About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 55 (1971)

Issue: 1. (January)

First Page: 154

Last Page: 155

Title: Resume of Significant Studies of Clastic Sedimentation: ABSTRACT

Author(s): Rufus J. Leblanc, Sr.

Article Type: Meeting abstract

Abstract:

Research on recent clastic sedimentation conducted by the petroleum industry, universities, and government agencies during the past 2 decades represents one of the most significant advances in the fields of stratigraphy and sedimentology. This research effort has provided geologists with conceptual models of eolian, alluvial, deltaic, coastal interdeltaic, and marine sedimentation. It has led to a better understanding of the depositional processes and related sedimentary sequences which characterize each model. Concepts and criteria necessary to interpret the origin and distribution of ancient sedimentary facies have been reasonably well established.

An analysis of the literature of recent sediments reveals that over 500 papers are now available for study, however the amount of research on processes and sequences associated with each depositional model has not been uniform. Emphasis has been primarily on deltaic, interdeltaic, and alluvial (meandering stream) environments. Considerably less research has been done on the higher energy alluvial-fan and braided-stream types of alluvial sedimentation and the normal marine (nonturbidite) environments.

The literature on depositional environments of ancient clastics, which now consists of over 600 papers, demonstrates quite clearly that results of modern sedimentation research have been applied to the study of older rocks on a very broad scale. An analysis of this literature reveals that about 50% of the published material

End_Page 154------------------------------

on the recent and ancient clastic sediments has appeared during the past 5 years.

Many geologists do not believe that modern clastic deposition is representative of conditions which prevailed during the geologic past and consequently they seriously question the value of research on recent sediments. Although I agree that several pre-Holocene depositional conditions probably do not exist at the present time. I am convinced that sediment studies of the Holocene have yielded valuable concepts and criteria which could not have been provided by other approaches.

End_of_Article - Last_Page 155------------

Copyright 1997 American Association of Petroleum Geologists