Professional Documents
Culture Documents
November 2008
kendall@sc.edu
803 – 777 2410
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“Sequence Stratigraphy – Basics”
C. G. St. C. Kendall
Book Cliffs – Prograding Cretaceous Shoreline
Use a framework of genetically related
stratigraphic facies geometries and their
bounding surfaces to determine their
depositional setting
Interpretation involves:
Identify subdividing "surfaces" enveloping “discrete
sediment body geometries” of sedimentary section.
Backstrip geometries from oldest to youngest
Reassemble these in order of formation, using
subdividing surfaces, geometry, lithofacies & fauna to
interpret the evolving character of depositional setting
Remember:-
‘‘Each stratal unit is defined and identified only by
physical relationships of the strata, including lateral
continuity and geometry of the surfaces bounding the
units, vertical stacking patterns, and lateral geometry
of the strata within the units." (Van Wagoner et al.,
1990).
Sequence Stratigraphy
Bed
Parasequence
Stratigraphic Sequence
Cross Bedded
Ordovician
Beach Carbonates
Accumulation
- Several Years
Bed
Parasequence
Stratigraphic Sequence
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Al Ba Al Ain
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Central Coast
SAUDI Western Coast
ARABIA
50 km
Supratidal
Supratidal
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Evaporites
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id g
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Cyanobacterial
Cyanobacterial
Mats
Mats
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“Sequence Stratigraphy – Basics”
C. G. St. C. Kendall
The Ancient Egyptians
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Bed
Parasequence
Stratigraphic Sequence
All
os
tr a
ti g
ra
ph
y
Based on
Lithology
& Surfaces
Branches of stratigraphy
Lithostratigraphy: maps lithofacies independent
of subdividing external & internal boundaries
Allostratigraphy: bounding discontinuities
including erosion surfaces, marine flooding
surfaces, tuffs, tempestite, and/or turbidite
boundaries etc. as time markers
Sequence Stratigraphy: higher level
allostratigraphic model which interprets
depositional origin of sedimentary strata as
products of "relative sea level change"
“Sequence Stratigraphy – Basics”
C. G. St. C. Kendall
Branches of stratigraphy
Lithostratigraphy: maps lithofacies independent
of subdividing external & internal boundaries
Allostratigraphy: bounding discontinuities
including erosion surfaces, marine flooding
surfaces, tuffs, tempestite, and/or turbidite
boundaries etc. as time markers
Sequence Stratigraphy: higher level
allostratigraphic model which interprets
depositional origin of sedimentary strata as
products of "relative sea level change"
“Sequence Stratigraphy – Basics”
C. G. St. C. Kendall
Allostratigraphic
Events & Surfaces
Branches of stratigraphy
Lithostratigraphy: maps lithofacies independent
of subdividing external & internal boundaries
Allostratigraphy: bounding discontinuities
including erosion surfaces, marine flooding
surfaces, tuffs, tempestite, and/or turbidite
boundaries etc. as time markers
Sequence Stratigraphy: higher level
allostratigraphic model which interprets
depositional origin of sedimentary strata as
products of "relative sea level change"
“Sequence Stratigraphy – Basics”
C. G. St. C. Kendall
Lithostratigraphy & Allostratigraphy
Sequence Stratigraphic
Higher level
allostratigraphic model
that enables
interpretation of
sedimentary strata as
products of "relative sea
level change"
Lithostratigraphy & Allostratigraphy
Sequence Stratigraphy
Higher level allostratigraphic model that interprets
sedimentary strata in terms of bounding surfaces
that are the products of "relative sea level change"
Bounding Surfaces
Subdivide sedimentary rock. Best
B understood
by iteratively applying conceptual models
that link processes that formed them.
Provide:-
Relative time framework to sedimentary
succession
Better understanding inter-relationship of
depositional settings & their lateral correlation
Section
TS
mfs
basin:
1. a region of potential sediment accumulation
generally caused by subsidence
2. the largest possible body of related and once-
contiguous* strata; e.g., the Appalachian basin
* some exceptions apply
“Sequence Stratigraphy – Basics”
C. G. St. C. Kendall
Definitions
faciere: to send, to put, to place, to make
facies: outward appearance, sight, form, shape
basin:
1. a region of potential sediment accumulation
generally caused by subsidence
2. the largest possible body of related and once-
contiguous* strata; e.g., the Appalachian basin
PROGRADING MARGIN
MARGIN
HST MARGIN COMPLEX
COMPLEX
PROGRADING MARGIN
SHELF SHELF
MARGIN COMPLEX
ONLAPPING
“Sequence MARGIN
Stratigraphy – Basics”
PROGRADING MARGIN
COMPLEX C. G. St. C. Kendall
Lst Sequence Stratigraphic Hierarchies
And so to lunch