Abstract
The Amazon Deep-Sea Fan began to form in the Early Miocene and is characterized by a highly meandering distributary channel system. On the middle fan, these leveed channels coalesce to form two broad levee complexes. Older, now buried levee complexes are also observed within the fan. These levee complexes grow through channel migration, branching, and avulsion. Probably only one or two channels are active at any given time. Sediments reach the fan only during glacio-eustatic low stands of sea level. Coarse sediments largely by-pass the upper and middle fan via the channels and are deposited on the lower fan.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Damuth, J. E., and Kumar, N., 1975. Amazon Cone: morphology, sediments, age, and growth pattern. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v.86, pp. 863–878.
Damuth, J. E., and Embley, R. W., 1981. Mass-transport processes on Amazon Cone: western Equatorial Atlantic. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v.65, pp. 629–643.
Damuth, J. E., 1975. Echo character of the western Equatorial Atlantic floor and its relationship to the dispersal and distribution of terrigenous sediments. Marine Geology, v.18, pp. 17–45.
Damuth, J. E., 1977. Late Quaternary sedimentation in the western Equatorial Atlantic. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 88, pp. 695–710.
Milliman, J. D., Summerhayes, C. P., and Barretto, H. T., 1975. Quaternary sedimentation on the Amazon continental margin—a model. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v.86, pp. 610–614.
Milliman, J. D., and Barretto, H. T., 1975. Relict magnesian calcite oolite and subsidence of the Amazon shelf. Sedimentology, v. 22, pp. 137–145.
Milliman, J. D., 1979. Morphology and structure of Amazon upper continental margin. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v. 63, pp. 934–950.
Kumar, N., 1978. Sediment distribution in the western Atlantic off northern Brazil—structural controls and evolution. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v.62, pp. 273–294.
Coumes, F., and Le Fournier, J., 1979. Le Cone de TAmazone (Mission Orgon II). Bull. Cent. Rech. Explor.—Prod. Elf-Aquitaine, v.3, pp. 141–211.
Castro, J. C., Miura, K., and Braga, J. A. E., 1978. Stratigraphic and structural framework of the Foz do Amazonas Basin. 10th Annual Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, v. 3, pp. 1843–1847.
Damuth, J. E., Kolla, V., Flood, R. D., Kowsmann, R. O., Monteiro, M. C., Gorini, M. A., Palma, J. J. C., and Belderson, R. H., 1983. Distributary channel meandering and bifurcation patterns on Amazon Deep-Sea Fan as revealed by long-range side-scan sonar (GLORIA). Geology, v.11, pp. 94–98.
Damuth, J. E., Kowsmann, R. O., Flood, R. D., Belderson, R. H., and Gorini, M. A., 1983. Age relationships of distributary channels on Amazon Deep-Sea Fan: implications for fan growth pattern. Geology, v.11, pp. 470–473.
McGeary, D. F. R., and Damuth, J. E., 1973. Post-glacial iron-rich crusts in hemipelagic deep-sea sediments. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v.84, pp. 1201–1212.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1985 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Damuth, J.E., Flood, R.D. (1985). Amazon Fan, Atlantic Ocean. In: Bouma, A.H., Normark, W.R., Barnes, N.E. (eds) Submarine Fans and Related Turbidite Systems. Frontiers in Sedimentary Geology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5114-9_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5114-9_15
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9570-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-5114-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive