Sedimentary evolution and control factors of the Rizhao Canyons in the Zhongjiannan Basin, western South China Sea

Submarine canyon is an important channel for long-distance sediment transport, and an important part of deep-water sedimentary system. The large-scale Rizhao Canyons have been discovered for the first time in 2015 in the continental slope area of the western South China Sea. Based on the interpretation and analysis of multi-beam bathymetry and two-dimensional multi-channel seismic data, the geology of the canyons has however not been studied yet. In this paper, the morphology and distribution characteristics of the canyon are carefully described, the sedimentary filling structure and its evolution process of the canyon are analyzed, and then its controlling factors are discussed. The results show that Rizhao Canyons group is a large slope restricted canyon group composed of one east–west west main and nine branch canyons extending to the south. The canyon was formed from the late Miocene to the Quaternary. The east–west main canyon is located in the transition zone between the northern terrace and the southern Zhongjiannan Slope, and it is mainly formed by the scouring and erosion of the material source from the west, approximately along the slope direction. Its development and evolution is mainly controlled by sediment supply and topographic conditions, the development of 9 branch canyons is mainly controlled by gravity flow and collapse from the east–west main canyon. This understanding result is a supplement to the study of “source-channel–sink” sedimentary system in the west of the South China Sea, and has important guiding significance for the study of marine geological hazards.