Fluvial response to active extension: evidence from 3D seismic data from the Frio Formation (Oligo-Miocene) of the Texas Gulf of Mexico Coast, USA

Tectonic deformation of the land surface is known to influence the gradient, water and sediment discharge and the grain-size of modern fluvial systems. Any change in these variables alters the equilibrium of a fluvial system, potentially causing a change in channel morphology. 3D seismic data from the Tertiary (Miocene) age, Upper Frio Formation, Kelsey Field, South Texas, in the US are used to examine changing fluvial channel morphology through time during a period of active growth of a rollover anticline in the hangingwall of a normal fault (the Vicksburg Fault). The studied interval varies between 22 and 47 m thick, and spans several hundred thousand years. It consists of an alternation of fluvial sandstones, overbank mudstones and coal. Seismic extractions show the evolution of sinuous fluvial channels during a phase of growth fault activity. Prior to growth, a single sinuous channel is imaged. During growth, the fluvial system became decapitated by a developing rollover anticline, and a highly sinuous drainage network formed, with frequent avulsion events, headward propagation of streams and related stream capture. Increased channel sinuosity was spatially associated with increased avulsion frequency in the area down dip to the east of the rollover anticline, more than 10 km from the active fault. More than 25 m of relative accommodation developed on the flank of the growing rollover anticline compared with on the crest. The increased channel sinuosity is interpreted as reflecting an increase in longitudinal valley slope analogous to observations made in flume experiments and modern river systems. The increase in avulsion frequency is attributed to increased aggradation as the rivers adjusted back to equilibrium grade following the increase in slope.     

Late Quaternary moisture export across Central America and to Greenland: evidence for tropical rainfall variability from Costa Rican stalagmites

We present a high-resolution terrestrial archive of Central American rainfall over the period 100–24 and 8.1–6.5 ka, based on δ¹⁸O time series from U-series dated stalagmites collected from a cave on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Our results indicate substantial δ¹⁸O variability on millennial to orbital time scales that is interpreted to reflect rainfall variations over the cave site. Correlations with other paleoclimate proxy records suggest that the rainfall variations are forced by sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in a fashion analogous to the modern climate cycle. Higher rainfall is associated with periods of a warm tropical North Atlantic Ocean and large SST gradients between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Rainfall variability is likely linked to the intensity and/or latitudinal position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Periods of higher rainfall in Costa Rica are also associated with an enhanced sea surface salinity gradient on either side of the isthmus, suggesting greater freshwater export from the Atlantic Basin when the ITCZ is stronger and/or in a more northerly position. Further, wet periods in Central America coincide with high deuterium excess values in Greenland ice, suggesting a direct link between low latitude SSTs, tropical rainfall, and moisture delivery to Greenland. Our results indicate that a stronger tropical hydrological cycle during warm periods and large inter-ocean SST gradients enhanced the delivery of low latitude moisture to Greenland.     

Evolution of a Porphyry-Cu Mineralized Magma System at Santa Rita, New Mexico (USA)

The magmatic processes leading to porphyry-Cu mineralizationat Santa Rita are reconstructed on the basis of petrographicstudies, thermobarometry, and laser-ablation inductively-coupled-plasmamass-spectrometry analyses of silicate melt and sulfide inclusionsfrom dikes ranging from basaltic andesite to rhyodacite. Combinedresults suggest that magma evolution at Santa Rita is similarto that of sulfur-rich volcanoes situated above subduction zones,being characterized by repeated injection of hot, mafic magmainto an anhydrite-bearing magma chamber of rhyodacitic composition.The most mafic end-member identified at Santa Rita is a shoshoniticbasaltic andesite that crystallized at 1000–1050°C,1–3 kbar and log f_O2 = NNO + 0·7 to NNO + 1·0,whereas the rhyodacite crystallized at 730–760°C andlog f_O2 = NNO + 1·3 to NNO + 1·9. Mixing betweenthe two magmas caused precipitation of 0·1–0·2wt % magmatic sulfides and an associated decrease in the Cucontent of the silicate melt from 300–500 ppm to lessthan 20 ppm. Quantitative modeling suggests that temporal storageof ore-metals in magmatic sulfides does not significantly enhancethe amount of copper ultimately available to ore-forming hydrothermalfluids. Magmatic sulfides are therefore not vital to the formationof porphyry-Cu deposits, unless a mechanism is required thatholds back ore-forming metals until late in the evolution ofthe volcanic–plutonic system. KEY WORDS: porphyry-Cu; sulfur; sulfides; magma mixing; LA-ICP-MS     

