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Sequence Stratigraphy

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Encyclopedia of Coastal Science

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Sequence stratigraphy is an informal chronostratigraphic methodology that uses stratal surfaces to subdivide sedimentary successions. Unlike most traditional lithostratigraphic units (NACSN 1983), which are defined as regionally mappable packages (members, formations, groups) of similar lithologies (rock types), sequence stratigraphic units trend across traditional lithostratigraphic boundarie s (Fig. 1). This methodology owes its origins to the pioneering work of Caster (1934), Sloss (1963), Campbell (1967), and Asquith (1970). All of these workers documented that stratal surfaces trend across traditional lithostratigraphic boundaries, and concluded that stratal surfaces represent time-significant boundaries that can be used to define coeval packages of strata contained within different lithostratigraphic units (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
figure 1

Idealized well-log cross section that illustrates the differences among facies, lithostratigraphic, and sequence stratigraphic (chronostratigraphic)...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Petroleum, Houston, TX, USA

    Arthur D. Donovan

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  1. Arthur D. Donovan
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Correspondence to Arthur D. Donovan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Coastal Education & Research Foundation, Fletcher, NC, USA

    Charles W. Finkl

  2. Coastal Education & Research Foundation , Coconut Creek, FL, USA

    Christopher Makowski

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Donovan, A.D. (2018). Sequence Stratigraphy. In: Finkl, C., Makowski, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Coastal Science . Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48657-4_282-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48657-4_282-2

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-48657-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-48657-4

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