MORPHODYNAMIC CLASSIFICATION OF CHANNEL OF SUKIL RIVER

The morphodynamic classification of the Sukil river channel made it possible to determine the hydromorphological processes and to study the factors that determine them. The channel was classified according to the method of R.S. Chalov. Three main classification criteria were taken into account: the geomorphological type of conditions for the formation of the channel; the type of channel processes; the mophrodynamic type of channel. According to the geomorphological type of channel-forming conditions, the channel is divided into the incised channel – located mainly in mountainous and semi-mountainous parts with a characteristic the narrow valley, laid in sandstones, siltstones, and argillites; confined channel – located in intermountain basins, with one bank of channel composed of bedrock, and the other – of Quaternary sediments; wide-floodplain channel – mainly located in the lower part of the channel on the Stryi-Zhydachiv basin, laid in the Quaternary deposits of loams and sands. According to the type of channel processes, the channels with developed alluvial forms and without developed alluvial forms are dominant. Together they make up 2/3 of the channel. Other types of channels are wide-floodplain – characterized by slow flow and stable development of the meandering process, and rapid-waterfall – located in the upper reaches of the channel. The latter is characterized by a stormy current and the presence of numerous rapids made of boulders and wood. There are 3 main morphodynamic types of the channel – meandering, branched, and straightforward, and 6 their subtypes. Meandering, incised channels are characterized by structural meanders, their shores are composed of hard rocks, mostly sandstones. The meandering confined channels are defined by the root bank in the apical part and the upper wing along the root bank, which leads to the formation of segmental and blockage convolutions. Meandering, broad-flooded channels are characterized by longitudinal displacement of meanders, their convolutions are segmented, rarely loop-shaped. The coefficient of meandering gradually increases from the mountainous part of the channel to the plain one (1.10–1.35). Branched type is represented by a single complex and floodplain-channel subtypes. The size of the islands that divide the channel into arms is from a few meters to 350–400 m. The straightforward type of channel is widespread and is 1/3 of the total length of the river. Key words: channel type; straightforward; branched; meandering; incised; confined; floodplain.

Out of equilibrium sinuosity: The development of incised meandering channels in response to base-level fall

<p>Meandering rivers and valleys are dominant landscape features on Earth and Mars, and central to a geomorphological debate: do sinuous channels actively develop during steepening of regional slope or whether they inherited the sinuosity of an ancient meandering channel through vertical incision? This and related questions were studied by field-scale case studies of channel evolution, numerical simulations, and physical laboratory experiments. Here, we document and investigate decadal- and field-scale formation of meandering valleys in perennial channels. These channels have incised into a homogeneous erodible substrate in response to the progressive Dead Sea level fall in recent decades (>30 m over 40 years). This unique study area enabled analysis of three clusters of adjacent elongating and incising channels with stable confined discharge, that evolved through an active increase in regional and channel slopes. The emerged slopes greatly vary along the study area and channels, allowing the test of slope impact under three primary settings: (a) relatively long and low gradients on shelf-like margins, (b) sharp basinward gradient increase on a shelf-slope transition, and (c) steepening slopes. These clusters triggered different channel and valley response by means of stream incision depth, channel sinuosity, and valley width. The sinuosity of the channels was actively increased only following steepening in the valley slope. During stable valley slope, the channels were mainly incising vertically, inheriting previous sinuous pattern. The highest sinuosity was developed in the channel within the most steepening slope, that was also developed the deepest and widest valley. Together with the Jordan River response to the same Dead Sea level fall in recent decades, these insights promote the interpretations regarding the evolution of incised meandering channels under changes in regional slope. Abundant evidence for chute cutoffs along an incised channel can imply that frequent overbank floods prevailed in the channel during the incision, whereas the absence of or rare evidence for such cutoffs can be the result of infrequent high-magnitude floods during the evolution.</p>

Geography of braided rivers within the territory of Russia

The paper represents the geographical analysis of braided river channels development and distribution for the first time in Russian Scientific Literature. On asmall-scale map of Russia we display the distribution of braided channels on small and middle mountain, semi-mountain and plain rivers, in free and limited conditions of channel changes development (on rivers with wide floodplain and incised channel), which are determined by geologic-geomorphologic structure of the territory. On the large and largest rivers we distinguish braided reaches of different morphological types according to the MSU classification (single, conjugated, one-sided and alternate one-sided, sub-parallel branches, etc) and also bifurcations as aconsequence of meander cut-off which complicate the morphology of straight and meandering channels. Separately we display bifurcations on the other structural levels of channel processes development point mid-channel bifurcations on mountain reaches of large rivers, split channels and deltaic braided reaches. The causes of different types of braided channels development in different natural conditions are described.