Seasonal variability of oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes in precipitation and cave drip water at Guilin,southwest China

The interpretation of climatic information from stalagmites has traditionally been a complex research problem, with oxygen isotopes playing a particularly important role in global climate change studies. This study investigates the relationship between oxygen isotope composition of the atmospheric in precipitation and cave drip water at Panlong cave in southwest China on seasonal timescales of variability. Time series seasonal variability was derived from Panlong cave in Guilin by collecting daily precipitation samples for stable isotope analysis during 2012. Results indicate that δ¹⁸O of precipitation contains a clear seasonal variation whereby higher values are mainly distributed during winter and lower values during summer. Seasonal variations in water sources affect the precipitation δ¹⁸O values. Drip water δ¹⁸O also displayed a seasonal cycle which is attenuated relative to δ¹⁸O of precipitation. Drip water time series display seasonal cycle ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 ‰ relative to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water, which mainly follow the precipitation δ¹⁸O seasonal cycle. Seasonal variation in drip water δ¹⁸O supports interpretations of the stalagmite δ¹⁸O record as a paleoclimate proxy sensitive to the local environment. This monitoring experiment revealed that drip water must be transported through the epikarst in approximately 1.5 months during cold periods, and <0.5 months during warm periods. Different residence time percolation is mainly affected by the atmospheric precipitation amount, depending on whether soil moisture reaches saturation.     

重庆市2013年10-12月大气降水中氢氧同位素特征及水汽来源分析

文章对重庆市北碚区西南大学2013年10-12月间降水进行收集并测试样品中δD、δ18O值,得到重庆大气降水线方程δD= 8.19δ18O +17.39,r=0.97（p<0.01）;发现该地区降水中δ18O与气温、降水量之间存在反温度效应、降雨量效应,但两种效应表现较弱。该地区10-12月大气水汽中的同位素组成复杂,场降水中δD、δ18O的变化受天气因素影响大。为了探明水汽输送过程中δD和δ18O变化,采用HYSPLIT模式追踪并验证该地区场降水的水汽输送轨迹,发现该时段西南季风较弱,主要受西风影响,10、11月水汽主要来源于中国横断山区三江流域,测试表明11月存在台风海燕的水汽输送记录,不同水汽来源对δD、δ18O的影响较大、响应值较好,12月主要来自局地的水汽蒸发。      

Palaeoclimatic inferences from upper Palaeozoic siltstone of the Earp Formation and equivalents, Arizona-New Mexico (USA)

The Late Palaeozoic configuration of Pangaea contributed to a palaeoclimatic extreme that was characterized by both icehouse and monsoonal conditions. This study uses sedimentological, geochemical, and provenance data from silty facies of the Earp and equivalent Supai Formations (Arizona, New Mexico) to shed light on atmospheric circulation and glacial–interglacial climate change in westernmost equatorial Pangaea. Five silt‐rich facies comprise both loessite and marine and fluvially reworked loessite. An initial aeolian origin for the silt is indicated by the remarkably invariant grain size and the laterally continuous, sheet‐like geometry of beds. The silt‐rich facies occur in repetitive facies associations (1–20 m scale) that form mixed continental‐marine (loess, marine‐reworked loess), shallow‐marine, and continental (loess, palaeosol) ‘sequences’. Facies repetitions of both mixed continental‐marine and shallow‐marine sequences reflect a linked glacioeustatic–glacioclimatic control, whereas the continental (loess–palaeosol) couplets reflect a primary glacial–interglacial climatic cyclicity linked to glacioeustasy. Stratigraphic interpretations suggest that aeolian silt flux maximized during glacial to incipient interglacial stages (lowstand to early transgression), and decreased significantly or ceased during interglacials (highstand to early falling stage). Detrital‐zircon geochronological data indicate a transition from dominantly north‐easterly winds during the Middle Pennsylvanian to north‐westerly and south‐easterly winds by the Early Permian, which trend is inferred to reflect the onset of monsoonal circulation in western Pangaea. Relative grain‐size data support the detrital‐zircon data, and exhibit a significant decrease from the Sedona arch/Central Arizona shelf (north) to the Pedregosa basin (south) sections. Whole‐rock geochemical data suggest a relatively unweathered source for the silt in the north, and detrital‐zircon data indicate significant silt was derived from the local basement. These large piles of silt(stone) preserve valuable information for reconstructing both long‐term evolution in atmospheric circulation and short‐term fluctuations in glacial–interglacial climate. Many such indicators for long have been applied to ‘recent’ (Plio‐Pleistocene) loess, but are equally applicable to ‘deep‐time’ strata.     

