Hummocky cross-stratification in the surf zone: flow parameters and bedding genesis

Primary sedimentary structures exhibiting the diagnostic criteria for single sets of hummocky cross-stratification (Harms et al.) have been found in the surf zone of a storm-wave dominated coastline in the Canadian Great Lakes. Epoxy peels of box cores (0.45 m × 0.30 m) reveal hummocky stratification in well-sorted, fine-grained sands in water depths less than 2 m under conditions of wave breaking and strong longshore currents. The wavelengths of the hummocks (0.3–0.6 m) are somewhat smaller than the norm for their ancient analogues, but the ratios of length to height (8–12) are comparable. Depth of activity rods have been used to identify those hummocks that formed during sediment transport events when the near-bed currents were recorded directly using electromagnetic flowmeters. Results from such experiments clearly identify the hummocky stratification as being produced by an actively growing bedform with little or no lateral migration. Hummocks occur under conditions close to that expected for the upper flat bed. In one vertical sequence, the hummocky cross-stratification is underlain by subhorizontal, planar lamination and overlain by undulatory lamination which grades upward into small-scale, trough cross-lamination of wave ripple origin. This sequence was associated with a single storm and would appear to represent a combined-flow regime sequence with the hummocky structure representing a post-vortex (?) ripple bedform. At the inferred time of hummock formation, near-bed oscillatory flows were dominant and reached maxima of 1.1 m s ^?1 with a superimposed longshore current of 0.27 m s^?1. Rapid sedimentation associated with vertical growth of the hummocky bedform was triggered by a significant reduction in the orbital currents (by 19%) and'steady'currents (by 67%) while the total bed shear remained high.     

Hummocky cross-stratification, tropical hurricanes, and intense winter storms

Most previous workers have inferred a storm origin for hummocky cross-stratification, which typically occurs in shallow-marine deposits. On the modern Earth, the only storms capable of profoundly affecting shallow-marine depositional environments are severe tropical cyclones (hurricanes) and mid-latitude winter wave cyclones (intense winter storms). This paper examines the palaeogeographic distribution (including palaeolatitude and palaeogeographic setting) of 107 occurrences of hummocky cross-stratification, ranging in age from the Proterozoic to Recent. In each of these stratigraphic units, both palaeolatitude and palaeogeography are consistent with a direct storm influence (associated with the passage of hurricanes or winter storms directly over the site of deposition). This palaeogeographic evidence lends support to the inferred storm origin for hummocky cross-stratification; further, the distribution of the structure suggests that most occurrences (73%) were generated by tropical hurricanes, the remaining 27% being generated by intense mid-latitude winter storms. The preferential generation of hummocky cross-stratification by hurricanes is consistent with: (1) the known differences in the nature of the bottom flows generated by the two major storm types, and (2) the inferred nature of the flows which form hummocky cross-stratification. Hurricanes couple less effectively with the water column than do intense winter storms. Due to this ineffective coupling, hurricane-generated bottom flows tend to be oscillatory-or multidirectional-dominant, with only minor unidirectional components of motion. In contrast, intense winter storms generally do couple effectively with the water column, generating bottom flows which possess a dominant or significant unidirectional component. Most previous workers have suggested that hummocky cross-stratification forms under oscillatory- or multidirectional-dominant flow; thus, it is conceptually reasonable that the vast majority of ancient occurrences of hummocky cross-stratification were probably hurricane-generated, as suggested by the aforementioned palaeogeographic distribution. The Proterozoic, Palaeozoic, Neogene, and Quaternary were times when global climate was similar to that of today. The distribution of hummocky cross-stratification deposited during these times suggests that both hurricanes and intense winter storms occupied latitudinal belts during these times which were essentially identical to those occupied by their modern counterparts. The Mesozoic and Palaeogene were non-glacial times when global climate was much warmer than that of today. The distribution of hummocky cross-stratification deposited during this interval suggests that hurricanes occurred more frequently at higher latitudes during non-glacial times than they do at present. The possibility of a broadened hurricane belt during the Mesozoic and Palaeogene is consistent with climatic considerations. A limited number of Mesozoic and Palaeogene rock units containing hummocky cross-stratification were deposited in palaeogeographic settings that preclude a direct hurricane influence; these examples were deposited in the middle latitudes, suggesting that intense winter storms continued to form hummocky cross-stratification in the middle latitudes during these much warmer times. Some previous workers have suggested that tsunamis may be capable of generating hummocky cross-stratification. The palaeogeographic distribution of the structure does not support an origin due to tsunamis. Lacustrine examples of hummocky cross-stratification reported herein are the first known non-marine occurrences; they suggest that storm effects strongly influence the sedimentary record of some lakes.     

