Coastal sedimentary environments and sea-level changes

Abstract

Key-words: coastal sedimentation; eustatie changes; stratigraphic architecrure; tectonics; accommodation space; Cainozoic. A detailed knowledge of the 3-D arrangement and lateral facies relationships of the stacking patterns in coastal deposits is essential to approach many geological problems such as pmise tracing of sea level changes, particularly during small scale fluctuations. These are useful data regarding the geodynamic evolution of basin margins and yield profit in oil exploration. Sediment supply, wave and tidal processes, coastal morphology, and accommodation space generated by eustasy and tectonics govern the highly variable architecture of sedimentary bodies deposited in coastal settings. But these parameters change with time, and erosional surfaces may play a prominent role in areas located towards land. Besides, lateral shift of erosional or even depositional loci very often results in destruction of large parts of the sediment record. Several ease srudies illustrate some commonly found arrangements of facies and their distinguishing features. The final aim is to get the best results from the sedimentological analysis of coastal units.