Integrated study of several long continuous cores and wireline logs led to defining nine distinctive lithofacies on the basis of their physical, chemical, and biological characters: (1) siliceous non-calcareous mudstone, (2) siliceous calcareous mudstone, (3) micritic/ limy mudstone, (4) bottom current calcareous laminae deposit, (5) fossiliferous deposit, (6) silty-shaly (wavy) interbedded deposit, (7) phosphatic deposit, (8) dolomitic mudstone, and (9) concretions. These nine lithofacies record considerable variation in depositional environments and processes through time, from quiet water deposition of low-energy, muddy facies, to high-energy, phosphatic, shelly lags and wavy-bedded mudstones.

The cyclical stratal stacking style of lithofacies and corresponding gamma ray patterns has led to identification of high-resolution depositional parasequences within the Barnett Shale. Each parasequence is approximately 30 ft (9 m) thick, laterally continuous, and mappable. Maps of these parasequences exhibit varying trends of thinning directions through time.