SequenceStratigraphy

q
g p y
thestudyofrockrelationswithinatime
stratigraphicframeworkofrepetitive,genetically
relatedstrataboundedbysurfacesoferosionor
nondeposition,ortheircorrelativeconformities.

Importantbecauseitplacesstrataintoa
predictable,cronostratrigraphic
framework and relates them to
frameworkandrelatesthemto
accommodationspace

Lithostratigraphyvs.
Sequencestratigraphy

Historical prospective
Historicalprospective
Barrell
Barrell1917:
1917 :Sedimentation
Sedimentationcontrolledby
controlled by
baselevelwillresultindivisionsofthe
stratigraphic series separated by breaks.
stratigraphicseriesseparatedbybreaks
Th
ThetermsequencewasintroducedbySloss

i
d d b Sl
etal.(1949)todesignateastratigraphicunit
b
boundedbysubaerialunconformities.He
d db
b i l
f
ii H
identified6majorunconformitiesinNorth
A
America.
i

Correlativeconformities

Seismic stratigraphy
Seismicstratigraphy
Vail
Vailetal.(1977):eustasyisthemaindriving
et al (1977): eustasy is the main driving
forcebehindsequenceformationatalllevels
of stratigraphic cyclicity Seismic stratigraphic
ofstratigraphiccyclicity.Seismicstratigraphic
+globalsealevelchart.
Winter(1984):tectonicstratigraphy
Winter (1984): tectonic stratigraphy
Thisiswhyitisallaboutrelativesealevel
changevs.sealevelchange.

Accommodationspace
(i.e.relativesealevelchange)
EUSTACY

SUBSIDENCE / UPLIFT
Posamentier, 198

Accommodationspaceequation

Space is created by
changing
g g in tectonic
subsidence and Eustasy

T E S W
T+E=S+W

Space is filled with

water and sediments

T:Tectonicsubsidence
E=rateofEustaticsealevelrise
S:sedimentationrate
W:waterdepth

Hierarchy
1)Depositionalsequence
1)
Depositional sequence (boundedbysequence
bounded by sequence
boundary)
2)Systemtracts:alinkageofcontemporaneous
2)
System tracts: a linkage of contemporaneous
depositionalsystems
3)Parasequenceset(stackingpatterns:progradational,
3)
Parasequence set (stacking patterns: progradational,
aggradational,retrogradational)
4)Parasequence(boundedbyfloodingsurfaces)
)
g f
5)Floodingsurface

Depositional system
Depositionalsystem
A
A3Dassemblageoflithofaciesgenetically
3D assemblage of lithofacies genetically
linkedandcoexistingtoday(fluvial,delataic,
barrier island)
barrierisland)

Depositional sequence
Depositionalsequence
A
Arelativeconformablesuccessionof
relative conformable succession of
geneticallyrelatedstratabounedby
unconformities (i e sequence boundary) or
unconformities(i.e.sequenceboundary)or
relatedconformities.
Important:everydepositionalsequenceisthe
Important: every depositional sequence is the
recordononecycleofrelativesealevel
Important:everyDepositionalsequenceis
I
D
ii
l
i
boundedaboveandbelowbyunconformities
orcorrelativeconformities.
l i
f
ii

Systemtract(subdivisionofthedepositionalsystem)
Geneticallyassociatedstratigraphicunitsthatweredepositedduringspecific
ll
d
h
h
d
dd
f
phasesoftherelativesealevelcycle(Posamentier,etal,1988)and
representedintherockrecordasthreedimensionalfaciesassemblages.They
are defined on the basis of bounding surfaces position within a sequence
aredefinedonthebasisofboundingsurfaces,positionwithinasequence,
andparasequencestackingpattern(VanWagoneretal.,1988)

The original 3 system track

HST
TST
LST

Highstandsystemstract(HST):
slow rose of relative sea level
slowroseofrelativesealevel
Duringsuchaslowriseinrelativesealevel,sedimentsupplyis
g
,
pp y
>rise,drivingaseawardbuildingofthecoastknownas
progradationalstacking.TheHSTwillcontainanincreasingly
progradational set of parasequences In the late highstand
progradationalsetofparasequences.Inthelatehighstand
systemstract,eustaticsealevelbeginstofall,butsubsidence
>fall,suchthatrelativesealevelisrising,albeitatever
slowerrates.
Eventually,astherateofeustaticfallincreases,iteventually
exceeds the rate of subsidence leading to a relative fall in sea
exceedstherateofsubsidence,leadingtoarelativefallinsea
level(Fallingstagesystemtrack+Sequenceboundary).

