HYBRID ARENITES: THEIR COMPOSITION AND CLASSIFICATION '

GIAN GASPARE ZUFFA

Diparlimenlo di Scienze della Terra
Universita della Calabria
87030 Castiglione Scalo (COSENZA)
Italy

ABSTRACT: Misinterpretations of modes of arenites containing framework grains of both intrabasinal

and extrabasinal origin lead to unreliable reconstructions of paleobasins and paleosource areas. A
satisfactory scheme for the classification of such hybrid arenites is needed to provide an adequate
framework for basin analysis. Criteria for the definition of the chief classes of arenites must distinguish
between extrabasinal and intrabasinal detritus and minimize the dependence of areniie nomenclature
on grain size. Four main groups of arenaceous grain types are recognized: 1) noncarbonate extrabasinal.
2) carbonate extrabasinal, 3) noncarbonate intrabasinal, and 4 ) carbonare intrabasinal. Their three-
dimensional configuration establishes a first-level classification of rhe main types of arenites. Two
more groups of arenaceous modes, neovolcanic and carbonate particles of extra- or intrabasinal
undetermined origin, are requifed for a practica1 scheme. The practicability of the suggested approach
can be demonstrated in paleogeographic and paleotectonic reconstructions.

INTRODUCTION the proposal of Folk et al. (1970),* with no

Arenites are very useful for paleogeogra-
phic and paleotectonic reconstructions be-
cause of their abundante and the large
amount of information they can provide,
particularly from optical analyses, In this
paper, criteria are illustrated whic., have been
adopted in selecting petrographic classes for
a quantitative study of hybrid arenites (aren-
ites containing both intrabasinal and extraba-
sinal framework components). ~h~~~criteria
were formalized in a study of many different
arenites: paleogene and N~~~~~~ formations
in the northern Apennine (Zuffa, 1969; Gazzi
and zuffa, 1970), E~~~~~ formations from
the Calabrian Are and Pyrenees (Zuffa and
De Rosa, 1978; D~ R~~~ and zuffa, in press),
Mesozoic turbiditic sequences of northeast-
ern Calabria (Zuffa, in press) and modern flu-
vial and beach sands of the northern Adri-
atic area (Gazzi et al., 1973).
GENERAL BACKGROUND
implication of the matrix content as defined
by Williams et al. (1954, p. 290).
Arenites may be of different origin and
composition. The components of arenaceous
deb'is must be s e ~ a r a t e dfor P a l e o g e o g r a ~ ~ i c
and environmental reconstructions. Howev-
e" the techniques for qualitative and quanti-
tative a n a l ~ s e sof arenites are s t r o n g l ~de-
pendent on whether workers s~ecializein
carbonate rocks or noncarbonate arenites.
Carbonate petrologists consider carbonate
, grains as essentially of intrabasinal origin and
Often regard the presence of extrabasinal
carbonate and noncarbonate particles in car-
bonate arenites as an " u n l u c k ~ mishap."
Noncarbonate petrologists consider arenites
essentiall~ terrigenous rocks, and un-
Or even knorethe presence Of
both extrabasinal and intrabasinal carbonate
detritus. Arenites are thus divided in every-
day language into: 1) sandstone(arenites with

Sandy grains, 0.0625 t0 2 millimeters in
diameter, regardless of composition and
genesis, form the main constituent (>50%)
of an arenite (Grabau, 1904, p. 242). The
term arenite is used in this paper in a textural
sense (pettijohn, 1949, p. 226), contrary to
' ~ a n u s c r i p treceived May 18, 1979; revised July 3,
1979.
hese se authors re-proposed the term "sandstone" in
a textura1 sense going back to the original definition
of Lye11(1833), notwithstanding the genetic (terrigenous
rack) and compositional (dominantly siliceous) meaning
that this term has in normal usage (see glossary in
PeUijohn et al.. 1972; Glossary of Geology, A.G.I.,
1972; Dictionary of Geological Terms, A.G.I., 1976).
At the same time, the authors adopted the term "arenite"
to refer to the composition of the rock, contrary to
the original definition of Grabau (1904).

JOURNAL OF SEDLMENTARY PETROLOGY, VOL. 50, No. 1 , MARCH,1980, P. 0021-0029.