Hummocky cross-stratification, tropical hurricanes, and intense winter storms

Duke (1985b) argues that ‘most examples (of hummocky cross-stratification) were formed by tropical hurricanes.’ His statement is based on the assumption that ‘hurricane-generated surface gravity waves form powerful oscillating or multidirectional flows at the water-sediment interface which do not possess a significant unidirectional component.’ It is true, as one of us has previously stated, that hurricanes are rapidly-moving, short-lived, localized, and infrequent systems as compared with mid-latitude storms; midlatitude storms are consequently more efficient in coupling with the shelf water-column than are hurricanes. However, Duke's argument that hummocky cross-stratification may be the result of purely oscillatory flow is untenable. His reasoning contradicts established theory about oscillatory bedforms, and his numerous examples of hummocky cross-stratification come largely from continental shelf settings where the storms (tropical or otherwise) would have created concurrent alongshelf undirectional flow as well as wave oscillatory motion. There is no theoretical or observational basis for the belief that water movement on the sea-floor during hurricanes is qualitatively different from water movement during mid-latitude storms. Consequently, hummocks are no more liable to form beneath hurricanes than they are beneath mid-latitude storms.     

Hummocky cross-stratification-like structures in deep-sea turbidites: Upper Cretaceous Basque basins (Western Pyrenees, France)

Hummocky cross-stratification is a sedimentary structure which is widely interpreted as the sedimentary record of an oscillatory current generated by energetic storm waves remobilizing surface sediment on the continental shelf. Sedimentary structures named hummocky cross-stratification-like structures, similar to true hummocky cross-stratification, have been observed in the Turonian–Senonian Basque Flysch Basin (south-west France). The bathymetry (1000 to 1500 m) suggests that the observed sedimentary structures do not result from a hydrodynamic process similar to those acting on a continental shelf. The morphology of these three-dimensional structures shares similarities with the morphology of hummocky cross-stratification despite a smaller size. The lateral extent of these structures ranges from a few decimetres to many decimetres; they consist of convex-up domes (hummock) and concave-up swales with a non-erosive base. Four types of hummocky cross-stratification-like geometries are described; they occur in association with structures such as climbing current ripple lamination and synsedimentary deformations. In the Basque Flysch, hummocky cross-stratification-like structures are only found in the Tc interval of the Bouma sequence. Hummocky cross-stratification-like structures are sporadic in the stratigraphic series and observed only in few turbidite beds or bed packages. This observation suggests that hummocky cross-stratification-like structures are linked genetically to the turbidity current but form under a very restricted range of parameters. These structures sometimes show an up-current (upslope) migration trend (antidunes). In the described examples, they could result from standing waves forming at the upper flow interface because of Kelvin–Helmholtz instability.     

Tempestite facies variability and storm-depositional processes across a wide ramp: Towards a polygenetic model for hummocky cross-stratification

