62
Concepts of Scale
Table 3.2. Hierarchies of architectural units in clastic deposits
Group Time
Examples
Instan�
Fluvial,
Eolian
Coastal,
Shelf
Submarine
scale
of
taneous
deltaic
estuarine
fan
of
processes
sedimenprocess
tation rate Miall
Brookfield, Allen
Dott and
Mutti and
(years)
(m/ka)
Kocurek
Bourgeois,
Normark
Shurr
w-6
Burst-sweep
Lamina
Grain flow
Lamina
Llamina
cycle
grain fall
2
IQ-S
Bedform
10'
Ripple
Ripple
Ripple
[3rd-order
-lQ-4
migration
(microform)
[E3 surface]
surface
[1st-order
in HCS]
surface]
3
w-�
Diurnal
10'
Diurnal
Daily
Tidal bundle
[2nd-order
tidal cycle
dune incr.,
cycle
[E2 surface]
surface
react. surf.
[3rd-order
in HCS]
[1st-order
surface]
surface]
4
to·l
Neap-spring
10'
Dune
Dune
Neap-spring
HCS
-to-l
tidal cycle
(mesoform) [3rd-order
bundle [E2],
sequence
[2nd-order surface]
storm layer
[lst�order
surface]
surface]
5
10"
Seasonal to
102 � 3
Macro form Reactivation Sand wave,
HCS
-IOl
10-year flood
growth
[2nd,
[El], major
sequence
increment
3rd�order]
storm layer
[1st�order
[3rd-order
surface,
surface]
surface]
annual cycle
6
10. 2
100-year
102 � 3
Macroform, Dune, draa Sand wave
[facies pack- macroform
-103
flood
e.g. point-bar [Ish
field,
age (V)]
[5]
levee, splay 2nd�order
washover
[4th-order
surfaces]
fan
surface]
7
10'
Long�term
10°-101
Channel,
Draa, erg
Sand-ridge,
[Elongate
Minor lobe,
-104
geomorphic
delta lobe
[1st�order,
barrier island, lens (IV)]
channel
processes
[5th-order
super
tidal channel
levee [4]
surface]
surface]
8
10'
5th-order
w-l
Channel belt Erg
Sand-ridge
[Regional
Major
-lQS
(Milankovitch)
[6th-order
[super
field,
lentil (III)]
lobe [turb.
cycles
surface]
surface]
c�u cycle
stage: 3]
9
10'
4th-order
10-l-lo-•
Depo. system, Erg
c-u cycle
[ss sheet
Depo.
-106
(Milankovitch)
alluvial fan, [super
(II)]
system
cycles
major delta surface]
[2]
10
10'
3rd-order
IQ-l-IQ-2
Basin-flU
Basin-f:tll
Coastal-plain [Lithesome
Fan
-107
cycles
complex
complex
complex
(I) J
complex
[1]
11
10'
2nd-order
lQ-l-lQ-2
Basin-fill
-lOa
cycle
complex
Hierarchical subdivisions of other authors are given in square brackets; names of authors are at head of each column.
environments, wind ripples, depositing climbing in the supply of sand fed to the foreset crest by
translatent strata, form group 3 bundles (Hunter and superimposed megaripples (Dalrymple 1984). VariRichmond 1988). In tidal environments, sand-wave ous types of tidal ripples were described by
cross-stratification may form bundles, reflecting Dalrymple and Makino (1989).
tidal-velocity asymmetry (Allen 1980) or variations
Concepts of Scale
Table 3.2. Hierarchies of architectural units in clastic deposits
Group Time
Examples
Instan�
Fluvial,
Eolian
Coastal,
Shelf
Submarine
scale
of
taneous
deltaic
estuarine
fan
of
processes
sedimenprocess
tation rate Miall
Brookfield, Allen
Dott and
Mutti and
(years)
(m/ka)
Kocurek
Bourgeois,
Normark
Shurr
w-6
Burst-sweep
Lamina
Grain flow
Lamina
Llamina
cycle
grain fall
2
IQ-S
Bedform
10'
Ripple
Ripple
Ripple
[3rd-order
-lQ-4
migration
(microform)
[E3 surface]
surface
[1st-order
in HCS]
surface]
3
w-�
Diurnal
10'
Diurnal
Daily
Tidal bundle
[2nd-order
tidal cycle
dune incr.,
cycle
[E2 surface]
surface
react. surf.
[3rd-order
in HCS]
[1st-order
surface]
surface]
4
to·l
Neap-spring
10'
Dune
Dune
Neap-spring
HCS
-to-l
tidal cycle
(mesoform) [3rd-order
bundle [E2],
sequence
[2nd-order surface]
storm layer
[lst�order
surface]
surface]
5
10"
Seasonal to
102 � 3
Macro form Reactivation Sand wave,
HCS
-IOl
10-year flood
growth
[2nd,
[El], major
sequence
increment
3rd�order]
storm layer
[1st�order
[3rd-order
surface,
surface]
surface]
annual cycle
6
10. 2
100-year
102 � 3
Macroform, Dune, draa Sand wave
[facies pack- macroform
-103
flood
e.g. point-bar [Ish
field,
age (V)]
[5]
levee, splay 2nd�order
washover
[4th-order
surfaces]
fan
surface]
7
10'
Long�term
10°-101
Channel,
Draa, erg
Sand-ridge,
[Elongate
Minor lobe,
-104
geomorphic
delta lobe
[1st�order,
barrier island, lens (IV)]
channel
processes
[5th-order
super
tidal channel
levee [4]
surface]
surface]
8
10'
5th-order
w-l
Channel belt Erg
Sand-ridge
[Regional
Major
-lQS
(Milankovitch)
[6th-order
[super
field,
lentil (III)]
lobe [turb.
cycles
surface]
surface]
c�u cycle
stage: 3]
9
10'
4th-order
10-l-lo-•
Depo. system, Erg
c-u cycle
[ss sheet
Depo.
-106
(Milankovitch)
alluvial fan, [super
(II)]
system
cycles
major delta surface]
[2]
10
10'
3rd-order
IQ-l-IQ-2
Basin-flU
Basin-f:tll
Coastal-plain [Lithesome
Fan
-107
cycles
complex
complex
complex
(I) J
complex
[1]
11
10'
2nd-order
lQ-l-lQ-2
Basin-fill
-lOa
cycle
complex
Hierarchical subdivisions of other authors are given in square brackets; names of authors are at head of each column.
environments, wind ripples, depositing climbing in the supply of sand fed to the foreset crest by
translatent strata, form group 3 bundles (Hunter and superimposed megaripples (Dalrymple 1984). VariRichmond 1988). In tidal environments, sand-wave ous types of tidal ripples were described by
cross-stratification may form bundles, reflecting Dalrymple and Makino (1989).
tidal-velocity asymmetry (Allen 1980) or variations