Storm‐flood‐dominated delta succession in the Pleistocene Taiwan Strait
Abstract Storm‐flood‐dominated deltas are sedimentary systems in which a complex interplay of hydrodynamic processes occurs during storms (e.g. tropical cyclones) due to the coeval action of continental and oceanic processes. This paper reports on a superbly exposed, 135.5 m thick stratigraphic succ...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-11-01
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| Series: | The Depositional Record |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.231 |
| _version_ | 1797523795189170176 |
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| author | Romain Vaucher Antoine Dillinger Amy I. Hsieh Wen‐Rong Chi Ludvig Löwemark Shahin E. Dashtgard |
| author_facet | Romain Vaucher Antoine Dillinger Amy I. Hsieh Wen‐Rong Chi Ludvig Löwemark Shahin E. Dashtgard |
| author_sort | Romain Vaucher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Storm‐flood‐dominated deltas are sedimentary systems in which a complex interplay of hydrodynamic processes occurs during storms (e.g. tropical cyclones) due to the coeval action of continental and oceanic processes. This paper reports on a superbly exposed, 135.5 m thick stratigraphic succession of the Pleistocene Cholan Formation exposed along the Da'an River, Taiwan. The sedimentary succession comprises alternating mudstone and sandstone, is mostly fine‐grained, and exhibits multiple event beds that record deposition during tropical cyclones and post‐depositional deformation features produced during earthquakes. Detailed facies analyses reveal that deposition towards the base of the succession occurred in the palaeo‐Taiwan Strait in storm‐flood‐dominated prodelta and delta‐front environments passing upwards into delta‐plain environments. Tropical cyclone beds are encountered throughout the subaqueous storm‐flood delta successions, and are identified by (i) trough cross‐stratified sandstone bedsets with erosive bases that contain both mud clasts and mudstone beds, (ii) sandstone with aggrading wave ripples and (iii) hummocky cross‐stratified sandstone with rare gutter casts filled with coal fragments and shell remains. Tropical cyclone deposits are either top‐down burrowed or capped by massive or laminated mudstone. Seismites are rare and are mainly recognised through soft‐sediment deformation of beds; they do not show evidence of slope failure. Compared to storm‐flood delta successions described elsewhere, the Cholan Formation shows significantly fewer oscillatory‐generated sedimentary structures and gutter casts. This difference is attributed to the Cholan Formation being deposited in and along the margin of a strait characterised by strong shore‐parallel currents and relatively small storm waves due to its position between Taiwan and mainland China. This study refines depositional process interpretations of the Cholan Formation, provides criteria for recognising storm‐flood delta deposits in tectonically active straits with multiple sediment sources fed by steep drainages and short river catchments, and provides additional criteria for recognising tropical cyclone deposits in shallow‐marine settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:48:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c8c8cef170654004864d97a5cda95d6d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-4877 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:48:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Depositional Record |
| spelling | doaj.art-c8c8cef170654004864d97a5cda95d6d2023-11-22T07:45:37ZengWileyThe Depositional Record2055-48772023-11-019482084310.1002/dep2.231Storm‐flood‐dominated delta succession in the Pleistocene Taiwan StraitRomain Vaucher0Antoine Dillinger1Amy I. Hsieh2Wen‐Rong Chi3Ludvig Löwemark4Shahin E. Dashtgard5Institute of Earth Sciences (ISTE) University of Lausanne, Geopolis Lausanne SwitzerlandSchool of Mining and Geosciences Nazarbayev University Nur‐Sultan KazakhstanApplied Research in Ichnology and Sedimentology (ARISE) Group, Department of Earth Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences National Central University Taoyuan TaiwanDepartment of Geosciences National Taiwan University Taipei TaiwanApplied Research in Ichnology and Sedimentology (ARISE) Group, Department of Earth Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia CanadaAbstract Storm‐flood‐dominated deltas are sedimentary systems in which a complex interplay of hydrodynamic processes occurs during storms (e.g. tropical cyclones) due to the coeval action of continental and oceanic processes. This paper reports on a superbly exposed, 135.5 m thick stratigraphic succession of the Pleistocene Cholan Formation exposed along the Da'an River, Taiwan. The sedimentary succession comprises alternating mudstone and sandstone, is mostly fine‐grained, and exhibits multiple event beds that record deposition during tropical cyclones and post‐depositional deformation features produced during earthquakes. Detailed facies analyses reveal that deposition towards the base of the succession occurred in the palaeo‐Taiwan Strait in storm‐flood‐dominated prodelta and delta‐front environments passing upwards into delta‐plain environments. Tropical cyclone beds are encountered throughout the subaqueous storm‐flood delta successions, and are identified by (i) trough cross‐stratified sandstone bedsets with erosive bases that contain both mud clasts and mudstone beds, (ii) sandstone with aggrading wave ripples and (iii) hummocky cross‐stratified sandstone with rare gutter casts filled with coal fragments and shell remains. Tropical cyclone deposits are either top‐down burrowed or capped by massive or laminated mudstone. Seismites are rare and are mainly recognised through soft‐sediment deformation of beds; they do not show evidence of slope failure. Compared to storm‐flood delta successions described elsewhere, the Cholan Formation shows significantly fewer oscillatory‐generated sedimentary structures and gutter casts. This difference is attributed to the Cholan Formation being deposited in and along the margin of a strait characterised by strong shore‐parallel currents and relatively small storm waves due to its position between Taiwan and mainland China. This study refines depositional process interpretations of the Cholan Formation, provides criteria for recognising storm‐flood delta deposits in tectonically active straits with multiple sediment sources fed by steep drainages and short river catchments, and provides additional criteria for recognising tropical cyclone deposits in shallow‐marine settings.https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.231ichnologysedimentologystratigraphytropical cyclonesWestern Foreland Basin |
| spellingShingle | Romain Vaucher Antoine Dillinger Amy I. Hsieh Wen‐Rong Chi Ludvig Löwemark Shahin E. Dashtgard Storm‐flood‐dominated delta succession in the Pleistocene Taiwan Strait The Depositional Record ichnology sedimentology stratigraphy tropical cyclones Western Foreland Basin |
| title | Storm‐flood‐dominated delta succession in the Pleistocene Taiwan Strait |
| title_full | Storm‐flood‐dominated delta succession in the Pleistocene Taiwan Strait |
| title_fullStr | Storm‐flood‐dominated delta succession in the Pleistocene Taiwan Strait |
| title_full_unstemmed | Storm‐flood‐dominated delta succession in the Pleistocene Taiwan Strait |
| title_short | Storm‐flood‐dominated delta succession in the Pleistocene Taiwan Strait |
| title_sort | storm flood dominated delta succession in the pleistocene taiwan strait |
| topic | ichnology sedimentology stratigraphy tropical cyclones Western Foreland Basin |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/dep2.231 |
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