The Bengal Fan on different temporal and spatial scales : Integrating seismoacoustic and IODP Expedition 354 data to examine internal and external controls on depositional processes

Abstract

Submarine fans are regarded as excellent archives for long- and short-term climate variations and the continental uplift/erosion history. The Bengal Fan has attracted particular scientific attention as is it the primary sink of Himalayan material and, thus, recorder of one of the key areas in the global climate system. A comprehensive understanding of the fana s complex depositional dynamics is an essential prerequisite to ultimately connect changes in the sedimentary sink with changes in the source. The here presented thesis examines the depositional dynamics of the Bengal Fan. A unique, integrated dataset of echosounder and multichannel seismic data, results from IODP Expedition 354 drilling, and a novel, system-specific age-depth model enables an overarching study of the architecture, stratigraphy, and depositional processes of the Bengal Fan and channel-levee systems at various scales. The outcome of this thesis provides new insights into the architectural and stratigraphic evolution of the lower Bengal Fan and marks a significant advancement towards an extensive understanding of the sedimentary archive in is full complexity.