Climate and ocean variability during the middle and late Holocene recorded in laminated sediments from Alfonso Basin, Gulf of California, Mexico

A laminated sequence (core BAP96-CP 24°38.12′N, 110°33.24′W; 390 m depth) from the Alfonso Basin in Bay of La Paz, southern Gulf of California, contains a record of paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic changes of the past 7900 yr. Radiolarian assemblages and magnetic susceptibility are used as proxies of oceanographic and climatic variability. The records provide a regional scenario of the middle and late Holocene, suggesting two major climatic regimes and several millennial-scale events. Conditions relatively warmer and drier than today occurred from 7700 to 2500 cal yr BP, promoting the intensification of evaporation processes and the prevalence of the Gulf of California water in the Basin. These conditions correlate with strong droughts in the middle Holocene of North America and with minimal incursion of tropical waters into the Gulf of California. Proxies indicate a warm scenario and the dominance of the Equatorial Surface Water in the Alfonso Basin from 2400 to 700 cal yr BP, suggesting the intensification of ENSO cycles. A climatic signal between 1038 and 963 cal yr BP may be correlated with global signal of the “Medieval Warm Period.” Several cooling events are recognized at 5730, 3360, 2700, 1280 and 820 cal yr BP and are associated with intensification of northwest winds leading to upwellings and enhanced productivity in the Basin.     

Spatial and temporal variability of rainfall: case of Bizerte-Ichkeul Basin (Northern Tunisia)

This study examines spatial and temporal variability of rainfall in Bizerte-Ichkeul Watershed. The basin, located in the extreme north of Tunisia, covers an area of 3084 km². Thirteen rainfall stations, with continuous monthly precipitation records over the period (1970–2011), were considered in the analysis. Two methods were used. In the first, the dimensionless standardized precipitation ratio is applied to examine precipitation temporal variation. The second method is represented by continuous wavelet analysis for the precipitation spatial analysis and the identification of the origin of its variability. The study of temporal variability of annual rainfall showed severe persistent and recurrent drought episodes over the period (1977–2001). Wavelet analysis resulted in detecting the modes and origins of precipitation variability. Three energy bands were clearly identified: (1, 2–4, and 4–8 years) for the entire watershed. The visualization of the power distribution showed that the observed modes of variability are different in their power distributions from one station to another. The approach adopted allowed the identification of two groups with the same precipitation frequency and temporal variation. These groups were defined according to the difference in occurrence of the frequency band for each station.     

Organic and organometallic compounds in estuarine sediments from the Gulf of Mexico (1993–1994)

Sediment samples from 281 estuarine sites in the Gulf of Mexico were collected in 1993–1994 and analyzed for several classes of organic and organometallic compounds as part of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were the contaminant class found most frequently and in the highest concentrations; the sum of 24 congeners (ΣPAHs) ranged from <5 ng g^?1 to 15.500 ng g^?1 (dry wt basis). A low percentage of samples (3.9%) exceeded 2000 ng g^?1 ΣPAHs, and only six samples (2.1%) exceeded 4000 ng g^?1, a level above which adverse biological effects may be expected to occur. Less than 4% of sediments exceeded 20 ng g^?1 for the sum of 20 polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCBs) and only four samples (1.4%) exceeded 20 ng g^?1 for the sum of several organochlorine pesticides (ΣOCPs). A sample from Freeport Harbor, Texas, contained 4230 ng g^?1 ΣPAHs, 322 ng g^?1 ΣPCBs, and 49.6 ng g^?1 ΣOCPs. Tributyltin exceeded 100 ng g^?1 in only four samples, all of which were from stations in Corpus Christi Bay or Galveston Bay in Texas. The detection of a suite of organophosphate pesticides was very rare and did not exceed 15 ng g^?1. Sediments from the tidally influenced section of the Mississippi River in Louisiana contained low to moderate levels of all classes of organic compounds. The most contaminated sites were in urban estuaries (e.g., Corpus Christi, Galveston, and Pensacola (Florida bays), underscoring the need to concentrate future monitoring and assessment efforts at the regional and local level.     

Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes for the characteristics of groundwater recharge: a case study from the Chih-Pen Creek basin,Taiwan

Assessing the seasonal variation of groundwater recharge is important for effective management of groundwater resources. Stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen were used to estimate the sources of groundwater and seasonal contributions of precipitation to groundwater recharge in Chih-Pen Creek basin of eastern Taiwan. Based on the isotopes of precipitation (n = 177), two different local meteoric water regression lines (LMWL) can be obtained for the different seasons: δD = 8.06¹⁸O + 10.08 for wet season precipitation (May through October) and δD = 8.65δ¹⁸O + 17.09 for dry season precipitation (November through April). The slope and intercept of regression line for wet season precipitation are virtually identical to the global meteoric water line (GMWL) of Craig (1961). In contrast to during dry season precipitation due to evaporation effect the intercept of 17.09 is much higher than of the GMWL of 10. The results show the stable isotopes compositions of precipitation decrease with increasing rainfall amount and air temperature, due to the amount effect of precipitation is pronounced. The amount effect is clearly but do not show the temperature effect from January to December 2007. Using a mass-balance equation, a comparison of deuterium excess or d values of precipitation and groundwater indicates the groundwater consist of 76% wet season precipitation and 24% dry season precipitation, representing a distinct seasonal variation of groundwater recharge in study area. About 79% of the groundwater is recharged from the river water of the mountain watershed and 21% is from the rain that falls on the basin.     

Mineralogical and geochemical (stable C and O isotopes) variability of marbles from the Moldanubian Zone (Bohemian Massif,Czech Republic): implications for provenance studies

Metacarbonates of the Moldanubian Zone (Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic) were studied to obtain qualitative and quantitative mineralogical-petrographic as well as stable isotopic data for the purpose of stone provenance studies, potentially applicable in material research studies of cultural heritage artefacts. Twenty-six samples from twelve different historical quarries, as well as two samples from historical artefacts, were analysed by both mineralogical-petrographic and geochemical methods including: polarizing microscopy, cathodoluminescence, scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis, petrographic image analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, and isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The petrographic characteristics allowed for the discrimination of groups of (1) calcitic marbles, (2) dolomitic marbles, and (3) carbonate–silicate rocks. These groups exhibit characteristic features such as (1) the presence/abundance of major rock-forming minerals, (2) grain geometric characteristics (specifically, mean carbonate grain size and index of grain size homogeneity), and (3) the presence of specific accessory phases. The content of non-carbonate minerals, some rock fabric parameters, as well as the carbon and oxygen isotope data exhibited significant variability, even within a single quarry in the case of some impure marbles and carbonate–silicate rocks. Although the carbon and oxygen isotopic ranges displayed overlaps among the quarries studied, the isotopic signatures throughout the Moldanubian Zone allowed for discrimination of a group of white calcitic marbles with high carbon and oxygen depletion, as well as white dolomite–calcitic marble with higher carbon isotope values when compared with other marble resources of the Bohemian Massif. A combination of the isotopic signature with detailed mineralogical-petrographic characteristics seems to provide sufficient information for discrimination of the Moldanubian marbles from one another. The provenance of the Vrchotovy Janovice artefact is very probably from the Rabí quarry, among the Moldanubian marbles. The provenance of the artefact from the Prague Klementinum was not definitively assigned; however, the Nehodiv quarry was considered its probable source locality.     

