DepositionalEnvironmentsand

SedimentaryFacies

 DepositionalEnvironments
Clasticvs.CarbonateDepositionalSystems
ShortandLong
DepositionalSystems
 Facies
Thesumofthecharacteristicsofasedimentaryunitresultingfrom
someparticularsetofphysical,chemicalandbiologicalparameters
thatworktoproduceaunitwithspecifictextural,structural,and
compositionalproperties (afterBoggs,2001)
- Generallyinterpretive
- Notspecifictoarock,buttoapredictedsetofcharacteristics
associatedwithsomedepositionalenvironment
- Sometimesuseddifferently
- E.g.,Todescribearockunitinanoutcrop
- sandstonefacies
 FACIES
Thenatureofthematerialdepositedanywherewillbe
determinedbythephysical,chemicalorbiological
processeswhichhaveoccurredduringtheformation,
transportanddepositionofsediment.Thoseprocesses
alsodefinetheenvironmentofdeposition
Nichols,2001.
 FACIES
Lithofacies
Basedonlithology
Biofacies
Basedonfossilassemblage
Ichnofacies
Basedontracefossilassemblage
 FaciesTypes
Lithofacies
characteristicsofarockwhicharetheproductsofPHYSICALand
CHEMICALprocesses
coarseningupward,finingupward
Biofacies
observationsarebasedonfaunaandflorapresent
Ichnofaciesfocusesontracefossils
Examples
graylimestonerock=lithofacies
echinoidandcrinoids=biofacies
burrowsandtracks=ichnofacies
 EnvironmentofDeposition
Sedimentologicalanalysesallowustodeterminethe
environmentinwhichasequenceofsedimentsorrocks
accumulated
Texture
Composition/Classification
Petrographicanalyses(e.g.,evaluatediagenesis)
Identifysedimentarystructures
Compareresultstomodernenvironments
Alsosimulateconditionsinlaboratoryexperiments(Hjlstoms
curve)
DepositionalEnvironmentsandSedimentary
Facies

 DepositionalEnvironments
AreasoftheEarthssurfacewheredistinctprocessesgenerate
specificgeological(sedimentary)products
Physical
Biological
Chemical
 Sedimentary(litho)Faciesand
(litho)FaciesAnalysis
Sedimentary(litho)facies
LithostratigraphicUnits(timeindependent)
Definedbysumtotalof(relevant)rock
properties
Reflectsprocessesduringgenesisandmay
include
Lithology
SedimentaryStructures
Fossils
Beddingstyleandgeometry(onvariousscales)
Paleosedimenttransportindicators

e.g.:hummockycrossstratified,
Zoophycusburrowed,fineto
mediumgrained,sandstone
 PaleocurrentsandPaleocurrent
IndicatorAnalysis
Paleocurrentindicatorsareoriented
sedimentarystructuresinterpretedtohave
beendepositedbyancientflows
Crossbedsslipfaces,
pebbleimbrication,
partinglineation,
toolmarksandgroovecasts,and
ripplecrestorientation
UnidirectionalPaleocurrent
Indicators
CobbleImbrication
BidirectionalPaleocurrent
Indicators
RoseDiagram
 FaciesAnalysis,FaciesAssociations,
FaciesSequences,andFaciesModels
Reoccurringassociationsofsedimentaryfacies
(xbddchannelfillsstwithrootmottled,mudcrackedsiltandclaystoneseepoint
barmodel)
Itispossibletomoreprecisely
determinethesumtotalof
processesactiveatthesiteof
depositionandinterpret
depositionalenvironment
Faciessequencesarerecurring
(inthegeologicalrecord)facies
associationswhichoccurina
particularorderduetothe
inherenttemporalchangesin
depositionalconditionsin
particulardepositional
environments
 DistinctiveandCommonSedimentary
FaciesAssociations
Verticalsuccessionsprincipallyidentifiedbylithology,associationsand
verticalarrangementofsedimentarystructures
indicativeofparticularsedimentarydepositionalenvironments
DELTA
 DistinctiveandCommonSedimentary
FaciesAssociations
Verticalsuccessionsprincipallyidentifiedbylithology,associationsand
verticalarrangementofsedimentarystructures
indicativeofparticularsedimentarydepositionalenvironments
DistinctiveandCommonSedimentary
FaciesAssociations
Verticalsuccessions
principallyidentifiedby
lithology,associationsand
verticalarrangementof
sedimentarystructures
indicativeofparticular
sedimentarydepositional
environments
 DistinctiveandCommonSedimentary
FaciesAssociations
Verticalsuccessionsprincipallyidentifiedbylithology,associationsand
verticalarrangementofsedimentarystructures
indicativeofparticularsedimentarydepositionalenvironments
 FaciesAnalysis,FaciesAssociations,
FaciesSequences,andFaciesModels
FaciesModelsareageneralsummaryofagivendepositionalenvironmentor
depositionalsystem
Lithostratigraphicunitrepresentingdepositionalprocessesandgeographiclocation

