Research on Red River Sedimentary System of  late MioceneEarly Pliocene, South China Sea

Key words: 
• late MiocenePliocene /
• Red River sedimentary system /
• characterize of seismic /
• QinghaiTibetan Plateau uplift /
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Abstract: In the northwest of South China Sea, a huge far source Sedimentary System which is called Red River Sedimentary System has been discovered recently. The Red River depositional system refers to "a genetically related combination of a series of deltas, submarine canyon infillings, submarine fans and finegrained suspension deposits deriving from the terrestrial clastics of the Red River in Neocene". The main body of this depositional system comprises the Red River delta, the Red River submarine fan and the Central Canyon. In order to understand the identify standard and distributing in the plan view, a great deal of 2D seismic profiles has been used. The paper mainly focuses on the system which is developed during  late Miocene to Pliocene. Base on the distributing in the plan view, the development history of the Red River Sedimentary system can be understood. The results show that deltas, channels, submarine canyon, channellevee complex and lobes can be identified in the Red River Sedimentary system based on the seismic reflection characteristics. According to the combination and spatial distribution features of the Red River sedimentary system, the development history of the system can be subdivided into three stages: SQ1SQ2, the formation period of Red River submarine fan, which is characterized by huge submarine fan; SQ3SQ4, the development period of the confined submarine fanCentral Canyon, which is characterized by a confined submarine fan developed before the central Canyon; and SQ5SQ6,
the weakening period of the Red River depositional system, which is characterized by Red River Sedimentary System fading out in the research area, instead of Hainan slope's growing. Red River Sedimentary System derives from QinghaiTibetan Plateau uplift. The research is not only beneficial for ascertaining Oil and gas prospecting, but also helpful for rebuilding uplift history of QinghaiTibetan Plateau, and answering the question whether Red River capture occurred or not.