The hydrodynamic mechanisms responsible for the genesis and facies variability of shallow-marine sandstone storm deposits (tempestites) have been intensely debated, with particular focus on hummocky cross-stratification. Despite being ubiquitously utilized as diagnostic elements of high-energy storm events, the full formative process spectrum of tempestites and hummocky cross-stratification is still to be determined. In this study, detailed sedimentological investigations of more than 950 discrete tempestites within the Lower Cretaceous Rurikfjellet Formation on Spitsbergen, Svalbard, shed new light on the formation and environmental significance of hummocky cross-stratification, and provide a reference for evaluation of tempestite facies models. Three generic types of tempestites are recognized, representing deposition from: (i) relatively steady and (ii) highly unsteady storm-wave-generated oscillatory flows or oscillatory-dominated combined-flows; and (iii) various storm-wave-modified hyperpycnal flows (including waxing–waning flows) generated directly from plunging rivers. A low-gradient ramp physiography enhanced both distally progressive deceleration of the hyperpycnal flows and the spatial extent and relative magnitude of wave-added turbulence. Sandstone beds display a wide range of simple and complex configurations of hummocky cross-stratification. Features include ripple cross-lamination and ‘compound’ stratification, soft-sediment deformation structures, local shifts to quasi-planar lamination, double draping, metre-scale channelized bed architectures, gravel-rich intervals, inverse-to-normal grading, and vertical alternation of sedimentary structures. A polygenetic model is presented to account for the various configurations of hummocky cross-stratification that may commonly be produced during storms by wave oscillations, hyperpycnal flows and downwelling flows. Inherent storm-wave unsteadiness probably facilitates the generation of a wide range of hummocky cross-stratification configurations due to: (i) changes in near-bed oscillatory shear stresses related to passing wave groups or tidal water-level variations; (ii) multidirectional combined-flows related to polymodal and time-varying orientations of wave oscillations; and (iii) syndepositional liquefaction related to cyclic wave stress. Previous proximal–distal tempestite facies models may only be applicable to relatively high-gradient shelves, and new models are necessary for low-gradient settings.     

Small-scale hummocky cross-stratification in turbidites: a form of antidune stratification?

Small-scale hummocky cross-stratification occurs in Upper Cretaceous calciclastic turbidites exposed in the western Basque Pyrenees; facies associations and microfossil assemblages indicate slope to base-of-slope (bathyal) depositional environments. It is developed in the fine-grained portion of beds and displays spacings mostly between 0.2 and 0.7 m. The beds fine upward with no sharp grain size breaks or mud partings, suggesting that deposition occurred during a single flow event. Hummocky intervals are 0.1–0.8 m thick and consistently grade laterally and vertically into flat, planar laminations of Bouma B divisions suggesting that deposition occurred under upper-flow-regime conditions. They have wave-like geometries with laminae continuous across ‘crests’ and ‘troughs’ and display a ratio of ‘wavelength’ to estimated underflow thickness of 11.3–12.8. Combining the above observations and inferences, these examples of small-scale hummocky cross-stratification are interpreted as a form of antidune stratification generated by standing waves along the interface of a thinner, denser underflow (main body/tail of the turbidity current) and an overlying thicker, low-density layer. This occurrence is further evidence that small-scale hummocky cross-stratification is multigenetic and therefore not indicative of a particular flow condition or depositional environment.     

青岛灵山岛下白垩统风暴岩与风暴沉积的发现及意义*

青岛灵山岛中生界下白垩统碎屑岩中发育了很好的风暴岩与风暴沉积,其特点是:(1)丘状、洼状构造及丘状、洼状交错层理经常可见;丘状交错层理呈对称或近对称丘状,一般发育在三角洲前缘暗色薄层状砂泥岩互层中,薄层一般厚1~2,cm,有时也可以更厚;砂岩中常有平行层理或低角度交错层理,也可以发育丘状交错层理;细层较厚,多在1~2,cm,甚至3~4,cm;但砂岩多数呈块状;洼状交错层理相对较少,多不完善;洼状构造则相对多见。(2)冲刷侵蚀面非常发育。多波状起伏或凹凸不平,起伏可达20~30,cm,甚至更大;内部的冲刷侵蚀面常不连续,但底部的冲刷侵蚀面连续性很好。(3)中厚层状砂岩内部的冲刷侵蚀面可以分为多个次级层,但常因冲刷面的不连续而上下合并在一起。(4)砂岩中常含有内碎屑,以暗色泥砾为主,小者直径多在1~2,cm,大者可达10,cm以上,形态多变;长轴多顺层分布;有时集中在砂岩的顶部。(5)以中细砂岩为主,没有真正的砾岩;砂岩的分选性可以较好。(6)发育了大量的多尺度、多类型软沉积物的变形构造。(7)有时候含有炭屑。灵山岛风暴岩和风暴沉积的发现,揭示了这套沉积是在一个相对较浅水的湖泊条件下形成的,而非海洋深水;此外,风暴形成的砂岩下移到三角洲前缘相中,使其更加靠近烃源岩,优化了生储关系,有利于油气成藏。     