Theapparentexistenceoforder
inNaturesuggestthatthereare
(andhavebeenthrough
geologicaltime)alimitednumber
ofdifferentandrecognizable
depositionalsystems
Thesedepositionalsystemsare
identifiedthroughtheuseof
FaciesModels
 FaciesAnalysisandWalthersLaw
Itisabasicstatementoffarreachingsignificancethatonly
thosefaciesandfaciesareascanbesuperimposedprimarilythat
canbeobservedbesideeachotheratthepresenttime
 FaciesAnalysisandWalthersLaw
Gradational(vertical)transitionsfromonefaciestoanotherindicateoriginal
adjacencyandgeneticrelationshipduringformation.
Sharp/erosional(vertical)contactsbetweenfaciesprovidesNOevidenceof
contemporaneousgeneticrelationshipofdepositionalenvironments
 DepositionalSystemsAnalysis
DepositionalSystems:
(lithostratigraphicunits)
Threedimensional
assemblagesoflithofacies,
whichareinterpretedtobe
geneticallylinkedbyprocess
andenvironment
 EnvironmentsofDeposition
Continental
Fluvial alluvialfan,braidedstream,meanderingstream
Desert dunes,playalakes,salinas
Lacustrine
Glacial
Deltaic deltaplain,deltafront,prodelta
MarginalMarine
Beach/barrierisland
Estuary/lagoon
TidalFlat
Neritic continentalshelf,organicreef
Marine
Pelagic continentalslopeandrise,deepoceanfloor
 EnvironmentofDeposition
ModernAnalogue
Keytointerprettingtransporthistoryofsedimentsand
rocks
Process/ResponseModel
Basedonideathataparticularsetofenvironmental
conditionsoperatingataparticularintensitywill
produceasedimentarydepositwithauniquesetof
propertiesthatwillidentifyifastheproductofa
particularenvironment Boggs,2001
Uniquesolutionisoverlyoptimistic!
Veryusefulnonetheless!
 Process/ResponseModel
Examples
ProcessElement
OceanBasin
Deepwater;lowcurrentvelocity;settlingdominates
ResponseElement
Laminatedmudstonewithabundantmicrofossils
Asgeologists,oftenhavetoworkbackwords
Obtainprocessfromresponse
leadstosetofpredictions
whattypesofsedimentarystructures/associationswillbedepositedin
differentenvironments
sedimentarystructures/associationsaregenerallynotuniquetoasingle
environment
Loosedefinitionforfacies
 FaciesAnalysis
Theinterpretationofstrataintermsofdepositional
environments
How?
Recognizesedimentaryenvironments
Interpretrocksbasedonfacies
Becausetherearenouniquesolutionscantsimplyanalyzeone
outcropandunderstandit!
Relyheavilyonfaciesassociations
Vertical
Horizontal
Canuseidealizedmodeltoassistinanalysis
 FaciesModels
Howfaciesmodelsarecreated
NICHOLSFLOWCHART(FIG5.1)
assignallbedsinasuccessiontofacies
lookatpatternsofdistributionoffacies
developfaciesassociationandinterpretintermsof
depositionalenvironment
e.g.,finingupwardsisassociatedwithturbidite
thereareOTHERenvironmentsthathavefiningup!
needmultiplecriteria!
someofthecriteria
lookatassociationsoffacieswithinbasin
 FaciesModels
CAVEATS!
functionasGUIDESforINTERPRETATION!
cantbeSOinclusivetoincludeeverything
alsomayfindthatnoteverythingisincluded
e.g.,Boumasequence!
 HowtoperformaFacies
Analysis
Procedure
1.Measurethesection
2.Developdetailedgraphicsedimentarylog
usestandardsymbols
3.Evaluateassociatedsection
Quantitativelyorqualitatively
4.Comparetofaciesmodels
5.Assessregionalassociations
Howtomakeastratigraphiccolumn
Lookattherocks
Thismayseemobvious,butitisimportantbeforeyoubegintoget
ageneralsenseoftherocksinfrontofyou.Itwillmakeiteasierto
makeadescriptionoftherockslaterifyougetagoodoverview
first.
Lookforchangesinrocktype
Iftherocksinonepartoftheoutcropappearverydifferent,thenit
ispossiblethattheyshouldbetheirown"unit".Dividingtherock
outcropintounitsisbasedonchangeseitherinfossils,color,rock
type,andotherfactors,orallofthesefactorscombined.
Measurethesection
Onceyouhavedetermineddifferentunits,youmaythenmeasure
thethicknessesoftheseunits.(Geologistsaregenerallynot
particularlyinterestedinthelengthoftherocks,onlythewidths.)
Startdescribing!
Nowit'stimetomakespecificobservationsabouttherockyouare
lookingat.Whatfossilsdoyousee?Whatisthecolor?Whatkind
ofrockisit(sandstone,shale,limestone,orsomethingelse)?
STRATIGRAPHICLOG
STRATIGRAPHICLOG