Distribution and controls of petroliferous plays in subtle traps within a Paleogene lacustrine sequence stratigraphic framework, Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, Eastern China

The characteristics of petroliferous plays in subtle traps within a sequence stratigraphic framework in the Dongying Depression are investigated in this study. Sand bodies within lowstand systems tracts (LSTs) of sequences, comprising incised-channel fills, sublacustrine fans, deltas in LSTs, controlled by syndepositional normal faults, and sand bodies within transgressive systems tracts (TSTs) to early highstand systems tracts (HSTs), consisting of beach bars, and turbidites, controlled by the prodelta slope, paleorelief, and syndepositional normal faults, are good subtle reservoirs. Mudstones and shale of deep lake subfacies in TSTs to early HSTs of sequences are source and cap rocks. Abnormal overpressure is the dominant dynamic factor for hydrocarbon migration from source rock to the subtle traps. Normal faults, sand bodies, and unconformities function as conduit systems. Sand bodies distributed in the abnormal overpressure source rocks within LSTs to early HSTs are petroliferous plays in lithologic traps. The petroliferous plays in stratigraphic traps are controlled by unconformities at margins of the Depression.

Seismic Facies of Pleistocene–Holocene Channel-fill Deposits in Bawean Island and Adjacent Waters, Southeast Java Sea

The late Pleistocene-Holocene stratigraphic architecture of the Bawean Island and surrounding waters, southeast Java Sea has been analyzed by using sparker seismic profiles. Geological interpretation of these seismic profiles revealed the widespread distribution of paleochannels with different shape and size in the present-day Java Sea. Two channel types can be distinguished based on its morphology: U-shaped channels in the western part and V-shaped channels in the eastern part. The stratigraphic successions were grouped into two major seismic units separated by different seismic boundaries. Characters of marine and fluvial deposits were determined based on seismic boundaries and internal reflectors. Three seismic facies can be identified within late Pleistocene – Holocene incised channel fills associated with SB2. The internal structure of incised-channels consist of chaotic reflector at the bottom, covered by parallel–sub parallel and almost reflection-free indicating the homogenous sediment deposited during the succession.Keywords : Pleistocene-Holocene channel fills, sparker seismic profiles, seismic boundaries, incised–channel, Java Sea. Rekaman seismik sparker digunakan untuk menganalisis endapan stratigrafi berumur Plistosen Akhir–Holosen di Perairan Pulau Bawean dan sekitarnya. Berdasarkan interpretasi geologi dari rekaman seismik tersebut teridentifikasi sebaran alur purba yang berbeda bentuk dan ukuran dengan kondisi Laut Jawa sekarang. Berdasarkan morfologinya, dua tipe alur purba yang terdentifikasi adalah alur purba berbentuk U di bagian barat dan berbentuk V yang terbentuk di bagian timur daerah penelitian. Suksesi stratigrafi kemudian dibedakan menjadi dua grup unit seismik utama yang dibatasi oleh perbedaan batas seismik, yaitu endapan asal darat dan laut yang ditentukan berdasarkan batas sikuen dan reflektor internal. Pada unit Pleistosen–Holosen teridentifikasi tiga tipe fasies seismik yang berkorelasi pada batas sikuen SB2. Struktur internal alur purba yang tertoreh terdiri dari reflektor kaotik yang di bagian bawah, kemudian ditutupi oleh reflektor paralel - sub paralel sampai hampir bebas refleksi yang mengindikasikan terendapkannya sedimen homogen selama suksesi tersebut.Kata kunci : Pengisi alur Plistosen - Holosen, penampang seismik sparker, batas seismik, alur tertoreh, Laut Jawa.

Sedimentological architecture, shelf-edge trajectories and evolution of an Oligocene reservoir, East Nile Delta

Abstract3D seismic data and wireline logs from 17 wells in the onshore East Nile Delta were utilized to study the stratigraphic architecture and evolution of Oligocene deposits. The Oligocene is readily recognized on seismic cross-sections by a series of northward prograding clinoforms. The Oligocene sequences show lateral facies changes from fluvial to deepwater via a shelf-edge delta. Such deltaic features include distributary channels, interdistributary bay fill, and a delta plain and front, gradually changing downslope into prodelta and slope deposits. The slope deposits include three main depositional elements: a deeply incised channel, a complex of laterally switched leveed channels and lobes, and crevasses and frontal splays. These depositional elements are formed in the main western slope basin and local eastern intraslope ponded sub-basin. The reactivated E–W- and NW-trending faults as well as NE–SW inverted structures are the main controls on slope physiography that formed the main corridors for Oligocene sediment distribution. Two main globally correlated Oligocene sequences are encountered being separated by the major drop in global eustatic sea level at 28.1Ma. The lower Oligocene sequence has two main stages: (1) the formation and filling of a basal canyon; and (2) the formation and progradation of shelf deltas to form shelf-edge deltas, and then progradation with an ascending shelf-edge trajectory (clinoforms 1). The upper Oligocene sequence is characterized by accretionary shelf-edge deltas with descending and then flat trajectories (clinoforms 2–4). The frontal splay and lobe complex exhibits potentially favourable reservoir continuity and areal coverage followed by the slope channels.