Copyright 1980. The Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogisis 0022-4472/80/0050-0021/$03.00
22 GIA N CASPA R E ZUFFA
terrigenous noncarbonate framework), and
2) calcarenites (arenites with intrabasinal
carbonate framework). This division limits
the manner of study of those hybrid arenites
belonging to neither group.
Hybrid arenites are more abundant than
is generally believed. The still scanty in-
formation on the composition of present
marine sands and the traditional approaches
to the classification of sedimentary rocks are
the dual reasons for such a situation. Classi-
cal divisions separate one component which
exhibits clastic-noncarbonate-extrabasinal
characteristics from another component
which exhibits chemical-carbonate-intraba-
sinal characteristics (Grabau, 1932; Krynine,
1948; Pettijohn, 1949; Krumbein and Sloss,
1951). Folk (1959) emphasized, with the
introduction of the term calclithite, the dif-
ferent meanings that arenites made up of
terrigenous carbonate fragments or of in-
trabasinal carbonate grains have for prove-
nance studies. However, Folk (1974, p. 168)
relegates carbonate rocks with 10 to 50%
of terrigenous material (i.e., many hybrid
arenites) into the group of "impure chemical
rocks." Pettijohn et al. (1972) and Pettijohn
(1975) discussed the problem of those sands
that are not only epiclastic but in which there
is a framework of mixed origin (hybrid sand
and sandstone). Past approaches thus con-
sider carbonate sands together with lime-
stones, separate volcanic sands, and consider
hybrid arenites as a particular but unusual
type of sandstone (miscellaneous sandstone,
Pettijohn, 1975, p. 195, 235).
Common terms, such as calcareous sand-
stone (Füchtbauer, 1974, p. 1 1) or calcarena-
ceous sandstone (Pettijohn, 1957, p. 405) are
unsatisfactory. They present problems due
to the uncertain differentiation between the
extrabasinal and / or intrabasinal origin of
carbonate and noncarbonate particles. Terms
such as arenaceous limestone should signify
a carbonate rock (>50% carbonate compo-
nent) that isimpure because of the noncarbon-
ate grains. However, one must ask, what
are the characteristics of the carbonate
components? Are they interstitial materials
or are they framework constituents, and are
the latter composed of "extrabasinal lime-
stone fragments" (Wolf, 1965), "calclithite
fragments" (Chanda, 1969), "lithoclasts"
(Blatt et al., 1972) or of intrabasinal frag-
ments, Le., "intraclasts," in the sense of
Chanda (1967, p. 435) or "allochemical"
carbonate rock fragments in the sense of Folk
(1959)? With reference to the noncarbonate
component, is it extrabasinal, therefore re-
flecting the outcropping land masses, or is
it intrabasinal, informing us about the en-
vironmental conditions of the basin (e.g.,
glauconite, iron-oxides, phosphates, gyp-
sum, etc.)? Friedman and Sanders (1978)
considered three main groups in classifying
sedimentary rocks: 1) intrabasinal, 2) ex-
trabasinal, and 3) pyroclastic rocks; in this
scheme, however, the arenites containing
both intrabasinal and extrabasinal framework
components cannot be easily classified.
In a global approach to arenites, particular
care should be taken in the choice of detrital
modes for analysis in an attempt to avoid
such uncertainties. The problem of a quan-
titative description is that of selecting the
kind of approach that is descriptive (mainly
objective) and at the same time also capable
of taking genetic aspects of the rock consti-
tuents into account. Every meaningful min-
eralogical, textural and paleontological
characteristic must be considered in the se-
lection of detrital modes when trying to
obtain paleogeographic and environmental
information.
The main types of detrital modes of marine
arenites, information obtained from their
study, relations to diagenetic processes, and
data provided by sedimentological analysis
are illustrated schematically by Figure 1. This
figure emphasizes the separation of extraba-
sinal and intrabasinal framework components
because of the profoundly different informa-
tion they can furnish. Such a distinction is
sometimes hard to achieve by optical analysis
only and, furthermore, requires a careful
examination of the diagenetic effects involv-
ing mineralogic and textural modifications
that tend to obscure the primary grain fea-
tures. Notwithstanding al1 these difficulties,
an attempt must be made to distinguish these
two main components during the counting
procedure. On attempting reconstruction of
both the source area and the sedimentary
basin, it is essential that uncertainties in
distinguishing extrabasinal and intrabasinal
components be considered carefully.
 COMPOSITION A N D CLASSIFICATION O F H Y B R I D A R E N I T E S 23

(EXTRABASINAL
COMPONENT 1[ INTRABASINAL ARENACEOU
COMPONENT

F I G . 1.-Schematic relationship between arenaceous components and data provided by the optical and
sedimentological analyses of a marine arenite. NCE: noncarbonate extrabasinal grains; CE: carbonate extrabasinal
grains; NCI: noncarbonate intrabasinal grains; C1: carbonate intrabasinal grains; V: volcanic grains.

