Interaction between Downslope and Alongslope Processes on the Margins of Daihai Lake, Northern China

Daihai Lake, a modern lacustrine rift basin, located in the Inner Mongolia, Northern China, serves as an important modern analog for understanding deltaic depositional processes in an active rift setting. Two of the deltas (Yuanzigou delta and Bulianghe delta) on the margins of Daihai Lake were surveyed to compare and contrast stacking patterns using aerial photographs, field trenching and sediment sampling. Shallow cores and trenches data collected from the margins of Daihai Lake indicate that a variety of depositional processes have been active since Daihai Lake formed. Two 3-D sedimentation models which employ chronostratigraphic correlation technique were generated. The chronostratigraphic sedimentation models predict and represent the architectures and sand-body continuity of sediments. Stratigraphical coincidence of the broad sheeted drifts and channel erosion suggests a coupling between downslope and alongslope processes. This study provides an insight into the architecture of complex sedimentary facies associated with highlights key differences between downslope flows and alongslope currents. The distribution of sand within these deltas is of particular interests, with applications in understanding the architecture of hydrocarbon reservoirs formed in lacustrine rift basin.