Scaling properties of gravity-driven sediments
Recent field observations of the statistical distribution of turbidite and debris flow deposits are discussed. In some cases one finds a good fit over 1.5-2 orders of magnitude to the scaling law <i>N(h)</i> α <i>h<sup>-B</sup></i>, where <i>N(h)</i> i...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
1995-01-01
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| Series: | Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics |
| Online Access: | http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/2/178/1995/npg-2-178-1995.pdf |
| Summary: | Recent field observations of the statistical distribution of turbidite and debris flow deposits are discussed. In some cases one finds a good fit over 1.5-2 orders of magnitude to the scaling law <i>N(h)</i> α <i>h<sup>-B</sup></i>, where <i>N(h)</i> is the number of layers thicker than <i>h</i>. Observations show that the scaling exponent <i> B</i> varies widely from deposit to deposit, ranging from about 1/2 to 2. Moreover, one case is characterized by a sharp crossover in which <i> B</i> increases by a factor of two as <i> h</i> increases past a critical thickness. We propose that the variations in <i>B</i>, either regional or within the same deposit, are indicative of the geometry of the sedimentary basin and the rheological properties of the original gravity-driven flow. The origin of the power-law distribution remains an open question. |
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| ISSN: | 1023-5809 1607-7946 |