Tectonically influenced half-graben morphology controls the amount and type
of sediment supply and consequent type of late Quaternary turbidite system
s developed in the active rift basins of Lake Baikal, Russia. Steep border
fault slopes (footwall) on the northwest sides of half-graben basins provid
e a limited supply of coarser grained clastic material to multiple small fa
n deltas. These multiple sediment sources in turn laterally feed small (<10
km diameter) unchannelized sublacustrine sand-rich aprons that are deposit
ed at the slope base on the lake poor Gradual slopes of the southeastern ra
mp margins (hanging wall) of the lake basins, conversely, feed finer graine
d sediment from larger drainages into two different types of channelized tu
rbidite sublacustrine fan systems: (1) small (5-20 km) laterally fed sand-r
ich fans sourced by local rivers, often originating from glaciated valleys;
and (2) large (>65 km) axially fed elongate mud-rich fans sourced by regio
nal exterior drainage of the Selenga River that supplies large quantities o
f silt. Basin plain turbidites in the center of the linear basins and axial
channels that are controlled by rift-parallel faults are fed from, and int
erfinger with, aprons and fans. The predictability of the turbidite systems
in Lake Baikal provides the best example yet studied of how tectonics and
sediment supply interact to control the development of a wide variety of co
eval turbidite systems on a single basin floor.