Migratory Characteristics of a Mid-Fan Meander Belt, Mississippi Fan

Seismic reflection profiles across the most recent Mississippi Fan mid-fan channel reveals high amplitude reflectors in the lower part of the channel fill. Subsequent drilling results show that these high amplitude reflectors correspond to coarse-grained channel-lag deposits. These lag deposits can be divided into at least three distinct channel-fill units which show channel migration with time. Isopach maps indicate that the dimensions of the channel-lag accumulations are up to 6.5-km wide, slightly more than 200-m (250-msec) thick, and that the northernmost meander belt has migrated about 2.0-km laterally, 1.2-km downfan, and has climbed 175-m (220-msec) stratigraphically. Evolution of the meander belt shows characteristics similar to meandering fluvial systems.