Presentation and formation mechanism of soft-sediment deformation structures in the succession of Shahdad Kaluts, southwest of Lut desert

The Shahdad Kaluts include a series of longitudinal dunes with a northwest-southeast trend that are located in the north of Shahdad (East of Kerman) and southwest of the Lut desert. The succession of Kaluts consists of hetrolithic layers of sand and mud sediments that deposited in a temporary lake environment. In addition to physical sedimentary structures, in this s successions, various soft-sediment deformation structures observed, which are formed under the influence of liquidization process in two stages of liquefaction and fluidization. One of the most important deformed structures during liquefaction stage are load and flam structures, folding and convolute bedding and tepee structures. In the fluidization stage, ball and pillow structures, water-escape and sediment-injection structures were formed. Autoclastic breccias and microfaults also formed shortly after consolidate of sediments. The triggers and main formation factors of these structures are divided into two categories: endogenic (sedimentary process and depositional setting) and exogenic (earthquake activity) triggers.