Knaust, D., and Bromley, R. G., 2012. Trace Fossils as Indicators of
Sedimentary Environments. Oxford: Elsevier.
Martinsson, A., 1970. Toponomy of trace fossils. In Crimes, T. P.,
and Harper, J. C. (eds,), Trace Fossils. Geological Journal
Special Issue, 3, 323–330.
Miller, W., III, 2007. Trace Fossils. Oxford: Elsevier.
Osgood, R. G., Jr., 1975. The paleontological significance of trace
fossils. In Frey, R. W. (ed.), The Study of Trace Fossils:
A Synthesis of Principles, Problems, and Procedures in
Ichnology. Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 87–108.
Pemberton, S. G., Frey, R. W., Ranger, M. J., and MacEachern,
J. A., 1992. The conceptual framework of ichnology. In
Pemberton, S. G., (ed.), Applications of Ichnology to Petroleum
Exploration: A Core Workshop. Society for Sedimentary Geology Core Workshop, 17, pp. 1–32.
Pemberton, S. G., Spila, M., Pulham, A. J., Saunders, T.,
MacEachern, J. A., Robbins, D., and Sinclair, I. K., 2001.
Ichnology & Sedimentology of Shallow to Marginal Marine Systems. Ben Nevis and Avalon Reservoirs, Jeanne d’Arc Basin.
St. John’s: Geological Association of Canada Short Course
Notes, Vol. 15.
Pickerill, R. K., 1994. Nomenclature and taxonomy of invertebrate
trace fossils. In Donovan, S. K. (ed.), The Palaeobiology of
Trace Fossils. New York: Wiley, pp. 3–42.
Sarjeant, W. A. S., and Kennedy, W. J., 1973. Proposal for a code for
the nomenclature of trace fossils. Canadian Journal of Earth
Science, 10, 460–475.
Seilacher, A., 1953. Studien zur Palichnologie. I. Über die
Methoden der Palichnologie. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und
Paläontologie Abhandlungen, 96, 421–452.
Seilacher, A., 1964. Biogenic sedimentary structures. In Imbrie, J.,
and Newell, N. (eds.), Approaches to Paleoecology. New York:
Wiley, pp. 296–316.
Seilacher, A., 1967. Bathymetry of trace fossils. Marine Geology, 5,
413–428.
Simpson, S., 1957. On the trace fossil Chondrites. Quarterly Journal Geological Society of London, 112, 475–479.
Cross-references
Deltas
Estuarine Geomorphology
River-dominated Estuary
Sandflat
Soft Sediment Communities
Tidal Flat
BIOGENOUS SEDIMENT
Lluís Gómez-Pujol
Universitat de les Illes Baleares, Palma (Balearic Islands),
Spain
Synonyms
Biogenic sediments; Shelly sediments
Definition
Biogenous sediments are broadly defined as sediments
consisting of large amounts of skeletal remains of macroscopic and microscopic organisms or remains of organic
production.
Description
Estuarine sediments are derived from a number of
sources including the watershed, continental shelf, atmosphere, erosion of the estuarine margins and bottom, and
biotic activity within the estuary. The dominance of one
sediment source depends on the interaction between the
type and the quantities of available components. Terrigenous sediments such as sand and clay may be linked to
riverine contributions, whereas biogenous sediments
seem coupled to the lower estuary and the marine estuarine morphodynamic domains (Nichols and Biggs, 1985;
Nichols et al., 1991). Biogenous sediments are formed
from the insoluble remains of living organisms, such as
shells, bones, and teeth (Davis, 1985; Cronin et al.,
2003). They can be grouped in three major categories:
calcareous biogenous sediments, siliceous biogenous
sediments, and phosphatic biogenous sediments. The
first group includes calcareous shells or remains of benthic organisms (mainly molluscs, snails, ostracodes, or
foraminifera). The second group includes sponge spicules or diatoms and radiolarian remains, and finally, the
last group includes fish scales and bones or organic matter formed in situ. These kinds of sediments are often
used as a proxy of the human-induced changes in estuarine sedimentation (Colman and Bratton, 2003). Cronin
(2007) shows that in estuarine environments such as the
Chesapeake Bay diatoms can constitute 5–10 % of dry
sediment, whereas calcareous shelly sediments can
comprise as much a 5 %.
Bibliography
Colman, S. M., and Bratton, J. F., 2003. Anthropogenically induced
changes in sediment and biogenic silica fluxes in Chesapeake
Bay. Geology, 31, 71–74.
Cronin, T. M., 2007. Sediment sources and deposition in the
estuary. In Phillips, S. W. (ed.), Synthesis of U.S. Geological
Survey Science for the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem and Implications for Environmental Management. Reston, VA:
U.S. Geological Survey. U.S. Geological Survey, Circular
1316, pp. 32–34.
Cronin, T., Halka, J., Phillips, S., and Bricker, O., 2003. Estuarine
sediment sources. In Langland, M., and Cronin, T. (eds.), A
Summary Report of Sediment Processes in Chesapeake Bay.
U.S. Geological Survey, Water-Resources Investigations Report
03-4123. New Cumberland, PA: U.S. Geological Survey,
pp. 49–60.
Davis, R. A., 1985. Beach and nearshore zone. In Davis, R. A. (ed.),
Coastal Sedimentary Environments. New York: Springer,
pp. 379–444.
Nichols, M. M., and Biggs, R. B., 1985. Estuaries. In Davis, R. A.
(ed.), Coastal Sedimentary Environments. New York: Springer,
pp. 75–186.
Nichols, M. M., Kim, S. C., and Browner, C. M., 1991. Sediment
characterization of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Virginia Province: National Estuarine Inventory Supplement,
NOAA Strategic Assessment Branch.