Sandstone diagenesis in the Pattani Basin (Gulf of Thailand): history of water-rock interaction and comparison with the Gulf of Mexico

In the Pattani Basin, a failed-rift basin, extensive water-rock interaction has occurred between subquartzose alluvial sandstones of Miocene age and their pore fluids. Diagenetic rates and pathways have been strongly influenced by high geothermal gradients, high CO₂ fugacities, and low pore water salinities. Depositional pore water was fresh to brackish, depending on the depositional environment of the sediments. Chloride concentrations in modern formation water are believed primarily to reflect the proportions of river and sea water in the depositional environment. However, the concentration of other important solutes and the isotopic composition of the formation waters can not be explained by roportional mixing of these two end-member waters. Dissolution of detrital plagioclase (An = 3) and K- feldspar are reactions of major significance that are reflected chemically in the Na/Cl and K/Cl ratios of the formation water. Despite the high temperature of the sandstones (120–200°C), diagenetic albite does not occur. Geochemical calculations indicate the formation water is undersaturated with respect to both orthoclase and albite. This style of feldspar diagenesis differs significantly from that of sandstones of similar composition in other basins, and has probably influenced other aspects of silicate diagenesis.Important authigenic minerals are: 1. locally abundant calcite cement (δ¹³C= −12.8, δ¹⁸O= −17.3 PDB), an early diagenetic phase that formed at about 60°C; 2. pore-filling kaolinite (δ¹⁸O= 9.9, δD= −83.5SMOW) that was closely associated with feldspar dissolution and formed over a range of temperatures; and 3. fibrous pore-lining and pore-bridging illite (δ¹⁸O = 9.8, δD = − 86.7 SMOW, the last significant cement, formed at temperatures of 120 to 150°C. Potassium/argon dates on illite indicate that sandstone diagenesis took place during a period of rapid sedimentation in the first two-thirds of the burial history.Comparison of Pattani Basin diagenesis with diagenesis of sandstones of similar age in other sedimentary basins demonstrates that chemical diagenesis, relative to mechanical compaction, has been especially rapid in the Pattani Basin. This reflects the effect of high temperatures on reaction rates. The net effect is a high average rate of porosity loss with burial (11% km).     

Oxygen isotopes in mantle related and geothermally altered magmatites of the Transhimalayan (Gangdese) ranges

In closed magma systems SiO₂ approximately measures differentiation progress and oxygen isotopes can seem to obey Rayleigh fractionation only as a consequence of the behaviour of SiO₂. The main role of ¹⁸O is as a sensitive indicator of contamination, either at the start of differentiation ( ¹⁸O_init) or as a proportion of fractionation in AFC. Plots of ¹⁸O vs SiO₂-allow to determine initial ¹⁸O values for different sequences for source comparison. For NBS-28=9.60, the ¹⁸O at 48% SiO₂-varies between a high 6.4 for Kiglapait (Kalamarides 1984), 5.9 for Transhimalaya, 5.8 for Hachijo-Jima (Matsuhisa 1979), 5.6 for Koloula (Chivas et al. 1982) and a low 5.3 for the Darran Complex, New Zealand. The Transhimalayan batholiths (Gangdese belt) were emplaced in the Ladakh-Lhasa terrane, between the present-day Banggong-Nujiang, and Indus-Yarlung Tsangbo suture zones, after its accretion to Eurasia. The gradient of the least contaminated continuous ( ¹⁸O vs SiO₂-igneous trend line is similar to that of Koloula, and AFC calculations suggest a low secondary assimilation rate of less than 0.05 times the rate of crystallisation. Outliers enriched in ¹⁸O are frequent in the Lhasa, and apparently rare in the Ladakh transsect. Low- ¹⁸O (5.0–0) granitoids and andesites on the Lhasa-Yangbajain axis are the result of present day or recent near-surface geothermal activity; their quartzes still trace the granitoids to the Transhimalaya ¹⁸O trend line, but the distribution of low total rock or feldspar ¹⁸O values could be a guide to more recent heat flow and thermally marked tectonic lineaments. Two ignimbrites from Maqiang show hardly any ¹⁸O-contamination by crustal material.     

Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of eclogites and associated rocks from the Eastern Sesia zone (Western Alps,Italy)

Oxygen and hydrogen isotope analyses have been made of mineral separates from eclogites, glaucophanites and glaucophane schists from the eastern Sesia zone (Italian Western Alps). Regularities in (1) hydrogen isotope compositions, (2) order of ¹⁸O enrichment among coexisting minerals, and (3) ¹⁸O (quartz-rutile) and ¹⁸O (quartz-phengite) imply attainment of a high degree of isotopic equilibrium. However, some scattering of ¹⁸O values of individual minerals indicates that the eclogitic assemblage did not form in the presence of a thoroughly pervasive fluid. Minerals from an eclogitic lens enclosed in marble have ¹⁸O values distinctly different from those measured in the other rocks. The ¹⁸O values are high in comparison with other type C eclogites of the world, and it is proposed that the fluid present during the high pressure metamorphism has to a large extent been inherited from the precursor rocks of amphibolite facies.An average formation temperature of 540 ° C is inferred from the oxygen isotope fractionations between quartz and rutile and between quartz and white mica. This temperature is in accordance with petrologic considerations and implies subduction of the precursor rocks into the upper mantle to achieve the high pressures required.     

Contribution of stable isotopes to the understanding of the unsaturated zone of a carbonate aquifer (Nerja Cave, southern Spain)

We analysed the stable isotopes (¹⁸O and ²H) of rainwater and drip water within a cave (Nerja Cave) located in the unsaturated zone of a carbonate aquifer. Rainfall is more abundant and presents lower isotopic content in winter, while the volume of drip water is greater and its isotopic content is lower in summer. The flow analysis of ¹⁸O through the unsaturated zone confirms the seasonal lag between rainfall and the appearance of drip water in the cave and reveals that the unsaturated zone of the aquifer, in the sector of the cave, behaves like an inertial system with a strong capability to modulate the input signal. To cite this article: F. Carrasco et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

Hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico: Does the science support the Plan to Reduce,Mitigate, and Control Hypoxia?

We update and reevaluate the scientific information on the distribution, history, and causes of continental shelf hypoxia that supports the 2001 Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force 2001), incorporating data, publications, and research results produced since the 1999 integrated assessment. The metric of mid-summer hypoxic area on the LouisianaTexas shelf is an adequate and suitable measure for continued efforts to reduce nutrients loads from the Mississippi River and hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico as outlined in the Action Plan. More frequent measurements of simple metrics (e.g., area and volume) from late spring through late summer would ensure that the metric is representative of the system in any given year and useful in a public discourse of conditions and causes. The long-term data on hypoxia, sources of nutrients, associated biological parameters, and paleoindicators continue to verify and strengthen the relationship between the nitratenitrogen load of the Mississippi River, the extent of hypoxia, and changes in the coastal ecosystem (eutrophication and worsening hypoxia). Multiple lines of evidence, some of them representing independent data sources, are consistent with the big picture pattern of increased eutrophication as a result of long-term nutrient increases that result in excess carbon production and accumulation and, ultimately, bottom water hypoxia. The additional findings arising since 1999 strengthen the science supporting the Action Plan that focuses on reducing nutrient loads, primarily nitrogen, through multiple actions to reduce the size of the hypoxic zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico.     

Facies and sand-body geometry of the Queen City (Eocene) tide-dominated delta-margin embayment, NW Gulf of Mexico Basin

The Queen City Formation (Eocene) displays an array of tide-dominated coastal facies in the Tyler Basin of the northern Gulf of Mexico. This facies assemblage, which is atypical of the microtidal, wave-dominated, coastal depositional complexes that characterize the Cenozoic Gulf basin, reflects tidal amplification in a generally protected embayment on the east flank of a strongly prograded delta system. The shallow embayment was confined to the east by contemporaneous uplift and shoaling across the Sabine Uplift. Fluvial, barrier (including ebb tidal delta), heterolithic tidal, estuary-fill, and tidal point-bar facies are all found at outcrop. These facies were projected into the three-dimensional geometry of the tide-dominated depositional complex. Inlet, estuary, and distributary-fill sand bodies, which are linear and diporientated, dominate lithofacies maps. The Queen City facies assemblage in the Tyler Basin records a mixture of mesotidal to macrotidal environments that were interspersed in time and space with fluvial-dominated lobes, which periodically prograded eastward from the deltaic depocentre into the flanking embayment. Queen City deposition terminated with regional marine flooding and deposition of glauconitic, fossiliferous shelf sands and muds of the Weches Formation. Transgression is marked by a prominent ravinement surface that truncates underlying facies of the tide-dominated shore zone.