Some Practical Aspects of Palynofacies Analysis

Abstract

Much palynofacies work has been done as a secondary exercise within palynostratigraphic studies. Unfortunately, this often means that the samples were collected using a strategy that emphasizes standard sampling intervals and the selection of only those lithologies likely to be most productive in terms of palynomorph yield. In my experience, some kind of quantitative change in the palynofacies characteristics should be expected whenever any lithological, sedimentological, palaeoecological or bulk geochemical change occurs (although they may also occur when these factors appear to remain constant). Consequently, palynofacies studies must deliberately attempt to assess these influences by ensuring not only a reasonable stratigraphic coverage, but by statistically valid replicate sampling of all lithologic and facies variants within every significant part of the section under study.