Confined gravity flow sedimentary process and its impact on the lower continental slope, Niger Delta

There is active gravity flow sedimentation on the lower continental slope of Niger Delta. High-resolution 3-D seismic data enable a detailed study on the gravity flow deposition process and its impact. The lower continental slope of Niger Delta is characterized by a stepped complex topography, which resulted from gravity sliding and spreading during Miocene and Pliocene. Two types of accommodations are identified on the slope: ponded accommodation as isolated sub-basins and healed slope accommodation as connected tortuous corridors, where multi-scale submarine fans and submarine channels developed. Gravity flow deposition process is affected by the characteristics of gravity flows and the receiving basin. At the early stage, gravity flow deposition process was dominated by “fill and spill” pattern in the ponded accommodation, whereas it was confined to the healed slope accommodation during the late stage. On the lower continental slope of Niger Delta, complex slope topography controlled the distribution and evolution of the gravity flow, producing complicated gravity depositional patterns.