SEDIMENTOLOGYSEDIMENTOLOGY

Depositional Environment

MarineShallow MarineDeep Marine

Marginal Marine/TransitionalMarginal Marine/TransitionalDeltaLagoonEstuarine

Terrestrial/ContinentalFluvialLacustrine

Depositional Environment

Marginal Marine/TransitionalMarginal Marine/Transitional

Terrestrial/Continental

Facies and depositional environments

• The facies concept refers to the sum of characteristics of a sedimentary unit,commonly at a fairly small (cm-m) scale

• Lithology

• Grain size

• Sedimentary structures• Sedimentary structures

• Color

• Composition

• Biogenic content

• Lithofacies (physical and chemical characteristics)

• Biofacies (macrofossil content)

• Ichnofacies (trace fossils)

Facies and depositional environments

concept refers to the sum of characteristics of a sedimentary unit,

Lithofacies (physical and chemical characteristics)

Facies and depositional environments

• Facies analysis is the interpretation of strata in terms of depositional environments(or depositional systems), commonly based on a wide variety of observations

• Facies associations constitute several facies that occur in combination, and typicallyrepresent one depositional environment (note that very few individual facies arediagnostic for one specific setting!)diagnostic for one specific setting!)

• Facies successions (or facies sequences) are facies associations with a characteristicvertical order

• Walther’s Law (1894) states that two different facies found superimposed on oneanother and not separated by an unconformity, must have been deposited adjacent toeach other at a given point in time

Facies and depositional environments

is the interpretation of strata in terms of depositional environments(or depositional systems), commonly based on a wide variety of observations

constitute several facies that occur in combination, and typicallyrepresent one depositional environment (note that very few individual facies are

(or facies sequences) are facies associations with a characteristic

(1894) states that two different facies found superimposed on oneanother and not separated by an unconformity, must have been deposited adjacent to

http://www.gpc.edu/~pgore/geology/historical_lab/environmentchart.htmhttp://www.gpc.edu/~pgore/geology/historical_lab/environmentchart.htm

ContinentalEnvironment

Depositional environments on the earthsurface control how sediment is transportedand deposited.

ShorelineEnvironment

MarineEnvironment

Depositional environments on the earthsurface control how sediment is transportedand deposited.

Bathymetry zone block diagram model of openmarine depositionalBathymetry zone block diagram model of openmarine depositional environment, from Dunbar