Mass Transport Deposits: Combined Outcrop Studies, 3d Seismic Interpretation and Forward Modelling

KNELLER, B., DYKSTRA, M., THOMPSON, P., KETZNUS, V., SZUMAN, M., GARUFALOU, K., MOLINARO, M., HUUSE, M., BUTTERWORTH, P., MACDONALD, D., AND MILANA J.P.

San Francisco, USA

Conferencia; AAPG Annual Conference; 2005

The shallow parts of 3D seismic surveys offer outstanding views of the three dimensional structure of mass transport deposits, but with little or no well calibration to establish lithology or core/outcrop scale structure-both of Vich are essential to an understanding of the propierties and origin of the deposit. Truly seismic-scale outcrops of mass transport deposits are rather rare, but study of the rock record is vital to the acquisition on an understanding of their structural evolution, lithofacies distribution and reservoir or barrier potential.  We present some models of architecture and lithologic distribution based  on a combination of very large scale outcrops and 3D seismic, with we have used to generate seismic forward models. These are based on two end-member types of deposit; a Mesozoic slide complex in Antarctica (MacDonald et al., 1993), and a chaotic debris flow of carboniferous age in NW Argentina, the latter mapped in detail in 3D using lase-based digital mapping techniques. We discuss the relations between the macro-(seismic) and meso-(outcrop/core) scales of observation of structure and lithofacies distribution, and suggest some preliminary approaches to subsurface prediction