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Geological Society, London, Special Publications The Bouma Sequence (1962) and the resurgence of geological interest in the French Maritime Alps (1980s): the influence of the Grès d'Annot in developing ideas of turbidite systems Arnold H. Bouma and Christian Ravenne Geological Society, London, Special Publications 2004; v. 221; p. 27-38 doi: 10.1144/GSL.SP.2004.221.01.03 Email alerting click here to receive free e-mail alerts when new service articles cite this article Permission click here to seek permission to re-use all or part of request this article Subscribe click here to subscribe to Geological Society, London, Special Publications or the Lyell Collection Notes Downloaded by on November 21, 2011 © The Geological Society of London 2004 The Bouma Sequence (1962) and the resurgence of geological interest in the French Maritime Alps (1980s): the influence of the Gr6s d'Annot in developing ideas of turbidite systems ARNOLD H. BOUMA 1 & CHRISTIAN RAVENNE 2 1Department of Geology & Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA (e-mail: [email protected]) 2Geology & Geochemistry Division, Institut Franfais du Pgtrole, 92852 Rueil-Malmaison Cedex, France (e-mail: [email protected]) Abstract: The two authors explain how and why the Gr6s d'Annot successions were chosen for their influential studies in the context of the 1960s and the 1980s. Arnold Bouma explains the origin of the Bouma Sequence in the 1960s, while Christian Ravenne focuses on the significance of the area as analogues of deep-sea fans and seismic stratigraphy in the 1980s. Ravenne recalls the main results obtained at that time: palaeogeographicat maps, inter- pretative and synthetic sections, the spectacular onlap relationships at Chalufy, the strong interaction between seismic interpretation and field data, and the importance of large failures/collapses on the continental slope for the initiation of density surges. The French Maritime Alps with its complex turbidites were unknown to the area initially, structural development, in which several Gr~s certain relationships were difficult to unravel, d'Annot localities are scattered, has long such as the petrography of the Argentera- received interest from French geologists (see Mercantour Massif and that of the Gr&, and summary by Stanley, this volume). Because the general grain-size fining to the north rather than the south. It was during a field trip with Faure-Muret, Lanteaume, Fallot and Kuenen that those sandstones were interpreted as turbi- dites (Faure-Muret et al. 1956). A more complete contribution by Kuenen et al. was published in 1957. The initial field trip was the reason Kuenen looked for a young student to conduct more observations and measurements. This short note offers a personal view on key aspects of Gr6s d'Annot research over the years, revealing in particular: (1) the ridiculous series of events that led to the Bouma Sequence; Arnold Bouma on the field. Christian Ravenne on the field. From: JOSEVH, P. & LOMAS, S. A. (eds) 2004. Deep-Water Sedimentation in the Alpine Basin of SE France: New perspectives on the Grks d'Annot and related systems. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 221, 27-38. 0305-8719/03/$15.00 © The Geological Society of London. 28 A. H. BOUMA & C. RAVENNE (2) a summary by Ravenne of the increased in the various scattered Gr6s d'Annot occur- geological interest in this area with the renewal rences. The purpose was to demonstrate that all of Annot studies in the 1980s, conducted for these locations were erosional remnants of a seismic stratigraphic interpretation and deep- large basin fill, fed from the south. Submarine sea fan models. This interest waned in the early gravity measurements indicated that parts of 1990s when the cost of oil production became the north-central Mediterranean were subsiding too high. A second renewal of attention occurred (F. A. Vening Meinesz, pers. comm. 1958), at the end of the 1990s (and continues), mainly supporting the concept that the sediment source due to the growth of hydrocarbon discoveries area was located to the south. We were still in deep-water systems, focusing on 'reservoir' some years away from a clear idea of what style detailed characterization. would be called seafloor spreading. In 1957, Bouma cleaned his old 96cc motor bike, overloaded it and went to south-eastern The Bouma history France. That little bike had barely enough oomph to move over flat roads, requiring fre- After completing his military obligations in quent repairs by the rider. As a result, the trip December 1953, Arnold Bouma received a non- went via Marseilles and the coastal road. From salaried undergraduate assistantship from Pro- Nice going north the bike broke down again in fessor Phillip H. Kuenen at the University of Luc~ram. Logically, that