Mixed depositional systems along the eastern margin of South Africa

The eastern margin of South Africa hosts a complex interplay of oceanographic, tectonic, and depositional processes that have influenced sedimentation since the Mesozoic. This study employs seismic data to delineate and characterize Mesozoic and Cenozoic aged Turbidite-Contourite mixed depositional systems (MDS) along the east coast of South Africa, specifically the western depocenter and eastern depocenter (Durban-Deep) of the Durban Basin and Natal Valley where these MDS are most prevalent. Given the limited research on Mesozoic and Cenozoic aged MDS in this region, this work represents a significant advancement in understanding their evolution and hydrocarbon prospectivity. Our results highlight that structural highs, such as the South Tugela Ridge (STR) (Bhattacharya & Duval, 2016) and Mozambique Ridge, played a crucial role in influencing bottom current hydrodynamics and contourite deposition during the Mesozoic, leading to the formation of mounded contourite drifts and sediment waves creating paleo-bathymetry providing favourable pathways for turbidite deposition. During the Cenozoic, the interplay of bottom currents and a pronounced deltaic fan and canyon system the Tugela Cone and Canyon are evident, along with ubiquitous contourite depositional and erosional elements throughout the margin.