<p> Sedimentary structures, textures and fabric were studied in detail in eight turbidite greywacke beds from the Cloridorme Formation (Middle Ordovician), Gaspe, Quebec. The beds are exposed on the wave-cut platform near Grande Vallee and were traced for about two miles along the strike (276 degrees), which is parallel to the average current direction (274 degrees) as indicated by sole mark directions. </p> <p> The beds under study show the following systematic downcurrent changes along the strike from east to west: (i) Sole mark types show the following changes:
(1) tool marks such as grooves, prod marks and isolated
flute marks, to (2) longitudinal ridges, longitudinal ridges with overlapping flute, closely spaced flutes,
to (3) poorly developed, shallow longitudinal ridges with
occasional cuspate crossing bars, to (4) smooth bottom with occasional grooves.
(ii) There is an increase in variance of sole mark
directions without a large change in the mean direction in most beds, but the sole mark direction changes by nearly 90° as one of the beds is traced from east to west along the strike. (iii) Most of the beds are massive and are divided into two parts by a bedding joint. However, in the proximal region, if a bed is unusually thin, the bedding joint is absent and the bed shows slightly wavy, plane-laminated structure at places.
(iv) Grain orientations are generally statistically non-significant in the upper massive part of the bed in the proximal region and significant in the rest of the
bed. Significant grain orientations and graptolite orientations show large deviations from the sole in the distal region. Deviations increase towards the top of the bed.
(v) The beds show a change from good grading to poor grading or slight reverse grading from the proximal to distal region. It is considered that the beds were deposited by low concentration, highly turbulent currents. Deposition of the beds took place in two distinct phases. First a 'quick' bed separated from the current was sheared extensively by the overflowing current and on consolidation formed the lower part of the bed. Later deposition in the proximal region from the upper part of the current and
the part close to the tail was by settling of individual particles from the suspension. Separation and consolidation of another 'quick' bed in some cases formed the upper part of the beds in the distal region. </p>
<p> The depositing currents produced a good vertical and lateral grain size grading in the proximal region, but poor vertical grading in the distal region due to the loss of coarse grains and possibly increased concentration of flocculated clay. Also, the turbidity currents tended to "meander" greatly on slowing down in the distal region. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/18588 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Parkash, Barham |
| Contributors | Middleton, G.V., Geology |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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