BEDLOAD TRANSPORT OF MUD ACROSS A WIDE, STORM-INFLUENCED RAMP: CENOMANIAN-TURONIAN KASKAPAU FORMATION, WESTERN CANADA FORELAND BASIN-REPLY

摘要

We appreciate the thoughtful comments, provided by Drs. Schieber and Bennett, concerning our paper (Plint et al. 2012). We were pleased that Schieber and Bennett agree with most of our conclusions regarding the mode of transport of clay particles, the evidence for frequent storm reworking of the distal shelf, and the lack of wave-enhanced sedimentgravity flows (WESGF). Regarding the latter point, we agree that the apparent lack of WESGF might, as Schieber and Bennett suggest, be attributable to a scarcity of easily disaggregated clay particles and the consequent lack of wave enhanced sediment gravity flow. Additionally, it is likely that the sea floor gradient in the forebulge region of the foreland basin was insufficiently steep to effect the necessary down-slope flow of fluid mud, although we note that density differences between water column masses can lead to flow initiation in the absence of a bathymetric gradient. We note that, where a demonstrable sea-floor slope is present, WESGF appear to have been common (Plint 2013).