基于驻波理论解释丘状交错层理--以徐州地区贾园组风暴沉积为例

丘状交错层理作为鉴别风暴沉积重要的标志之一,是最能反映风暴作用的沉积构造。本文基于驻波理论对丘状交错层理成因进行了新的解释,提出了丘状交错层理形成于驻波波节部位,形成丘状交错层理（或驻波）的动能近似恒定的观点。通过理论计算解释了丘状交错层理随水深变浅波长逐渐变长,波高逐渐减小,波长/波高逐渐增大的趋势,解释了徐州地区贾园组风暴沉积序列中丘状交错层理随水深的变化规律,从而验证了理论的可行性,对沉积环境具有一定的指示意义。     

松辽盆地南部青山口组湖相风暴沉积

用岩心观察、粒度分析、薄片鉴定等方法,研究了松辽盆地南部青山口组湖相风暴沉积。结果表明,本区风暴沉积具有:a.丘状交错层理、冲刷面、渠模、截切构造、泄水构造及生物扰动成因等沉积构造;b.以跳跃总体为主、悬浮总体不发育的粒度特征;c.典型的“似鲍玛序列”。风暴沉积物源来自于西部斜坡区的(扇)三角洲及滨浅湖滩坝沉积,按其沉积特征及与物源的关系,又可进一步分为原地风暴岩和异地风暴岩。      

A storm and tidally-influenced prograding shoreline—Upper Cretaceous Milk River Formation of Southern Alberta, Canada

The Santonian-Campanian Milk River Formation of Southern Alberta represents the transition from an open shelf, through a storm-dominated shoreface into a non-marine sequence of shales and sandstones, with coal. The open shelf deposits consist of interbedded bioturbated mudstones with sharp-based hummocky cross-stratified sandstones. There are no indications of fairweather reworking of the sandstones, which are therefore interpreted as having been deposited below fairweather wavebase. The shoreface sequence consists of a 28 m thick sandstone. It has a very sharp, loaded base, and is dominated by swaley cross-stratification, a close relative of hummocky cross-stratification. Angle of repose cross-bedding is preserved in scattered patches only in the top 5 m of the sand body. Channels up to 180 m wide and 7 m deep are cut into this sand body, with channel margins characterized by lateral accretion surfaces. Regional dispersal trends, as well as local palaeocurrent readings suggest flow toward the NW. Within the channels there is some herringbone cross-bedding and at least two examples of neap-spring bundle cycles, suggesting that the channels are tidally-influenced. Above the channels there is a sequence of carbonaceous shales with in situ root casts and lignitic coal seams. No marine, brackish or lagoonal fauna was identified, and the sequence appears to represent a distal floodplain. The sequence from interbedded hummocky cross-stratified sandstones and bioturbated mudstones into a 10–20 m thick, sharp-based shoreface sandstone characterized by swaley cross-stratification is uncommon. The scarcity or absence of angle of repose cross-bedding in the shoreface, and the dominance of swaley cross-stratification suggests that the shoreface was so storm-dominated that almost no fairweather record was preserved. Other examples of swaley cross-stratified shorefaces are reviewed in the paper.     