became the base of Groningen, The Netherlands. As part of that operations, and the Peira Cava area the main position, he assisted Kuenen with experiments study area. Profiles along two roads, Col de on the rounding of grains, and later on flume l'Orme-la Cabanette and Col St. Rock-la experiments of turbidity currents. The latter Cabanette, form a triangle with a base of about aroused his interest, especially when he shared 2km; the top at la Cabanette, a few hundred an office with Ernst Ten Haaf, who had started metres. Correlation seemed impossible (Bouma a Ph.D. study on Italian turbidites. Bouma was 1959a). also able to assist Ten Haaf in the field. During It was Bouma's initial idea to compare the that trip he learned that even professors are not Gr6s d'Annot characteristics with those of always the gods they pretend to be. Kuenen Tertiary fluvial deposits in Switzerland. Doeglas had mentioned several times that most turbidites advised him to present a paper on the Gr6s at were the result of the failure of an entire delta. the International Association of Sedimentology Such a failure then translated into a large turbid- meeting in Switzerland to make it easier to get ity current that would cover the entire basin with in contact with Swiss professors. The presenta- one layer. It would take 100 000 years before the tion of that paper, published the next year delta had built itself up again and was ready for (Bouma 1959b), changed everything. the next failure. Although the idea of failure After his presentation a question came from made a lot of sense, the calamity of a major the rear of the darkened room. The French was one did not agree with the young undergraduate. too fast for Bouma to understand. The repeated Kuenen's idea was that the fill of a basin would request was a similar machine-gun volley. mimic a stack of large pancakes. At the same Fortunately, the speaker was able to find time, the massive turbidity currents would Professor Doeglas, and met with the person swipe away all bottom fauna; and, therefore, who fired off the question. This happened to be no trace fossils would be found. The purpose of Madame Yvonne Gubler, Director of Geology this first stop on the trip with Ten Haaf to the and Geochemistry of the Institut Franqais du Apennines was for Bouma to see real turbidites. P6trole. Her first comment was 'you are not It did not take long for him also to discover permitted to conduct fieldwork in that area'. several types of trace fossils. Ten Haaf readily This caused considerable consternation, but agreed with the interpretation that the features after a lengthy discussion, permission was were trace fossils, and a cable was sent to granted to carry out sedimentological studies Kuenen explaining the find. A few days later only, and not to study structural nor strati- came an answer: 'impossible, look better'. graphic details because it was the study area of After having obtained his Bachelor of Science M. Lanteaume who worked on a Th6se de l'Uni- degree, Bouma moved to the University of versit6. In addition, the young student was not Utrecht in the centre of The Netherlands. His permitted to cross the River Var to study the new mentor, Professor Derk J. Doeglas, was Annot and other turbidite locations. No explana- persuaded by Kuenen to send the young gradu- tion was given. ate student to the French Maritime Alps to The trip to Switzerland was less exciting than measure sections and palaeocurrent directions expected, and with the field findings differing BOUMA SEQUENCE AND FRENCH MARITIME ALPS 29 1 the series. It was published in 1962. A couple of e pelitic interval years later someone coined the term 'Bouma i'.i: :::~i-i.._ i i:i.i.::::!-:!:::~i~i-.:~.-"d upper intervo, of Sequence'. Although the name was an honour, it often embarrassed the young geologist because " intervol of current too many people asked if he was the son of 'the ~-o777~'~" "~ c ripple lamination Bouma turbidite person'. Following up his 1962-1963 Fullbright post- ~~b lower interval of doctoral fellowship under F. P. Shepard at the parallel Iominotion Scripps Institution of Oceanography at La Jolla, California, the Bouma family emigrated i to the USA. Bouma started as a professor of 1,= :]~.';:i.','~..:;!i~-:~.;. a graded interval oceanography at Texas A & M University. A ..~..~) .......... busy schedule prevented visits to his old stomp- .'. 'o.e;, o.'.'6.:~'L' ing grounds. After the 96th DSDP cruise, he was able to go back to compare the Mississippi Fig. 1. Bouma sequence (after Bouma 1962). Fan cores to the Peira Cava outcrops (Bouma & Coleman 1985). from Kuenen's ideas, it became a strong attrac- The senior author can only express his grati- tion to continue in the Maritime Alps. More sec- tude to the professors he was able to study tions and palaeocurrents were measured.