High-Frequency Sequence Stratigraphy Using Syntactic Methods and Clustering Applied to the Upper Limestone Coal Group (Pendleian, E1) of the Kincardine Basin, United Kingdom

We define a distance between sedimentary successions to compare their dissimilarity formally. Distance definition is based on attributed syntactic representation. One-dimensional successions can be represented by a string of lithofacies symbols sequentially or vertically. Each symbol can also have a vector of attributes that can provide other information on lithofacies such as thickness. The distance of any two successions is then defined consisting of its syntactic and attribute subdistances. Syntactic distance measures difference of vertical lithofacies change between two successions and attribute distance measures difference of thickness of corresponding lithofacies. Clustering is used to test validity of distance definition and its potential application to analysis of cycle-dominated sedimentary successions. Example is from the Namurian-A succession in Kincardine basin, central Scotland. There are 56 cycles in intervals of about 300 m each in two boreholes. Recognition of intermediate cycles depends on correctly determining of types of these short cycles and their vertical stacking pattern. Intermediate cycles have better potential in high-resolution stratal correlation regionally. Syntactic clustering results show that 56 short cycles can be classified into four groups with distinctive geological interpretation, which further helps reveal hierarchical cyclic architecture of the whole succession.