Wave-generated structures in the Devonian lacustrine sediments of south-east Shetland and ancient wave conditions

The most common wave-generated structures in the nearshore lacustrine sediments of the south-east Shetland basin are cosets of undulatory and unidirectional ripple cross-lamination. The undulatory lamination was produced at relatively high oscillatory flow strengths by accretion of rolling grain (post-vortex) ripples, and the unidirectional cross-sets were formed by the migration of vortex (orbital) ripples at lower strengths. Unidirectional solitary lenses were generated under moderate but discontinuous wave activity on a partly sand-starved substrate. Some lenses were reworked during periods of more prolonged wave activity. The Inman-Komar plot of near-bottom orbital diameter versus ripple spacing (λ= 0.80d₀ for small d₀, or λ= 0.65d₀ as modified by Miller & Komar) may only be used in estimating ancient wave conditions for vortex ripples with low Vertical Form Indices and small wavelengths. This laboratory based relationship (minimum d₀ conditions) is utilized in this study since wave periods in lakes are small. The estimation of ancient wave conditions suggests that the ripples were produced in water depths of up to 10 m and in most cases less than 5 m. The formative waves possessed periods of up to 3.4 sec and suggest that the lake was relatively small, perhaps of the order of 20 km wide.     

Evidence of lacustrine sedimentation in the Upper Permian Bijori Formation, Satpura Gondwana basin: Palaeogeographic and tectonic implications

The Upper Permian Bijori Formation of the Satpura Gondwana basin comprising fineto coarse-grained sandstone, carbonaceous shale/mudstone and thin coal bands was previously interpreted as the deposits of meandering rivers. The present study documents abundance of wave ripples, hummocky and swaley cross-stratification and combined flow bedforms in the Bijori Formation, suggesting that a significant part of the formation was deposited in a wave-agitated environment. Evidence of near-emergent depositional conditions provided by repeated occurrence of rootlet beds and hydromorphic paleosols, local flooding surfaces denoting rapid fluctuation of water level, occurrences of temnospondyl vertebrate fossils, and absence of tidal signatures and marine fossils suggest a lacustrine rather than marine depositional regime. Five facies associations recognised within the Bijori Formation are inferred to represent fluvial channels and associated floodplains (FA1), lake shorelines (FA2), subaqueous distributary channels and associated levees (FA3), waveand storm-affected delta front (FA4), and open lacustrine/lower shoreface (FA5) deposits. The planoconcave fluvial channel-fill sandbodies with unidirectional cross-beds are clearly distinguishable from the delta front bars that show a convexo-plan or bi-convex sandbody geometry and dominance of wave and combined flow bedforms. Some of the distributary channels record interaction of fluvial and wave-dominated basinal processes. Major distributary sandbodies show a north to northwest flow direction while wave-affected delta front sandbodies show very complex flow patterns reflecting interaction between fluvial discharge and wave processes. Wave ripple crest trends show that the lake shoreline had an overall east-northeast to west-southwest orientation. The lack of documented contemporaneous lacustrine or marine sediments in the Satpura Gondwana basin posed a major problem of basin-scale palaeogeographic reconstruction. The existence of Bijori lake solves the problem and the lake is inferred to have acted as repository for the contemporaneous alluvial drainage. Development of the large Bijori lake body implies generation of accommodation space exceeding the rate of sediment supplied and thus represents locus of high tectonic subsidence. Transition of fluvial sediments with red mudstone and calcareous soil profile in the lower part of the succession to carbonaceous shale and coal-bearing lacustrine sediments in the upper part, denote a change from a warm semi-arid climate with seasonal rainfall to a more humid one.     

四川盆地龙门山区甘溪石沟里泥盆系养马坝组风暴沉积特征及其地质意义

通过对四川盆地龙门山区甘溪石沟里剖面实测,建立了石沟里剖面泥盆系养马坝组风暴沉积的识别标志,进而对其风暴岩进行了系统研究。石沟里养马坝组风暴沉积的重要标志包括冲刷面、渠模等风暴侵蚀构造和粒序层理、平行层理、丘状交错层理等风暴浪构造。该区养马坝组发育了6种类型的风暴沉积单元组成序列,据此建立了完整的风暴序列模式,由粒序层理段(Sa)、平行层理段(Sb)、丘状交错层理段(Sc)、波状层理段(Sd)和泥岩段(Se)组成,底部常发育冲刷面和渠模构造。龙门山区甘溪石沟里养马坝组风暴沉积可分为近源风暴和远源风暴2种类型,依据风暴沉积的剖面结构类型和沉积构造特点,建立了该区风暴沉积序列的分布模式。龙门山区甘溪石沟里养马坝组发育的风暴沉积是该区混合沉积发育、抑制生物礁发育的重要控制因素,对于该区古地理重建具有重要的指示意义。     

