Abstract
Fluid mud, which is defined as fluid containing more than 10 g/L of suspended sediments, is formed mainly by (1) the development of turbidity maximum in tide-influenced depositional environments, particularly in estuaries and distributary channels; or by (2) high sediment discharge at river mouths during flood events. Muddy deposits, which are formed from fluid mud, are characterized mainly by massive facies and clay fabric herein named “granular structure”. Some fluid-mud deposits in coastal and shallow-marine successions have been interpreted to represent environments located further offshore than those associated with sandy deposits. Thus, the identification of fluid-mud deposits in stratigraphic records is crucial for a better understanding of depositional environments and processes.
