Late Quaternary geomorphology, seabed evolution, and terrigenous sediment delivery to the Pandora and Moresby Troughs, Gulf of Papua

摘要

An integrated geology and geophysics investigation has been carried out to study the late Quaternary deepwater depositional system in the Gulf of Papua (NSF-MARGINS focus area) focusing on two contrasting depocentres, Pandora and Moresby troughs. The studies incorporate multi-beam bathymetry, sub-bottom sonar, and core data in order to define and map acoustic and lithofacies; and relate depositional processes, sediment routing, timing and geomorphic products that have developed since Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, ca. 40 cal ka. 3D sea floor visualisation is used to infer sedimentary processes responsible for observed morphology, which are then placed into a chronostratigraphic framework using recently published age models of sediment cores.