Outcrops of Turonian through Campanian strata in the Kaiparowits Plateau of southern Utah provide a unique opportunity to examine both shallow-marine and continental strata within the context of unconformity-bounded depositional sequences. This approach provides insights to the evolution of the strata within the plateau as well as regional chrono- and lithostratigraphic relationships within the southwestern Colorado Plateau. 

We recognize five unconformity-bounded depositional sequences. These sequences are defined by regional surfaces of erosion that juxtapose amalgamated fluvial deposits over shoreface, alluvial plain, or coal-bearing strata and reflect an abrupt basinward shift in facies tracts. Between these sequence boundaries transgressive and highstand systems tracts are recognized. Transgressive systems tracts are characterized by a progression from amalgamated channel deposits to isolated meanderbelts that have evidence of tidal influence within what is otherwise a wholly alluvial succession. These tidally-influenced fluvial deposits are temporally equivalent to marine maximum flooding surfaces. Early-highstand systems tract deposits are characterized by thick, aggradational shoreface parasequences, thick coal beds, and isolated meanderbelt sandstones encased in thick, fine-grained flood plain strata. Late-highstand systems tract deposits are relatively thin and are characterized by progradational shoreface parasequences, thin, discontinuous coal seams, and fine-grained channel deposits. We interpret these changes in stratigraphic architecture to reflect significant changes in stratigraphic base level that we have correlated to adjacent outcrop belts in the Wasatch