Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
SpringerLink
Log in

Tidal Inlet Reservoirs: Insights from Modern Examples

  • Chapter
Marine Clastic Reservoirs

Part of the book series: Frontiers in Sedimentary Geology ((SEDIMENTARY))

Abstract

The coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana are excellent examples of the range of sand-body types deposited along a terrigenous-clastic barrier island shoreline (Fig. 4.1). Submergence during the Holocene and the presence of reworked Holocene and Pleistocene sediment sources resulted in the formation of barrier-island, tidal-inlet, flood- and ebb-tidal delta, estuarine, and complex backbarrier environments. Hayes (1975), Nummedal et al. (1977), and Davis and Hayes (1984) determined that the geomorphic variability of barrier islands and tidal inlets along the southeast U.S. coast is controlled by regional changes in wave regime, tidal range, and tidal prism. In addition, Nummedal et al. (1977) and Hubbard et al. (1979) noted the geomorphic differences among wave-dominated, transitional, and tide-dominated tidal inlets.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Belknap, D.F., and Kraft, J.C., 1985, Influence of antecedent geology on stratigraphic preservation potential and evolution of Delaware’s barrier systems: Marine Geology, v. 63, p. 235–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berelson, W.M., and Heron, S.D., Jr., 1985, Correlations between Holocene flood-tidal delta and barrier island inlet-fill sequences: Back Sound-Shackleford Banks, North Carolina: Sedimentology, v. 32, p. 215–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruun, P., and Gerritsen, F., 1959, Natural bypassing of sand at coastal inlets: American Society of Civil Engineers, v. 85(WW4), p. 75–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, C.V., and Horne, J.C., 1986, Depositional facies of the Middle Triassic Halfway Formation, Western Canada Basin, in Moslow, T.F., and Rhodes, E.G., eds., Modern and ancient shelf elastics: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Core Workshop no. 9, p. 413–459.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheel, R.J., and Leckie, D.A., 1990, A tidal-inlet complex in the Cretaceous epiric sea of North America. Virgelle Member, Milk River Formation, southern Alberta, Canada: Sedimentology, v. 37, p. 67–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies, J.L., 1964, A morphogenic approach to world shorelines: Zeit für Geomorph, v. 8, p. 27–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, R.A., Jr., and Hayes, M.O., 1984, What is a wave-dominated coast?: Marine Geology, v. 60, p. 313–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demarest, J.M. II, and Kraft, J.C., 1987, Stratigraphie record of Quaternary sea levels: Implications for more ancient strata, in Nummedal, D., Pilkey, O.H., and Howard, J. D., eds., Sea-level fluctuation and coastal evolution: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication No. 41, p. 223–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donselaar, M.E., 1984, Flood tidal delta sedimentation in the late Cretaceous Menefee Formation (Mesaverde Group), San Juan Basin, northwest New Mexico: Geologie en Mijnbouw, v. 63, no. 3, p. 323–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donselaar, M.E., 1989, The Cliff House Sandstone, San Juan Basin, New Mexico: Model for the stacking of ‘transgressive’ barrier complexes: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 59, p. 13–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, A.G., 1961, Stratigraphic record of transgressing seas in the light of sedimentation on the Atlantic coast of New Jersey: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 45, p. 1656–1666.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, J.J., 1962, Geomorphic expression of former inlets along the Outer Banks of North Carolina [Thesis]: Durham, University of North Carolina, 120 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • FitzGerald, D.M., Hubbard, D.K., and Nummedal, D., 1978, Shoreline changes associated with tidal inlets along the South Carolina coast: Proceedings Coastal Zone 78: American Society of Civil Engineers, v. 3, p. 1973–1994.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galloway, W.E., and Cheng, E.S.-S., 1985, Reservoir facies architecture in a microtidal barrier system—Frio Formation, Texas Gulf Coast: Austin, Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology, Report of Investigations No. 144, 36 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldsmith, V., Morris, W.D., Byrne, R.J., and Whitlock, C.H., 1974, Wave climate model of the mid-Atlantic shelf and shoreline (Virginian Sea): Washington, D.C., National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA SP-358, 146 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halsey, S.D., 1979, Nexus: New model of barrier development, in Leatherman, S.P., ed., Barrier islands: New York, Academic Press, p. 185–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, M.O., 1967, Hurricanes as geological agents, south Texas coast: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 51, p. 937–942.