Abstract:

Subaqueous distributary channel is one of the most important microfacies types and highquality reservoirs in deltafront subfacies, but little research of subaqueous distributary channel pattern has been carried out. Whether there is meandering or braided pattern or any other subaqueous channels and whether there is high angle turning is not clear, which directly affect the research of fine characterization, architecture, threedimensional heterogeneous model of subaqueous channel monosandbody in high watercut stage and tertiary phase. Therefore, it is of great theoretic significance and badly needed to ravel the subaqueous channel pattern. Focused on this problem, our study used the remote sensing method (satellite image) which can integrally and finely reveal the plane configuration and the character of subaqueous channel to thoroughly dissect 41 present subaqueous channels and determine subaqueous channel patterns, to classify subaqueous channel region into 4 zones, 3 types and 8 subtypes of channel pattern and discuss  their characteristics and formation condition. Based on the statistics of the channel pattern of 41 present subaqueous channels, it is concluded that  straight channel pattern is common, while lowsinuosity, highsinuosity, braided and anastomosed channel patterns are rare and are normally developed in the  nearshore subaqueous environment in different geological settings.

Key words: subaqueous distributary channel, channel pattern, present river, channel monosandbody, formation mechanism