Scaling Relationships in Linked Submarine Channel-Lobe Systems: Enabling Prediction of Reservoir Scales and Geometries in Deep-Water Sediment Routing Systems

Abstract

Submarine channel-lobe systems are commonly the final depositional environments in modern and ancient sediment routing systems, and their deposits can form significant petroleum reservoirs. Using a database compiled from publically available morphometric data, this study investigates scaling relationships between submarine lobes and the channels that created them. Integrating data from multiple lobes and their concomitant channels from each system allowed us to evaluate intra- and inter- system characteristics, yielding insights into channel-lobe dynamics. The systems included in this study cover a range of sediment supply characteristics, source-to-sink configurations, tectonic settings, and geographic locations, allowing us to evaluate how specific system characteristics may influence deviations in element morphology from the collective norms. During construction of this dataset, we developed methodologies to address issues stemming from ambiguous and contradictory use of descriptive and hierarchical terminology (e.g., lobe, lobe element), allowing for consistent comparison of elements within and between systems. Data collected from each system include channel dimensions (e.g., width, depth) and lobe dimensions (e.g., length, width, area, volume). Our analysis of these parameters indicates robust scaling relationships between the dimensions of genetically related channels and lobes. These scaling relationships and other contextual considerations can provide insights into the processes controlling the growth and evolution of submarine channel-lobe systems. The observations and insights from this study have applications in predicting the scales, morphologies, and stratigraphic architecture of ancient (subsurface or outcropping) submarine channel-lobe systems, where data may be sparse and/or discontinuous. Broad-scale applications of these results include predicting sediment mass flux and stratigraphic architectures in modern and ancient linked submarine channel-lobe systems, promoting a more holistic understanding of sediment routing systems.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90291 ©2017 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Houston, Texas, April 2-5, 2017