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, M.O., 1975, Morphology of sand accumulation in estuaries: An introduction to the symposium, in Cronin, L.E., ed., Estuarine Research, v. 2: New York, Academic Press, p. 3–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, M.O., 1979, Barrier island morphology as a function of tidal and wave regime, in Leatherman, S.P., ed., Barrier islands from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico: New York, Academic Press, p. 1–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, M.O., 1980, General morphology and sediment patterns in tidal inlets: Sedimentary Geology, v. 26, p. 139–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, M.O., and Kana, T.W., eds., 1976, Terrigenous clastic depositional environments: Columbia, University of South Carolina, Department of Geology, Coastal Research Division, Technical Report No. 11-CRD, p. 1-81-1-93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herbert, J.R., 1978, Post-Miocene stratigraphy and evolution of northern Core Banks, North Carolina [M.S. thesis]: Durham, NC, Duke University, 166 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heron, S.D., Jr., Moslow, T.F., Berelson, W.M., Herbert, J.R., Steele, G.A. III, and Susman, K.R., 1984, Holocene sedimentation of a wave-dominated barrier-island shoreline: Cape Lookout, North Carolina: Marine Geology, v. 60, p. 413–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heward, A.P., 1981, A review of wave-dominated clastic shoreline deposits: Earth Science Review, v. 17, p. 223–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hine, A.C., and Synder, S.W., 1985, Coastal lithosome preservation: Evidence from the shoreface and inner continental shelf off Bogue Banks, North Carolina: Marine Geology, v. 63, p. 307–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyt, J.H., 1967, Barrier island formation: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 78, p. 1125–1136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyt, J.H., and Henry, V.J., 1967, Influence of island migration on barrier island sedimentation: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 78, p. 77–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbard, D.K., Oertel, G.F., and Nummedal, D., 1979, The role of waves and tidal currents in the development of tidal-inlet sedimentary structures and sand body geometry: Examples from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 49, p. 1073–1092.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kana, T.W., 1979, Suspended sediment in breaking waves: Columbia, University of South Carolina, Department of Geology, Coastal Research Division, Technical Report 18-CRD, 153 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kraft, J.C., and John, C.J., 1979, Lateral and vertical facies relations of transgressive barrier: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 63, p. 2145–2163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, R., and Sanders, J.E., 1974, Inlet sequences: A vertical succession of sedimentary structures and textures created by the lateral migration of tidal inlets: Sedimentology, v. 21, p. 291–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leckie, D., 1986A, Rates, controls, and sand-body geometries of transgressive-regressive cycles: Cretaceous Moosbar and Gates formations, British Columbia: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 70, p. 516–535.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leckie, D., 1986B, Tidal channel facies of the Virgelle Member (Cretaceous Milk River Formation), southern Alberta, Canada: 12th International Sedimentological Congress, Canberra, Australia, p. 177.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, A.A., and Biggs, C.A., 1968, Bell Creek Field, Montana: A rich stratigraphic trap: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 52, p. 1869–1887.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, R.A., and Donaldson, A.C., 1973, Sediment distribution and evolution of tidal deltas along a tide-dominated shoreline, Wachapreague, Virginia: Sedimentary Geology, v. 10, p. 285–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moslow, T.F., 1980, Mesotidal barrier island stratigraphy [Ph.D. dissertation]: Columbia, University of South Carolina, 247 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moslow, T.F., 1984, Depositional models of shelf and shoreline sandstones: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Continuing Education Course Notes Series 27, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 102p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moslow, T.F., and Colquhoun, D.J., 1981, Influence of sea level change-on barrier island evolution: Oceanis, v. 7, p. 439–454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moslow, T.F., and Heron, S.D., Jr., 1978, Relict inlets: Preservation and occurrence in the Holocene stratigraphy of southern Core Banks, North Carolina: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 48, p. 1275–1286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moslow, T.F., and Levin, D.R., 1985, Tidal inlet processes and deposits along a low energy coastline: Eastern Barataria Bight, Louisiana [abs.]: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 17, no. 7, p. 670.