1
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE VOLUME
Facies models are encapsulated
summaries of sedimentation in a
depositional environment. Since the
initial formulation of this concept
(Walker, 1979a), facies models have
become the cornerstone of modern
sedimentology, and will continue to
be a vital starting point for whatever
new areas of research develop in the
future.
The originator of the concept,
Roger Walker, envisioned facies
models as living entities that would
evolve by a feedback process,
through the continual incorporation of
new information and insights from
both modern environments and the
deposits of their ancient counterparts
(Walker, 1979b; see Chapter 2). This
process is abundantly clear in this
new edition, which is a legacy of
Roger Walker’s fundamental contri-
bution to sedimentary geology. In the
19 years since the last edition of this
book was published, the attention of
the sedimentological community has
shifted from the creation of facies
models as an end in itself to a focus
on controls, that is, how external vari-
ables influence the operation of sedi-
mentary environments. As a result,
we now know much more about how
changes in such variables as tectonic
setting, relative sea level, climate,
ocean-water chemistry, and the com-
position of the biosphere influence
the nature of the sedimentary record
of past depositional systems. These
aspects are featured much more in
this edition than ever before, continu-
ing the trend, started in previous edi-
tions, which featured discussion of
the influence of sea-level change.
Many of the chapters contained
herein bear little resemblance to
those in the last version because our
knowledge of sedimentary systems
has increased dramatically since
1992. The important points stressed
before have become common knowl-
Noel P. James, Department of Geological Sciences and Geologi-
cal Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6,
Canada
Robert W. Dalrymple, Department of Geological Sciences and
Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON,
K7L 3N6, Canada
edge over the intervening time (e.g.,
tidal flats were considered at length in
the siliciclastic tidal chapter in the pre-
vious edition, but are not given the
same extended treatment here),
whereas other aspects, some of
which were not even discussed
before, have risen to prominence. In
the siliciclastic section, for example,
the dispersal of fine-grained suspend-
ed sediment from rivers, which is one
of the most important aspects of sed-
iment delivery from the land to the
sea, was barely mentioned in the
1992 edition. Now it is the subject of
considerable active research in mod-
ern continental-margin settings, and
the new insights are beginning to find
application in the study of ancient
successions. Increasing interest in
lakes and bioelemental sediments
(iron formations, phosphates, and
siliceous sediments) has led to the
inclusion of entirely new chapters on
these deposits. Insights gained from
recent research on the modern and
past global ocean, including the
importance of the role of nutrient vari-
ation, the role of climate change, and
the evolving biosphere, are pervasive
in the chapters on biochemical sedi-
ments.
As our knowledge of depositional
environments has increased, many of
the ‘classic’ ancient examples that
were featured in previous editions
have been questioned or reinterpret-
ed, and are no longer featured here.
Such evolution of thought is a com-
mon and expected aspect of the dis-
cipline, and students should not be
surprised or disoriented by such
changes of mind.
There is a close genetic linkage
between facies models and sequence
stratigraphy, not the least of which is
the fact that the identification of the
facies stacking patterns (i.e., progra-
dational or retrogradational) that are
used to identify systems tracts
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requires a thorough knowledge of
facies models in order to interpret the
environments correctly. Similarly, the
placement of such key sequence-
stratigraphic surfaces, as sequence
boundaries and maximum flooding
surfaces can only be done with confi-
dence if the changing environments
in the succession are interpreted cor-
rectly. Therefore, each chapter
explores, in greater or lesser detail,
the way in which the environment in
question responds to changes in
accommodation.
To get the maximum benefit from
this volume, the level of required
background preparation is about that
of a 2nd- to 3rd-year undergraduate
course in the principles of sedimenta-
tion and stratigraphy (Fig. 1). The
book could be used for advanced
undergraduate courses, although it is
perhaps most suitable at the graduate
level. Practicing professionals will
also find much that is useful because
presentations in the various chapters
incorporate the very latest, cutting-
edge research. The text is, however,
written in the approachable fashion
that is the hallmark of previous edi-
tions. Important terms with which stu-
dents might not be familiar are
defined when used first and are high-
lighted in italics. Although the book
contains the most up-to-date informa-
tion, the coverage of each environ-
ment is purposely condensed, so as
to capture the ‘essence’ of that depo-
sitional system. All authors have, as
a consequence, tried to keep the
number of references to a minimum,
and have not necessarily cited the ori-
gin of every idea presented. The ref-
erences at the end of each chapter
begin with the basic sources of infor-
mation and these references are
annotated. The remaining references
are for those who wish to pursue a
specific topic in greater depth.
We would like to thank all the
2 JAMES AND DALRYMPLE
Figure 1. A group of upper level undergraduate and graduate students from Queen’s Uni-
versity learning about carbonate facies models on a sunny autumn afternoon, while sit-
ting on Ordovician limestone along the banks of the Oureau River, Quebec.
authors for their scholarship and for
framing their chapters in the context
of modern sedimentology. There is
much original research in these con-
tributions. A great deal of this infor-
mation has come from research sup-
ported by the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of
Canada, and for this the authors and
editors are very grateful. In many
ways this volume stands as a testa-
ment to the effectiveness and wisdom
of the NSERC system.
This book has been made possible
because the Geological Association
of Canada (GAC) has thrown its sup-
port, personal and financial, behind all
aspects of the volume’s preparation.
This support has been augmented by
the Canadian Society of Petroleum
Geologists, which has enthusiastically
backed production of the volume
throughout. The current edition would
not have been possible without the
continuous support of, and oversight
by, Sandra Barr. Finally, Isabelle Mal-
colm, Queens University, Karen Dawe
and the staff of the GAC in St. John’s
were an enormous help in final book
preparation; we could not have done
it without them.
The study of depositional environ-
ments is an international endeavor,
and yet we have chosen to make the
book unabashedly Canadian. All of
the authors or one of their co-authors
is either in Canada today or have
studied and worked in Canada in the
past. The approach is, however, not
parochial but international, with many
writers choosing to involve colleagues
from around the world. The result is a
global approach but with a Canadian
flavor. All of the authors are recog-
nized experts on the environment
about which they write, bringing a
wealth of personal experience to their
presentation. As editors, we are
excited and pleased by the high qual-
ity and insight provided by the follow-
ing chapters. We hope you find the
book useful. Enjoy!
REFERENCES
Walker, R.G., ed., 1979a, Facies Models:
Geoscience Canada Reprint Series, 1,
(1st edition), Geological Association of
Canada, 211 p.
Walker, R.G., 1979b, Facies and facies
models 1) General Introduction in Walk-
er, R.G., ed., Facies Models: Geo-
science Canada Reprint Series, 1, (1st
edition), Geological Association of
Canada, p. 1-7.
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