Abstract

Greater than one kilometer, lateral, aqueous, transport of sand-sized clasts by non-Newtonian flow processes such as turbidity currents or density currents, in channels, and in water depths greater than 150 meters have not been documented in the known published scientific literature for active, present-day, field examples or man-made experiments in the field. If it is assumed that 150 meters is the maximum depth limit of turbidity or density current channelized transportation of sand-sized clasts, then interpretations of the depth of water during deposition for channelized turbidity and density current deposits that are in excess of 150 meters require additional, objective, multi-parameter testing.

Much of the basinal portions of the Permian (Guadalupian) Delaware Mountain Group of West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico are currently considered by most geoscientists to have been deposited in water depths in excess of 150 meters. Thus, this Group is an excellent candidate for objective testing of the known processes of transportation and deposition in deep water.

Facts and opinions in the published literature are separated and compared for the Delaware Mountain Group. A brief history of the various lines of reasoning are presented and compared to the known facts of observation. Conclusions for the basinal siliclastic sediments of the Delaware Mountain Group are presented.