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moslow, T.F., and Tye, R.S., 1985, Recognition and characteristics of Holocene tidal inlet sequences: Marine Geology, v. 63, p. 129–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mossa, J., 1984, Wave climate studies in the northern Gulf of Mexico: Comparisons of visual surf, SSMO, hindcast, and gage data: Oceans’ 84, v. 2, p. 717–724.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munroe, H.D., and Moslow, T.F., 1990, Reservoir quality and architecture of tidal inlet sandstones, Halfway Formation, northeastern British Columbia: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Convention, Program and Abstracts, p. 103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nummedal, D., Oertel, G.F., Hubbard, D.K., and Hine, A.C., 1977, Tidal inlet variability—Cape Hatteras to Cape Canaveral: Proceedings, Coastal Sediments’ 77, American Society of Civil Engineers, p. 543-562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nummedal, D., and Swift, D.J.P., 1987, Transgressive stratigraphy at sequence-bounding unconformities: Some principles derived from Holocene and Cretaceous examples, in Nummedal, D., Pilkey, O.H., and Howard, J.D., eds., Sea-level fluctuation and coastal evolution: Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication No. 41, p. 241–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, J.J., and Scott, A.J., 1984, Stacked shoreline and shelf sandstone of La Ventana Tongue (Campanian), northwestern New Mexico: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 68, p. 74–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pierce, J.W., 1970, Tidal inlets and washover fans: Journal of Geology, v. 78, p. 230–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Price, A.W., and Parker, R.H., 1979, Origins of permanent inlets separating barrier islands and influence of drowned valleys on tidal records along the Gulf Coast of Texas: Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions, v. 29, p. 371–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rampino, M.R., and Sanders, J.E., 1980, Holocene transgression in south-central Long Island, New York: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 50, p. 1063–1080.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramsey, K.E., and Moslow, T.F., 1987, A numerical analysis of subsidence and sea level in Louisiana, in Kraus N.C., ed., Coastal Sediments’ 87, Volume II: American Society of Civil Engineers, p. 1673-1688.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryer, T.A., 1977, Patterns of Cretaceous shallow-marine sedimentation, Coalville and Rockport areas, Utah: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 88, p. 177–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sexton, W.J., and Hayes, M.O., 1982, Natural bypassing of sand at a tidal inlet, in Eighteenth Coastal Engineering Conference Proceedings: American Society of Civil Engineers, v. 2, p. 1479–1495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swift, D.J.P., 1968, Coastal erosion and transgressive stratigraphy: Journal of Geology, v. 76, p. 444–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swift, D.J.P., and Moslow, T.F., 1982, Holocene transgression in south-central Long Island, New York—Discussion: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. 52, p. 1014–1017.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tye, R.S., 1984, Geomorphic evolution and stratigraphy of Price and Capers Inlets, South Carolina: Sedimentology, v. 31, p. 655–674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Commerce, 1982, Tide tables, East coast of North and South America: Rockville, Maryland, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Survey, 293 p.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, C.-S., and Nio, S.-D., 1989, An ebb-tide delta depositional model—a comparison between the modern Eastern Scheldt tidal basin (southwest Netherlands) and the lower Eocene Roda Sandstone in the southern Pyrenees (Spain): Sedimentary Geology, v. 64, p. 175–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Robert S. Tye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thomas F. Moslow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Landmark Graphics Corporation, 16001 Park Ten Place, Houston, TX, 77084, USA

    E. G. Rhodes

  2. Department of Geology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada

    T. F. Moslow

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1993 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Tye, R.S., Moslow, T.F. (1993). Tidal Inlet Reservoirs: Insights from Modern Examples. In: Rhodes, E.G., Moslow, T.F. (eds) Marine Clastic Reservoirs. Frontiers in Sedimentary Geology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0160-9_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0160-9_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-0162-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-0160-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation