Hs. Yu et Jc. Lu, DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHALE DIAPIR-CONTROLLED FANGLIAO CANYON ON THE CONTINENTAL-SLOPE OFF SOUTHWESTERN TAIWAN, Journal of Southeast Asian earth sciences, 11(4), 1995, pp. 265-276
Fangliao Canyon is one of several major canyons on the continental slo
pe off southwestern Taiwan. This paper evaluates the canyon morphology
and its formative processes and origin using multichannel seismic ref
lection profiles and bathymetric data. Fangliao Canyon is a small cany
on around 10 km wide and 60 km long, an order of magnitude smaller tha
n the large canyons of the world. This canyon can be divided into two
morphologically contrasting parts: the upper canyon, a relatively stra
ight part beginning at the shelf edge and ending approximately at the
600 m isobath, and the lower canyon, consisting of two segments separa
ted by a rising linear ridge (shale diapir) and extending downslope to
about the 1000 m isobath where its mouths lack submarine fans. Seismi
c profiles and bathymetric data provide evidence of submarine erosion
forming the upper canyon and the uplift of a shale diapir controlling
the formation of the lower canyon. In the upper canyon, truncation of
parallel flat-lying strata and sliding/slumping features on the canyon
walls are indicative of downcutting and lateral widening of the canyo
n. In the lower canyon, the shale diapir uplifted the slope strata and
protruded through the overlying slope sediments, producing a ridge ri
sing from the sea floor. Here the steep flanks of the shale diapir bec
ome the walls of the steep-sided canyons. The interaction of these sed
imentary and tectonic processes on the continental slope off southwest
ern Taiwan forms the present Fangliao Canyon.