Gravel-topped offshore bar sequences in the Lower Carboniferous of southern Ireland

Within the Kinsale Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of southern Ireland are pebbly sandstones and conglomerates contained in what is known locally as the Garryvoe conglomerate facies. In this facies there are three main groups of lithologies: (a) heterolithic mudrocks and sandstones characterized by a wide variety of wave-produced structures; (b) sandstones dominated by swaley cross-stratification (SCS), parallel lamination, and rare hummocky cross-stratification (HCS); and (c) pebbly sandstones and conglomerates occurring as discrete beds or as gravel clasts dispersed through SCS sets. Successions of the facies comprise units of heterolithic mudrock and rippled sandstone alternating repeatedly with coarsening-upward units of SCS pebbly sandstone capped by top-surface granule and pebble lags. The Garryvoe conglomerate facies accumulated in a system of offshore bars on a muddy shallow-marine shelf that was dominated by waves and currents generated by storms. Sands and gravels were bypassed from a contemporaneous northerly coastal zone to the shelf, where they were moulded by the storm-generated flow into low, broad, sand ridges (offshore bars). The elongate bars were spaced kilometres apart, oriented obliquely to the coast, and separated by muddy interbar troughs. Their surfaces were largely covered by hummocky and swaley forms. Long-term, gradual seaward migration of the offshore bars concentrated gravels on landward flanks from the dispersed pebbly sands that were on the crests and seaward flanks. Exceptionally intense storms could form laterally extensive winnowed gravel lags above thinned bar sequences. Such storms could also flush gravel-bearing turbidity currents into muddy interbar trough areas.     

下扬子区早三叠世风暴沉积及其特征

<正> 早三叠世,下扬子区为位于华北古陆与华夏古陆之间的陆表海,其中发育一套以碳酸盐岩为主的海相沉积物。近年来,笔者在该区(图1)工作期间,发现在早三叠世时,沿皖南到苏南的广大区域内,风暴沉积作用产生的特征十分显著,风暴岩广为发育。     

鄂尔多斯盆地大牛地气田下二叠统下石盒子组盒2及盒3段风暴岩研究

首次提出在鄂尔多斯盆地大牛地气田下二叠统下石盒子组盒2及盒3段发育风暴岩。前人认为该区盒2及盒3段为一套河流相沉积体系,而风暴岩的发现证明还广泛发育一套湖泊沉积。鄂尔多斯盆地大牛地气田盒2及盒3段沉积时期,湖泊水面广阔,地形平缓,总体水体较浅,为浅水湖泊环境,易产生风暴回流。根据岩心观察和粒度分析资料,研究区内发育丰富的浅湖风暴岩沉积构造,主要有截切构造、渠模、丘状交错层理和冲刷面等典型的风暴成因构造。粒度概率累积曲线也反映出重力流和牵引流兼有的复杂的水动力机制。研究区风暴岩理想的沉积单元从下至上可概括为“似鲍马序列”,即：A、递变层理和块状层理段;B、平行层理段;C、丘状交错层理和洼状交错层理段;D、波状层理段;E、泥岩段。风暴岩是湖泊发育的典型标志,所以风暴岩的提出对确定研究区的沉积相类型增加了新的认识,并且对下石盒子组的古地理恢复具有重要意义。     

Lacustrine tempestite and its geological significance in the Cenozoic study of the Qaidam Basin