PETROGRAPHIC CLASSES FOR A QUANTITATlVE methodological approach to a quantitative

OPTICAL ANALYSlS
The criteria adopted for selecting the main
optical petrographic and textural classes for
the moda1 analysis of arenites are illustrated
in Table 1. The optical modes are fitted into
a general framework based on textural, gene-
tic, chemical and temporal criteria. The
analysis that minimizes dependence of
rock composition on grain size (Okada, 1971;
Pettijohn et al., 1972; Füchtbauer, 1974;
Odom et al., 1976; Mack, 1978; etc.), is that
of Gazzi (1966), Zuffa (1969), Gazzi et al.
(1973), a technique in some ways similar to
that suggested by Dickinson (1970).
24 GZA N GA SPA RE ZUFFA

TABLEl.-Oplicalpelrogrophic classes for ihe modal analysis of hybrid arenires. (x) Temporal crirerion refers ro ihe age of rhe
various consriiuenrs of modal classes in comparison wirh rheir rime of formarion or sedimenrarion. NCE: noncarbonare
exrrabasinal grains; CE: carbonare exlrabasinal grains; NCI: noncarbonole inrrabasinal grains; CI: carbonare inrrabasinal
grains; Y: neovolcanic grains; Lc: limeclasrs; CCm: carbonare cemenl; NCCm: noncarbonare cemenr; NCMI: noncarbonare
mairix; CMI: carbonaie marrix; VSp: void space

CRITERIA TEXiUlLU CENETIC CHEMICAL COHPOSITIONAL andlar TEXTURAL l idencifi TEHPORAL

(provenance) main opeical ! cation- (x)
1 1 11 pecrographic clesses

I 11 Q I quartz I
k-feldspar
I
l
acid volcanic roeks I
intermediate volcanic rocks 1
fine-grained phyllite I
shale 1 NCE
serpentinite I
siltstone 1
'chert I
eec. I
micas and chlorites
other nineralc

glauconite

{ron-oxides NCI
phosphate

CARBONATE

quartz I
k-feldspar I
plagioclase I
femic minerals
andlor NONCARBONATE
1 v
felsitie volcanic rockr
I INTRABASINAL microlicic volcanic rocki I

ankerice and

The basic criterion for counting the detrital
framework for the groups NCE and V (see
Table .1) is separating coarse-grained lithic
fragments (made up of single crystals more
than 0.0625 mm in size) from fine-grained
lithic fragments (made up of single crystals
less than 0.0625 mm in size). Because of
disintegration during dispersal, the former
tend to break into individual crystals greater
than the grain-matrix limit in size (i.e., 0.0625
mm), whereas the latter tend to break into
still smaller fine-grained lithic fragments.
Therefore, coarse-grained fragments are not
counted as such but are instead assigned
according to the mineral beneath the cross-
hair (Fig. 2). Thus it is possible to avoid
tedious counting of different coarse, me-
dium, and fine sand-size fractions (e.g.,
Mack, 1978; p. 593, Fig. 3).
Furthermore, with such an approach both
 COMPOSITION A N D CLASSIFICATION OF HYBRID ARENITES 25