Lowstand systems tract (LST)

Lowstandsystemstract(LST)
As
Astherateofeustaticfallslows,iteventually
the rate of eustatic fall slows it eventually
equalstherateofsubsidenceandisthen
exceeded by the rate of subsidence leading to
exceededbytherateofsubsidence,leadingto
aslowrelativeriseinsealevel.Justasinthe
highstand systems tract this slow rise is
highstandsystemstract,thisslowriseis
outpacedbysedimentationrate,leadingtoa
progradational set of parasequences called
progradationalsetofparasequencescalled
thelowstandsystemstract(LST).

Transgressivesystemstract(TST)
g
y
As
Astherateofeustaticriseincreases,therate
the rate of eustatic rise increases the rate
ofrelativesealevelrisealsoincreasesand
eventually outpaces the supply of sediment
eventuallyoutpacesthesupplyofsediment,
leadingtoretrogradationalparasequence
stacking Such retrogradational stacking is
stacking.Suchretrogradationalstackingis
calledthetransgressivesystemstract(TST).

Hierarchy of surfaces
Hierarchyofsurfaces
Sequenceboundary(Depositionalsequence)
Sequence boundary (Depositional sequence)
Transgressivesurface(Systemtract)
Maximumfloodingsurface(Parasequence)
i
fl di
f
(
)

Thekeyverticalsuccessioninall
d
depositionalsequences:
l
Frombottomtotop:
1) Sequenceboundary
2) LowStandsystem
L St d t
Track(LST)
3) Transgressive surface
4)) Transgressive
g
system
y
track(TST)
5) Maximumflooding
surface
6) Highsstandsystem
Highs stand system
track(HST)

Howdoyourecognizeasequence
boundary?

Definition
Definition

PARASEQUENCE

Geneticallyrelated,relativelyconformable
successions of beds and bedsets bounded by
successionsofbedsandbedsetsboundedby
floodingsurfacesandtheircorrelative
surfaces
Bedsandbedsetsarepartofthesameprogradational
event
Thedepositsofasimpleprogradationoftheshoreline

Van Wagoner et al., 1990

Flooding Surface
FloodingSurface
Surfacemarkedbydeeperwaterstratarestingon
shallowerwaterstrata
Van Wagoner et al., 1990

Canbecausedby:
Arelativeriseinsealeveldueto
A l ti i i
l ld t
tectonicsubsidenceorfaulting
Eustacyy
Simpledeltalobecompaction
Flooding Surface
Van Wagoner, Mitchum, Campion and Rahmanian 1990

Origin and scale of Parasequences

OriginandscaleofParasequences

Because shallow water facies within a parasequence will pinch out laterally in a
downdip direction and deeper water facies within a parasequence will pinch out in
an updip direction, the facies composition of a single parasequence changes
predictably updip and downdip. Thus, a single parasequence will be composed of
deeper water facies downdip and shallower water facies updip, as would be
expected.

Parasequences
Exampleofsiliciclastic wave
dominatedshoreline:
1) bioturbated offshore
mudstones,
2)) passthroughthestormbedsof
h
h h
b d f
thetransitionzoneorlower
shoreface,
3) continuethroughthetrough
continue through the trough
crossbedding oftheshoreface,
4) passupwardsintotheseaward
inclined laminae ofthe
inclinedlaminae
of the
foreshore,
5) andbecappedbyabackshore
p
orcoastalplaincoalbed.

Systemtracksandparasequences
arearrangedintoparasequencesets
(stacking pattern)
(stackingpattern)
Asuccessionofgeneticallyrelated
g
y
parasequencesthatformadistinctivestacking
p
pattern(example:progradatioal,
(
p p g
,
retrogradational,aggradational)

Stackingpatterns
Sedimentation>accomodation

Stackingpatterns
Sedimentation=accomodation

Stackingpatterns
Sedimentation<accomodation

Increasing rrate of accom

mmodation

Rate of sediment supply <

Rate of accommodation
Retrogradational
Parasequence

Rate of sediment
supply > Rate of
accommodation
Aggradational
Parasequence

di
Se

en

ts

p
up

y=

m
co
c
A

od

io
at

Accommodation
vs
Sediment Supply
pp y

Progradational
Parasequence

Sediment bypass

Increasing rate of
sediment supply

Loss oof accommod

dation

Sequence Boundary

Regional
Incision
96_0118_13

(modified from Shanley and McCabe,

1996)

Transition from marine

t non marine
to
i
After Catuneanu, 2006

Mississippi River
Birdsfoot delta

Whatarewelookingat?
(CretaceousMancosShalenearWoodside,Utah)

Tidal influence

HST
TST
LST
What is this?

HST

LowStandsystemTract
Progradational sequence
sequence, LST
LST, sed
rates>accomodation rates, shallowing
upward

Lowstand systems tract

Transgressive systems tract

Highstand systems tract