Deep-water contourite muds are an important component of many continental margin systems and are currently the focus of much interest amongst deep-water researchers. One outstanding gap in our knowledge of these systems is to understand and quantify a contourite budget, both at the small (facies) scale and at the larger drift scale. A second problem concerns the establishing of robust criteria for discriminating between contourites and associated deepwater facies—turbidites and hemipelagites. This paper contributes to these topics by detailed examination of sediment composition, with a particular focus on potentially diagnostic components, within contourites and hemipelagites from the same depositional basin. Samples were selected from Pliocene to Quaternary muddy contourites from the Gulf of Cadiz (IODP 339) and examined by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of tunicate spicules, micro-bored shell fragments, and a particular species of coccolithophore, Braarudosphaera biglowii, all indicate derivation from shallow waters and hence lateral off-shelf supply. In contrast, micro-mudclasts and fragmented bioclasts are indicative of alongslope transport in bottom currents. A normal planktic component of the contourite muds shows a significant vertical input from pelagic settling. Such diagnostic components can also help in the discrimination between contourites, turbidites and hemipelagites.

中文翻译：

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细粒状轮廓岩矿床中的异常成分：解释物源和轮廓岩预算的意义

深水contour石泥是许多大陆边缘系统的重要组成部分，目前是深水研究人员关注的焦点。在我们对这些系统的了解中，一个突出的不足是在小（相）规模和大漂移规模上理解和量化等高线预算。第二个问题涉及建立区分轮廓岩和相关的深水相（浊浊岩和半褐藻岩）的可靠标准。本文通过详细研究沉积物成分，特别是针对来自同一沉积盆地的轮廓岩和半褐藻内的潜在诊断成分，为这些主题做出了贡献。样品选自加的斯湾（IODP 339）的上新世至第四纪泥质轮廓岩，并通过扫描电子显微镜检查。包膜针状体，微孔壳碎片和特定种类的球石藻的存在，Braarudosphaera biglowii均表示来自浅水区，因此有侧架供应。相比之下，微黏土碎屑和破碎的生物碎屑指示了在底流中沿斜坡的迁移。轮廓石泥浆的正常板状成分显示出来自浮游沉积的大量垂直输入。这样的诊断成分还可以帮助区分轮廓石，浊石和半铁矿。