r O K P Carbonate Extrabasinal Grains (CE).-The

abundance of this terrigenous component
GRAINS both in clastic limestone and in sandstone
100625-2lmm
3
have been underestimated or ignored for
W
I
three main reasons: 1) environments able to
ROCK
a
cc
produce carbonatic debris are very rare,
mainly because of the chemical and physical
weaknesses of carbonate rocks (Wilson,
1975, p. 7); 2) if present in an arenite, such
Fic. 2.-Counting technique to minimize the depen- debris normally loses terrigenous features
dence of the rock composition on grain size (see text during the diagenetic stage; and 3) because
for explanation). of its occurrence commonly in arenites with
a carbonate framework (i.e., limestone or
dolostone: intrabasinal "chemical rocks")
the compositional definition for classification such debris tends to be included with particles
purposes and the provenance determinations of intrabasinal origin (e.g., peloids, intra-
would appear to be more consistent and more clasts, etc.). Evidence that terrigenous car-
reliable. Obviously, with this method, great bonate debris was an important supply both
significance is given to parallel exarnination during Cretaceous and Paleogene ages (e.g.,
of numerous rock fragments (especially Gazzi and Zuffa, 1970; Sestini, 1970; Zuffa
"coarse-grained" as defined above) using and De Rosa, 1978), and in modern sedimenta-
thin sections of impregnated coarse sand-size tion (Gazzi et al., 1973; Gandolfi and Pagan-
fraction. elli, 1975), suggests that more attention be
given to this largely ignored component.
Framework Components (1, Table 1)
Al1 mechanically deposited grains, irre-
spective of composition and genesis, ranging
from 0.0625 to 2 millimeters in diameter, are
treated here as part of the arenite framework.
Noncarbonate Extrabasinal Grains
(NCE).-The detrital modes listed in Table
1 are mainly those of Gazzi (1966) and Gazzi
et al. (1973) and constitute the common
framework of sandstone. However, with re-
spect to the cited references, the author
adopted two modifications: 1) volcanic rock
fragments of this group are considered as CE
being produced by the disintegration of older EXT:,"REL:TE lcolclithile- FOLK. 1959)

volcanic rocks in the source area; therefore,

these modes do not include penecon-
temporaneous pyroclastic materials; 2) chert
CI NCl CI NCI
fragments, however, are included in the L
(or R) pole instead of the Q pole, according colclithite

to van Ande1 (1958), Füchtbauer (1959), Chen

(1968), Folk et al. (1970), and Okada (1971)
both because of their supracrustal origin and
sondstone
their lower chemical stability with respect
to other types of quartzose grains (Harrel gioucomrenite
phoSpholOrenite
and Blatt, 1978). The main end-members for ) gypsarenife
NCI
the classification (Q, F, L) are indicated in CE