Cross-references
Sediment Grain Size
Shell Beds
BIOGENOUS SEDIMENT
81
Sedimentary Environments. Oxford: Elsevier.
Martinsson, A., 1970. Toponomy of trace fossils. In Crimes, T. P.,
and Harper, J. C. (eds,), Trace Fossils. Geological Journal
Special Issue, 3, 323–330.
Miller, W., III, 2007. Trace Fossils. Oxford: Elsevier.
Osgood, R. G., Jr., 1975. The paleontological significance of trace
fossils. In Frey, R. W. (ed.), The Study of Trace Fossils:
A Synthesis of Principles, Problems, and Procedures in
Ichnology. Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 87–108.
Pemberton, S. G., Frey, R. W., Ranger, M. J., and MacEachern,
J. A., 1992. The conceptual framework of ichnology. In
Pemberton, S. G., (ed.), Applications of Ichnology to Petroleum
Exploration: A Core Workshop. Society for Sedimentary Geology Core Workshop, 17, pp. 1–32.
Pemberton, S. G., Spila, M., Pulham, A. J., Saunders, T.,
MacEachern, J. A., Robbins, D., and Sinclair, I. K., 2001.
Ichnology & Sedimentology of Shallow to Marginal Marine Systems. Ben Nevis and Avalon Reservoirs, Jeanne d’Arc Basin.
St. John’s: Geological Association of Canada Short Course
Notes, Vol. 15.
Pickerill, R. K., 1994. Nomenclature and taxonomy of invertebrate
trace fossils. In Donovan, S. K. (ed.), The Palaeobiology of
Trace Fossils. New York: Wiley, pp. 3–42.
Sarjeant, W. A. S., and Kennedy, W. J., 1973. Proposal for a code for
the nomenclature of trace fossils. Canadian Journal of Earth
Science, 10, 460–475.
Seilacher, A., 1953. Studien zur Palichnologie. I. Über die
Methoden der Palichnologie. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und
Paläontologie Abhandlungen, 96, 421–452.
Seilacher, A., 1964. Biogenic sedimentary structures. In Imbrie, J.,
and Newell, N. (eds.), Approaches to Paleoecology. New York:
Wiley, pp. 296–316.
Seilacher, A., 1967. Bathymetry of trace fossils. Marine Geology, 5,
413–428.
Simpson, S., 1957. On the trace fossil Chondrites. Quarterly Journal Geological Society of London, 112, 475–479.
Cross-references
Deltas
Estuarine Geomorphology
River-dominated Estuary
Sandflat
Soft Sediment Communities
Tidal Flat
BIOGENOUS SEDIMENT
Lluís Gómez-Pujol
Universitat de les Illes Baleares, Palma (Balearic Islands),
Spain
Synonyms
Biogenic sediments; Shelly sediments
Definition
Biogenous sediments are broadly defined as sediments
consisting of large amounts of skeletal remains of macroscopic and microscopic organisms or remains of organic
production.
Description
Estuarine sediments are derived from a number of
sources including the watershed, continental shelf, atmosphere, erosion of the estuarine margins and bottom, and
biotic activity within the estuary. The dominance of one
sediment source depends on the interaction between the
type and the quantities of available components. Terrigenous sediments such as sand and clay may be linked to
riverine contributions, whereas biogenous sediments
seem coupled to the lower estuary and the marine estuarine morphodynamic domains (Nichols and Biggs, 1985;
Nichols et al., 1991). Biogenous sediments are formed
from the insoluble remains of living organisms, such as
shells, bones, and teeth (Davis, 1985; Cronin et al.,
2003). They can be grouped in three major categories:
calcareous biogenous sediments, siliceous biogenous
sediments, and phosphatic biogenous sediments. The
first group includes calcareous shells or remains of benthic organisms (mainly molluscs, snails, ostracodes, or
foraminifera). The second group includes sponge spicules or diatoms and radiolarian remains, and finally, the
last group includes fish scales and bones or organic matter formed in situ. These kinds of sediments are often
used as a proxy of the human-induced changes in estuarine sedimentation (Colman and Bratton, 2003). Cronin
(2007) shows that in estuarine environments such as the
Chesapeake Bay diatoms can constitute 5–10 % of dry
sediment, whereas calcareous shelly sediments can
comprise as much a 5 %.
Bibliography
Colman, S. M., and Bratton, J. F., 2003. Anthropogenically induced
changes in sediment and biogenic silica fluxes in Chesapeake
Bay. Geology, 31, 71–74.
Cronin, T. M., 2007. Sediment sources and deposition in the
estuary. In Phillips, S. W. (ed.), Synthesis of U.S. Geological
Survey Science for the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem and Implications for Environmental Management. Reston, VA:
U.S. Geological Survey. U.S. Geological Survey, Circular
1316, pp. 32–34.
Cronin, T., Halka, J., Phillips, S., and Bricker, O., 2003. Estuarine
sediment sources. In Langland, M., and Cronin, T. (eds.), A
Summary Report of Sediment Processes in Chesapeake Bay.
U.S. Geological Survey, Water-Resources Investigations Report
03-4123. New Cumberland, PA: U.S. Geological Survey,
pp. 49–60.
Davis, R. A., 1985. Beach and nearshore zone. In Davis, R. A. (ed.),
Coastal Sedimentary Environments. New York: Springer,
pp. 379–444.
Nichols, M. M., and Biggs, R. B., 1985. Estuaries. In Davis, R. A.
(ed.), Coastal Sedimentary Environments. New York: Springer,
pp. 75–186.
Nichols, M. M., Kim, S. C., and Browner, C. M., 1991. Sediment
characterization of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Virginia Province: National Estuarine Inventory Supplement,
NOAA Strategic Assessment Branch.
Cross-references
Sediment Grain Size
Shell Beds
BIOGENOUS SEDIMENT
81