic and seismic properties. In the North Sea field presented in this paper, we find that unconsolidated thick‐bedded clean sands with water, plane laminated thick‐bedded sands with oil, and pure shales have very similar acoustic impedance distributions. However, the [Formula: see text] ratio helps resolve these ambiguities. We establish a statistically representative training database by identifying seismic lithofacies from thin sections, cores, and well log data for a type well. This procedure is guided by diagnostic rock physics modeling. Based on the training data, we perform multivariate classification of data from other wells in the area. From the classification results, we can create cumulative distribution functions of seismic properties for each facies. Pore fluid variations are accounted for by applying the Biot‐Gassmann theory. Next, we conduct amplitude‐variation‐with‐offset (AVO) analysis to predict seismic lithofacies from seismic data. We assess uncertainties in AVO responses related to the inherent natural variability of each seismic lithofacies using a Monte Carlo technique. Based on the Monte Carlo simulation, we generate bivariate probability density functions (pdfs) of zero‐offset reflectivity [R(0)] versus AVO gradient (G) for different facies combinations. By combining R(0) and G values estimated from 2‐D and 3‐D seismic data with the bivariate pdfs estimated from well logs, we use both discriminant analysis and Bayesian classification to predict lithofacies and pore fluids from seismic amplitudes. The final results are spatial maps of the most likely facies and pore fluids, and their occurrence probabilities. These maps show that the studied turbidite system is a point‐sourced submarine fan in which thick‐bedded clean sands are present in the feeder‐channel and in the lobe channels, interbedded sands and shales in marginal areas of the system, and shales outside the margins of the turbidite fan. Oil is most likely present in the central lobe channel and in parts of the feeder channel.