Table 1. Obviously, other modes and qualita- CE

tive attributes can be taken into account,
especially for the L group, according to the FIG. 3.-Main types of arenites as defined by optical
counting criteria listed above. analysis of the arenaceous modes.
26 GIA N GA SPA R E ZUFFA
Where diagenetic effects do not obscure the
original grain features, carbonate particles
may be recognized as extraclasts by taking
into account the different diagnostic criteria
with respect to the other carbonate intraba-
sinal particles of the host rock: a) textural
(shape and internal fabric of grains, presence
of recrystallized veins, etc.), b) composition-
al (type of carbonate, oxidation boundaries,
etc), and c) paleontological (presence of
fossils older than host rock, etc.).
Noncarbonate Intrabasinal Grains (NCI).-
Mechanically deposited noncarbonate sand-
size particles of intrabasinal origin (e.g.,
glauconite, gypsum, etc.) belong to this
group. The main components of this group,
listed in Table 1, may have an interstitial
position rather than a framework position.
In this case they are regarded as cement and
placed in the class "noncarbonate cement."
Carbonate Intrabasinal Grains (CI).-Opti-
cal petrographic classes listed in Table I are
those of Folk (1959, 1962) with only one
modification. The class "peloids" (McKee
and Gutschick. 1969: Bathurst. 1971) was
adopted here tó include all intrabasinál car-
bonate particles with cryptocrystalline fea-
tures to avoid time-consu&ng and unreliable
distinctions among pellets, lumps and other
micritic particles. Obviously these and other
distinctions must be made if the carbonate
intrabasinal grains are the main constituent
of the arenite. It has to be emphasized that
the class "fossils" includes the skeletal mass
only and that the class "oolite" does not
include any kind of nuclei, which must be
apportioned to the proper class according
to their com~ositionaland textural charac-
teristics and genetic meaning.
Volcanic Grains (V).-All types of penecon-
temporaneous sand-size volcanic particles
are grouped here. Volcanic rock fragment
categories listed in Table 1 are those of
Dickinson (1970). Monocrystals in the sand
range of quartz, feldspar and femic minerals
present both as single grains or as pheno-
crysts in rock fragments are listed and count-
ed separately as discussed above for the
"NCE group."
Sand particles of this group can in theory
reach the sedimentation basin in three dif-
ferent ways: 1) by explosive ejection as ash
fall or flow and/or by erosion of penecon-
temporaneous volcanic terrane in the source
area, 2) by ash falls from a far different
domain, and 3) by intrabasinal submarine
volcanism. Different paleogeographic and
paleotectonic implications can be inferred in
each case. There are three problems linked
with a correct recognition of detrital modes
of this important group.
A first-leve1 split involves the distinction
between particles of paleovolcanic or neo-
volcanic origin. Some criteria, such as the
presence of euhedral feldspars, unstable
minerals and rock fragments (e.g., olivine,
pyroxene, glass fragments, etc.), can be
helpful in this important discrimination that
unfortunately is seldom easy.
Second, distinct volcanic varieties of rock
fragments should be recognized and appor-
tioned to the correct class (see Table 1, group
V).
A third-leve1 split should require the dis-
tinction between intrabasinal or extrabasinal
characteristics of the volcanic particles. The
presence of textural features such as grain
size and strong hydraulic settling of volcanic
sands with respect to those of nonvolcanic
origin, and compositional criteria (chemical
composition, types of alteration of volcanic
rock fragments, etc.) can lead to determina-
tion of submarine volcanism. Distinction be-
tween penecontemporaneous ash fa11 grains
from volcanos located in mainland source
areas or from different domains generally
can be difficult. Nevertheless. the abundance
of volcanic debris, the preience of both
abraded and nonabraded volcanic particles
of the same composition, and the grain size
characteristics of volcanic material (Schei-
degger and Potter, 1968) with respect to the
other sandy debris can be suggestive of a
nearby provenance instead of a far distant
domain as provenance.
Limeclasts (Lc). -Al1 fine-grained carbonate
particles that cannot be recognized with cer-
tainty as intrabasinal or extrabasinal are
apportioned in this class according to Wolf
(1965, p. 35) and Blatt et al. (1972, p. 424).
It should be emphasized that this procedure
is important for achieving reliable quantita-
tive data. Discrimination between old ex-
trabasinal carbonate rock fragments, lacking
internal evidence because of their age, and
intrabasinal contemporary carbonate frag-
rnents sometimes can be difficult. When such
a division cannot be made, a left-over cate-
 COMPOSITION A N D CLASSIFICATION OF HYBRID ARENITES
gory avoids confusion and equivocations.
Other distinctions cause similar difficulties
to arise, as pointed out above for volcanic
grains; analogous groupings have to be
adopted in these cases.
Interstitial Components (11, Table 1)
Al1 varieties of material interstitial to the
original framework grains are included in this
group.
Cement (CCm, NCCm).-The most common
types of carbonate and noncarbonate ce-
ments are listed in Table 1. It is emphasized
that fossil-filling carbonate or silica, authi-
genic constituents like quartz or feldspar
overgrowths, or-new minerals such as TiO,
polymorphs, barite, etc., are apportioned to
this group. Since these constituents may or
may not have originated through dissolution
of framework grains during the diagenetic
stanes. it seems correct to include them in
u ,
the last textural status rather than to produce
any speculative inference about their origin.
Matrix (NCMt, CMt). -The group includes
carbonate or noncarbonate discrete particles
below the lower limit of sand size (i.e., 0.0625
mm). The implications of the matrix problem,
especially in sandstone, have been debated
for a long time, and the author does not
intend to treat this problem (see Pettijohn
et al., 1972, for discussion and annotated
references). Only two remarks will be given.
First, the upper dimensional limit of matrix
adopted herein corresponds to the lower