During the Cenozoic a typical lacustrine tempestite deposition was developed in the Lulehe and Xichagou sections of the Qaidam Basin. The sedimentary structures of these two sections above are examined here in detail, which consist of storm erosion, storm tear, storm wave and rapid storm-generated sedimentary structures after storm processes, such as groove casts, scour structures, cutoff structures, hummocky cross-stratification (HCS), parallel bedding and graded bedding. On the basis of these sedimentary characteristics and the vertical facies sedimentary sequence, the causes of the sedimentary succession are analyzed and a Cenozoic sedimentary model of the Qaidam Basin containing shallow proximal, transitional and deep distal tempestites is established. According to the tempestite scale and HCS wavelength, the Cenozoic storm was obviously more intense in the basin’s Upper Ganchaigou formation than that in the Lower Youshashan formation. This variation indicates that a paleoclimatic transition largely corresponded with the second uplift of the whole Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The discovery of a Cenozoic tempestite in the Qaidam Basin is significant in the paleogeographic, paleoclimate and paleostructural fields, which provides a new insight in further study of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau uplift.     

Storm sedimentation

Storm-driven currents can carry sand from the shoreline tens of kilometres out onto the continental shelves where it is moulded by storm waves into a storm-sand bed showing distinctive sedimentary structures, including hummocky crossstratification. An understanding of the nature of the depositional currents and the processes that form hummocky cross-stratification comes from the work of oceanographers, observations by geologists and experimental studies in the laboratory, although the conclusions reached are sometimes conflicting. Storm-sandstone beds provide valuable information about sediment dispersal and depositional systems in nearshore and shelf environments. Hummocky crossstratification indicates the activity of storm waves and hence the approximate depth of ancient shelf seas.     

The shipway limestone of gower: Sedimentation on a storm-dominated early carboniferous ramp

A detailed sedimentary study of the Lower Carboniferous (Courceyan) Shipway Limestone Formation at Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula (South Wales) has shown that the bioclastic limestones represent a storm-dominated sequence that contains the storm-related sedimentary structure hummocky cross-stratification (HCS). Conformably overlying the Shipway Limestone is a cross-stratified oolitic sandbody with evidence of subaerial exposure. Six sedimentary lithofacies are identified in these two formations which record a distal to proximal, shallowing-upward trend that passes from beneath mean wave-base to above fairweather wave-base. The shallow marine facies model constructed by Wu (1982) from his study of the Lower Carboniferous limestone sequences of South Wales is re-evaluated. Modifications proposed for the model include the addition of two distal tempestite facies and a proximal oolite sand body. The Shipway Limestone and Brofiscin Oolite record the first major, basin-wide, shallowing-upward phase of the Lower Carboniferous in South Wales.     

Advances in genetic mechanism research on hummocky and hummocky-like cross-stratifications

Hummocky and hummocky-like cross-stratification(HCS and HCS-like)as the identification criteria for sedimentary environments have recently become confused because of the little knowledge on their genetic mechanism based on the following facts: HCS and HCS-like are often associated with storm deposits and turbidity current deposits,respectively; the views on HCS produced in shallow water environments and HCS-like produced in deep-water environments have been abandoned recently. According to the detail reviews on structural and morphologic characteristics and vertical sequence of HCS and HCS-like from literatures,here we found that: (1) the special features of HCS include the sharp or erosional basal contact,the internal truncation surface,close relationship with swaley cross-stratification,and the missing zone or amalgamation of HCS in vertical sequence;(2) the special features of HCS-like often include various thickness of individual lamina,hummocky layer interbedded with parallel bedding or small-scale cross-bedding under continuous deposition,and alternating sedimentary structures of upper and lower flow regime in vertical sequence. According to hydrodynamic theory and flume experiment achievements,these results show that the genetic mechanism of HCS and HCS-like could be divided into two parts,hydrodynamic mechanism and depositional mechanism. The hydrodynamic mechanism of HCS and HCS-like is same and could be interpreted by vertical vortex generated by baroclinic wave in nature. However,depositional mechanism of HCS and HCS-like is very different: HCS and HCS-like could be interpreted by erosion suspending sand mechanism and suspending sand settling mechanism,respectively,and the special features in HCS and HCS-like are due to the different sediment suspension concentration and depositional flow energy. The division for hydrodynamic and depositional mechanism of HCS and HCS-like is very significant in determining sedimentary environments from depositional flow evolution perspective.