Preface to Second Edition
This is a completely revised, updated, and enlarged version of the first edition of
Sedimentary Basins ... published in 1992. The chapters related to sediment budget,
especially those dealing with the flux rates of terrestrial material and basin filling
(Chaps. 9 and 11) have been entirely rewritten and considerably enlarged. It was
one of the major aims of this book to introduce quantitative aspects in sedimentary
geology. "Denudation-sediment accumulation systems" is a topic which does not
appear in comparable textbooks, although it has recently received much attention.
The rapid progress in the fields of sequence stratigraphy, cyc1e and event stratigraphy of silicic1astic and carbonate rocks made it imperative to completely revise and extend Chapter 7. Most of the other chapters have been supplemented by
new topics, such as cool water carbonates, paleosols, paleooceanography, global
sediment cyc1ing, some new concepts and examples in basin evolution, and the
impact of long-distance subsurface flow in diagenesis. These few remarks may
indicate my efforts to further widen the range of the book as a text for students and
a source of information on sedimentary geology and basin analysis.
A general principle of this book is its actualistic approach. Processes operating
in modem depositional environments are used for the interpretation of ancient sedimentary systems. Results of modem marine geology and sedimentology, inc1uding
neighboring fields, are therefore introduced in some detail. To indicate a largely
contrasting situation, some nonactualistic depositional scenarios are briefly described in Chapter 6. Most of the examples supplementing the general principles
were taken from the younger geologie past (Mesozoic to Recent), because older
depositional systems and basin settings become increasingly difficult to decipher.
The examples come from all continents, but due to the great number of case studies, I may have rnissed some examples which are better suited than those I have
chosen.
The general organization and style of the book have been kept unchanged.
However, the structure of most of the chapters has been revised and refined to improve the clarity of the text. All chapters and major seetions have been provided
with brief summaries (marked by boxes). From these, a busy reader or less experienced student can gain first information (or repetition) about a certain topic of his
interest. On the other hand, phenomena and examples of more specific, local or
regional interest are printed in small print. The same has been done with most of
the references to avoid too many names in the normal text. These modifications
may prove useful for different groups of readers. Less advanced students, interested mainly in the general principles, may ornit the paragraphs in small print,
whereas professionals often want to obtain more details and become acquainted
with specific examples. Much information has again been put into a considerable
number ofnew, mostly composite figures in order to keep the text concise.
Since 1992, an enormous body of new articles has been produced in the earth
sciences. Of these, mainly those published in international journals in the English
language have been evaluated up to the year 1998 and early 1999. Nevertheless,
only a fraction of these publications could be cited in this text. I am aware of having rnissed a great number of excellent papers which should also have been mentioned in the revised version of the book. I apologize to all those colleagues who
rightly fee I that their work should have been cited. Even a specialist in his or her
field is presently confronted with the problem of finding the papers most relevant
to her/his study, despite modem methods of data presentation and distribution.
This is a completely revised, updated, and enlarged version of the first edition of
Sedimentary Basins ... published in 1992. The chapters related to sediment budget,
especially those dealing with the flux rates of terrestrial material and basin filling
(Chaps. 9 and 11) have been entirely rewritten and considerably enlarged. It was
one of the major aims of this book to introduce quantitative aspects in sedimentary
geology. "Denudation-sediment accumulation systems" is a topic which does not
appear in comparable textbooks, although it has recently received much attention.
The rapid progress in the fields of sequence stratigraphy, cyc1e and event stratigraphy of silicic1astic and carbonate rocks made it imperative to completely revise and extend Chapter 7. Most of the other chapters have been supplemented by
new topics, such as cool water carbonates, paleosols, paleooceanography, global
sediment cyc1ing, some new concepts and examples in basin evolution, and the
impact of long-distance subsurface flow in diagenesis. These few remarks may
indicate my efforts to further widen the range of the book as a text for students and
a source of information on sedimentary geology and basin analysis.
A general principle of this book is its actualistic approach. Processes operating
in modem depositional environments are used for the interpretation of ancient sedimentary systems. Results of modem marine geology and sedimentology, inc1uding
neighboring fields, are therefore introduced in some detail. To indicate a largely
contrasting situation, some nonactualistic depositional scenarios are briefly described in Chapter 6. Most of the examples supplementing the general principles
were taken from the younger geologie past (Mesozoic to Recent), because older
depositional systems and basin settings become increasingly difficult to decipher.
The examples come from all continents, but due to the great number of case studies, I may have rnissed some examples which are better suited than those I have
chosen.
The general organization and style of the book have been kept unchanged.
However, the structure of most of the chapters has been revised and refined to improve the clarity of the text. All chapters and major seetions have been provided
with brief summaries (marked by boxes). From these, a busy reader or less experienced student can gain first information (or repetition) about a certain topic of his
interest. On the other hand, phenomena and examples of more specific, local or
regional interest are printed in small print. The same has been done with most of
the references to avoid too many names in the normal text. These modifications
may prove useful for different groups of readers. Less advanced students, interested mainly in the general principles, may ornit the paragraphs in small print,
whereas professionals often want to obtain more details and become acquainted
with specific examples. Much information has again been put into a considerable
number ofnew, mostly composite figures in order to keep the text concise.
Since 1992, an enormous body of new articles has been produced in the earth
sciences. Of these, mainly those published in international journals in the English
language have been evaluated up to the year 1998 and early 1999. Nevertheless,
only a fraction of these publications could be cited in this text. I am aware of having rnissed a great number of excellent papers which should also have been mentioned in the revised version of the book. I apologize to all those colleagues who
rightly fee I that their work should have been cited. Even a specialist in his or her
field is presently confronted with the problem of finding the papers most relevant
to her/his study, despite modem methods of data presentation and distribution.