Intrabasinal and extrabasinal turbidites: Origin and distinctive characteristics

The discovery of turbidites represents perhaps the major genuine advance of sedimentology during the twentieth century. Turbidites are the deposits of turbidity currents and were originally related to the gravitational instability and re-sedimentation of previously accumulated shallow water sediments into deep waters. As these flows originate and entirely evolve within a marine or lacustrine basin, their associated deposits are here termed intrabasinal turbidites. Controversially, increasing evidences support that turbidity currents can also be originated by the direct discharge of sediment–water mixtures by rivers in flood (hyperpycnal flows). Since these flows are originated in the continent, their associated deposits are here termed extrabasinal turbidites. Deposits related to these two different turbidity currents are often confused in the literature although they display diagnostic features that allow a clear differentiation between them. Intrabasinal turbidites are mostly related to surge-like (unsteady) flows that initiate from a cohesive debris flow that accelerates along the slope and evolves into a granular and finally a turbulent flow. Its flow behavior results on the accumulation of normally graded beds and bedsets that lacks terrestrial phytodetritus and lofting rhythmites. Extrabasinal turbidites, on the contrary, are deposits related to fully turbulent flows having interstitial freshwater and sustained by a relatively dense and long-lived river discharge. According to the grain size of suspended materials, hyperpycnal flows can be muddy or sandy. Sandy hyperpycnal flows (with or without associated bedload) often accumulate sandy to gravelly composite beds in prodelta to inner basin areas. Their typical deposits show sharp to gradual internal facies changes and recurrence, with abundant plant remains. In marine waters, the density reversal induced by freshwater results in the accumulation of lofting rhythmites at flow margin areas. Muddy hyperpycnal flows are loaded by a turbulent suspension dominantly composed of a mixture of silt and clay-sized particles (< 62.5 μm) of varying compositions. Since the suspended sediment concentration does not substantially decrease in waning flows, muddy hyperpycnal flows will be not affected by lofting, and the flow will remain attached to the sea bottom until its final accumulation. Typical deposits compose cm to dm-thick graded shale beds disposed over an erosive base with displaced marine microfossils and dispersed plant remains.

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