dimensional limit of sands. Fixing the con-
ventional upper matrix limit at 0.03 mm as
proposed by Spencer (1963) and Dott (1964)
would cause the modal analyses of frame-
work grains to be more extensive, in which
case, the distinction of detrital modes listed
in Table 1 should also regard the coarse silt
fraction. However, such a choice requires
a higher microscopic power for counting and,
on the whole, seems to be unjustified for
the amount of time involved and the results
it can provide. Second, attention was espe-
cially directed to the composition of the
sand-size framework of arenites, and matrix
was considered only as a textural aspect
separated from those of composition accord-
ing to Folk (1954), van Ande1 (1958), Klein
(1963), McBride (1963), Dickinson (1970),
Blatt et al. (1972). Classes listed in Table
1 are only two of those proposed by Dickin-
27
son (1970). "Epimatrix" is not detrital but
diagenetic in origin and, if recognizable as
such, it is entered in the group "noncarbonate
cement." "Pseudomatrix" (deformed fine-
grained lithic fragments) must be apportioned
to the "L group" when recognized. Carbon-
ate matrix, mainly intrabasinal, is generally
micrite, but it is seldom recognizable, either
because of neomorphism or the difficulty in
distinguishing it from cryptocrystalline ce-
ment.
Void Space (III, Table 1)
Void spaces are taken into account in the
general scheme of Table 1 because of their
great practica1 importance in fluid reservoir
studies but are not considered in most modal
analyses of arenites.
DISCUSSION
The two main objectives of this porposed
classification of hybrid arenites are to 1)
obtain the best possible separation between
extrabasinal and intrabasinal arenaceous
components, and 2) minimize the dependence
of the rock composition on grain size.
Taking into account compositional and
genetic criteria, four main framework groups
have been distinguished: 1) noncarbonate
extrabasinal, 2) carbonate extrabasinal, 3)
noncarbonate intrabasinal, 4) carbonate in-
trabasinal (Table 1; NCE, CE, NCI, CI,
respectively). Their three-dimensional con-
figuration established a first-leve1 classifi-
cation of the main types of arenites (Fig. 3).
Representative compositional points within
the tetrahedron can be considered in general
as hybrid arenites, but it may be assumed
that only the volume of the interna1 octahe-
dron (equal to half of the tetrahedron volume)
should be occupied by "hybrid arenites."
Four main triangles can represent the three-
component compositions of more common
arenites, and a rough subdivision of the
tetrahedron into two parts is consistent with
a field classification. Terms shown at the
poles of the four-component system of Figure
3 (e.g., carbonate extrarenite, etc.) are used
to point out both composition and origin of
the arenaceous framework. After this basic
first-leve1 classification has been established,
it is possible to progress to a second-leve1
classification depending on whether there are
 28 GIA N GASPARE ZUFFA
representative compositional points. There-
fore, rock names such as arkose, quartzaren-
ite, etc. indicate a second-leve1 classification.
Group V of the detrital framework must be
carefully considered because of its particular
characteristics. In the scheme of Table 1 it
has been kept separate. In a first-leve1 classi-
fication, if its terrigenous origin has been
recognized, it can be included in the "NCE
group," taking into account the different
meaning that neovolcanic or paleovolcanic
particles have for paleogeographic inter-
pretation. On the other hand, if particles are
neovolcanic of verified submarine origin,
they can be placed in the "NCI end-member"
and constitute an "intravolcanic arenite."
Limeclasts (Lc, Table l), of intrabasinal or
extrabasinal undetermined origin can be
tentatively included in the intrabasinal and
extrabasinal end-members (Le., CE, CI, Fig.
1) for evaluating either the sedimentary basin
or the source area interpretation.
With such an approach, problems arise
mainly in the practica1 distinction between
intrabasinal and extrabasinal sand particles.
However, failure to distinguish between
these two main components leads to incom-
plete or faulty reconstructions of both source
areas and sedimentarv basins. Uncertainties
in their recognition must be correctly eval-
uated and emphasized, because the distinc-
tion between intrabasinal and extrabasinal
framework grains is linked to the age of the
sand size particles, which must be meaning-
fully different (i.e., "neo" and "paleo" re-
spectively). Sedimentation in orogenic
cycles, is generally discontinuous (Dickin-
son, 1977), involving different supplies, rates
of deposition and geometry in each sedimen-
- tary cycle. Arenaceous formations roughly
span a time period from 1 / 100 to 1 / 10 of
an orogenic cycle. They are separated by
disconformities or by times of slow accu-
mulation of deposits that are generaiiy not
arenaceous. When attempting to reconstruct
the evolution of paleotectonic setting in oro-
genic belts or in rifted continental margins
by using petrographic data from arenaceous
modes of arenites, the main configurations
of both basin and source areas must be
imprinted. Therefore, it seems reasonable to
consider as " ~ a l e o " that detritus which
comes from formations originating in a tec-
tonic setting previous to that being consi-
dered. Partial emergence that exposes sedi-
mentary deposits (very common in carbonate
platform sequences) may give rise to second-
ary cycles of sedimentation (i.e., Chanda,
1967; Blatt, 1967) but this may be regarded
as a second leve1 of significance.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Ideas proposed in this paper stem from
many years of research on arenites initiated
in the University of Bologna (Italy) by P.
Gazzi since 1960. The author is indebted to
F. Ricci Lucchi, A. H. Bouma, W. R. Dick-
inson, T. H. Nilsen, and M. Einaudi, who
read the manuscript and made valuable sug-
gestions, and is grateful to L. Paganelli, G.
Gandolfi, S. Lucia, P. Spadea, R. Mazzuoli,
E. Mutti, and students of the University of
Calabria and Stanford University for discus-
sion and criticism.
This research was supported by the CNR
(Italian National Council of Research), grant
79 / 0046 105.
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