Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Sedimentary Facies
and

Sea Level Changes

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Sedimentary Facies: general appearance or aspects of a rock (composition & texture).

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Sedimentary Facies: original environment of deposition can be determined. used to describe vertical and lateral variations in strata.

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Sedimentary Facies: facies transform laterally by

gradual changes in their properties

into different, adjacent facies.

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Two types of facies

1). Lithofacies:

distinguishing characteristics are . . . lithologic

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

sandstone facies

shale facies

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Two types of facies

1). Lithofacies:

can be degree of difference

limestone
vs.

sandstone
vs.

fine grained limestone

coarse, well sorted sandstone

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Two types of facies

2). Biofacies:

differences in biological (fossil)

composition.

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Two types of facies

2). Biofacies:

can have different adjacent biofacies in the same lithology

can be sensitive to small environmental differences

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Mississippi Delta

Foraminifera facies

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Changes in sea level

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Transgression:
Advance of sea over the land

Regression:
Retreat of the sea from the land

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Idealized gradation:
Near shore = coarse sediment
- to -

Off shore = fine sediment

- yielding to -

Shelf carbonate deposition

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Idealized gradation:

continent

near shore

off shore

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

No sea level change:

continent near shore off shore
sediment through time
http://www.uh.edu/~jbutler/physical/transreg.gif

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Sea level change: cross section

the beach

Sea level at Time A:

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

the beach

Sea level at Time B:

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Transgression
facies shift on-shore resulting rock unit (sandstone) varies in age laterally

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Transgression
facies shift on-shore resulting rock unit (sandstone) varies in age laterally the beach
the beach

Shift from

Time A to Time B:

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Stand in one spot during a transgression:

Time A: on the beach

(sandstone)

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Stand in one spot during a transgression:

Time B: underwater
(finer sediment)

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Regression:
facies shift off-shore

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Regression:
facies shift off-shore
the beach the beach

Time A

Time B

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Regression:
in one place, facies become more onshore (= coarser)
up section

course

Ss Slt

fine

Ls

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Regression
In a vertical column,
facies become

erosion

Conglomerate

Sandstone Siltstone Limestone

progressively more
"on shore" (coarser) up section.

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Regression
In a vertical column,
facies become

erosion
land

Conglomerate

beach

Sandstone Siltstone

progressively more
"on shore" (coarser) up section.
deep

Limestone

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Transgression
In a vertical column,
facies become
Limestone Siltstone Sandstone
Conglomerate erosion

progressively more
off shore" (finer) up section.

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Transgression
In a vertical column,
facies become
deep

Limestone Siltstone

progressively more
off shore" (finer) up section.

beach

Sandstone
Conglomerate

land

erosion

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Walthers Law
A vertical sequence represents
facies that were once laterally continuous
vertical sequence

Limestone Siltstone Sandstone

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Walthers Law
A vertical sequence represents
facies that were once laterally continuous
vertical sequence

Limestone Siltstone Sandstone

Lateral Distribution

Walthers Law
A vertical sequence
represents facies that were once laterally
Ss Sh Ls

continuous

Walthers Law
A vertical sequence
represents facies that were once laterally
Ss Sh Ls
deep beach

continuous

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Walthers Law
The relative sequence is more
important than absolute completeness.
vertical sequence-1 vertical sequence-2
unconformity

Limestone

Sandstone

Siltstone

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Walthers Law
The relative sequence is more
important than absolute completeness.
vertical sequence-1
deep

vertical sequence-2
land

Limestone

unconformity

beach

Sandstone
Transgression

Siltstone
intermediate

Regression

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

What cause a Transgression? Tectonic subsidence

(sinking)

Rise in sea level Erosion of shore line

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

What cause a Regression? Tectonic uplift

Drop in sea level

Over supply of sediment

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Eustatic sea level change

(world wide) - causes?

1. Continental Glaciation more ice = lower sea level

(max. 200 meter change)

http://www.shiftingbaselines.org/blog/archives/000430.html

1 meter rise

http://www.shiftingbaselines.org/blog/archives/000430.html

2 meter rise

http://www.shiftingbaselines.org/blog/archives/000430.html

6 meter rise

30 meter rise

100 meter rise

link to: USGS

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Eustatic sea level change

(world wide) - causes?

2. Plate Tectonics

fast spreading rate = high sea level slow = low sea level
(affects the shape of ocean basins)

Sedimentary Facies & Sea Level

Local sea level change

transgression in one place while regression in another local mountain uplift or crustal subsidence
very rapid influx of sediment or erosion.