Journal of the Geological Society of Korea (지질학회지)

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Fluid-mud deposits in the Early Cretaceous McMurray Formation, Alberta, Canada

캐나다 앨버타주 전기 백악기 맥머레이층의 유성이토 퇴적층

  • Oh, Juhyeon (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Andong National University) ;
  • Jo, Hyung Rae (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Andong National University)
  • 오주현 (안동대학교 지구환경과학과) ;
  • 조형래 (안동대학교 지구환경과학과)
  • Received : 2018.10.16
  • Accepted : 2018.10.29
  • Published : 2018.10.31
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Abstract

Fluid muds commonly occur in estuarine environments, but their ancient examples have rarely been studied in terms of depositional characteristics and processes. Cores of estuarine channel deposits of the Early Cretaceous McMurray Formation, Alberta, Canada show various mudstone layers that possess depositional characteristics of high clay-concentration flows. These mudstone layers are examined in detail through microscopic observation of thin sections and classified into three microfacies (<1 to 25 mm thick) on the basis of sedimentary texture and structures. Structureless mudstone (Microfacies 1) consists mainly of clay particles and contains randomly dispersed coarser grains (coarse silt to fine sand). This microfacies is interpreted as being deposited by cohesive mud flows, i.e., fluid muds, which possessed sufficient strength to support suspended coarser grains (quasi-laminar plug flow). Silt-streaked mudstone (Microfacies 2) mainly comprises mudstone with dispersed coarse grains and includes very thin, discontinuous silt streaks of coarse-silt to very-fine-sand grains. The texture similar to Microfacies 1 indicates that Microfacies 2 was also deposited by cohesive fluid muds. The silt streaks are, however, suggestive of the presence of intermittent weak turbulence under the plug (upper transitional plug flow). Heterolithic laminated mudstone (Microfacies 3) is characterized by alternation of relatively thick silt laminae and much thinner clay laminae. It is either parallel-laminated or low-angle cross-laminated, occasionally showing low-amplitude ripple forms. The heterolithic laminae are interpreted as the results of shear sorting in the basal turbulent zone under a cohesive plug. They may represent low-amplitude bed-waves formed under lower transitional plug flows. These three microfacies reflect a range of flow phases of fluid muds, which change with flow velocities and suspended mud concentrations. The results of this study provide important knowledge to recognize fluid-mud deposits in ancient sequences and to better understand depositional processes of mudstones.

유성이토는 현생 염하구 환경에서 흔히 발달하지만, 고기의 퇴적층에서 보고되고 퇴적학적으로 연구된 예는 드물다. 캐나다 앨버타주의 전기 백악기 맥머레이층에서 시추한 염하구 하도 퇴적층 내의 여러 이암층들은 고농도부유점토류에 의한 퇴적특징을 보인다. 이러한 이암층들을 현미경으로 자세히 관찰하여 3개의 미퇴적상(microfacies, <1~25 mm 두께)으로 구분하였다. 미퇴적상 1은 무구조의 이암(structureless mudstone)으로 주로 점토 입자로 구성되고 무질서하게 분포하는 조립질 입자(조립질 실트~세립질 모래)들을 포함한다. 조립질 입자들을 지지할 수 있는 양력을 지닌 점착성의 이토류, 즉 유성이토가 정지하여 미퇴적상 1이 퇴적된 것으로 해석된다(quasi-laminar plug flow). 미퇴적상 2는 실트엽층을 포함하는 이암(silt-streaked mudstone)으로 산재한 조립질 입자를 포함하는 이암으로 구성되며, 불연속적이고 매우 얇은 실트엽층을 포함한다. 미퇴적상 1과 유사한 조직을 보이므로, 미퇴적상 2도 점착성의 유성이토에 의해 퇴적된 것으로 해석된다. 하지만 불연속적인 실트엽층은 plug 아래에 간헐적이고 약한 난류운동이 있었음을 제시한다(upper transitional plug flow). 미퇴적상 3은 이질 엽층리의 이암(heterolithic laminated mudstone)으로 실트엽층과 점토엽층의 교호로 구성되며, 평행엽층리 또는 저각도 사엽층리를 보이고 간혹 낮은 기복의 연흔 형태를 보인다. 이질 엽층리는 점착성 plug 아래의 난류층에서 입자크기에 따른 분급작용이 일어났음을 지시하며, lower transitional plug flow 아래에서 발달하는 낮은 층면구조에 의해 형성되었을 것으로 해석된다. 이 미퇴적상들은 유속과 부유이토농도에 따라 달라지는 유성이토의 여러 가지 상을 나타낸다고 볼 수 있다. 다른 지역에서 유성이토층을 인지하고 이암의 퇴적작용을 보다 잘 이해하는데 본 연구의 결과가 중요한 지식을 제공하리라 생각된다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : 안동대학교

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