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Principles of Tidal Sedimentology pp 35–55Cite as

Tidal Signatures and Their Preservation Potential in Stratigraphic Sequences

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Abstract

Several indicators of tidal influence are preserved in modern and ancient ­stratigraphic sequences. These tidal signatures are dominated by cyclic deposition. The cycles may represent as short as semi-diurnal tides or as long as multiple years. Most commonly they represent daily or lunar cycles. These cycles are most commonly represented by some alternation of sand and mud; so-called heterolithic deposits. Some are monolithic. The scale of these rhythmic packages ranges from a few millimeters to several decimeters. The depositional environments in which these tidal sequences accumulate include intertidal and subtidal positions to depths of at least hundreds of meters. The most common are intertidal flats and their contained channels in estuaries and deltas as well as in coastal bays and open coasts. Preservation potential ranges from poor to very good. Tidal channels tend to be among the best preserved whereas the upper intertidal zone is the most poorly preserved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Coastal Research Laboratory, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Richard A. Davis Jr.

  2. Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA

    Richard A. Davis Jr.

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  1. Richard A. Davis Jr.
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Correspondence to Richard A. Davis Jr. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University, Ocean Drive 6300, Corpus Christi, 78412, Texas, USA

    Richard A. Davis Jr.

  2. , Department of Geological Sciences, Queen's University, Miller Hall, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Ontario, Canada

    Robert W. Dalrymple

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Davis, R.A. (2012). Tidal Signatures and Their Preservation Potential in Stratigraphic Sequences. In: Davis Jr., R., Dalrymple, R. (eds) Principles of Tidal Sedimentology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0123-6_3

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