Convergence Texture of Seismic Reflectors

Depositional and erosional bounding surfaces define sedimentary sequences, systems tracts, and parasequences (see section on the topics of Sedimentary Sequence/Systems Tracts/Parasequence in the encyclopedia). They match surfaces that coincide with the convergence and termination of seismic reflectors but are best displayed in outcrops and are often easily identified in well logs and cores.

In seismic reflection data the convergence and termination patterns and their continuity are used to identify sequence stratigraphic surfaces. On seismic data the most prominent of these surfaces are subaerial unconformities marking sequence boundaries (SB) eroded during sea-level fall (Sloss et al., 1949) and time-equivalent submarine correlative conformities (SB-CC) (Hunt and Tucker, 1992; Posamentier et al., 1988; Fig. 1).

Fig. 1

Convergence and termination of seismic reflectors define sequence boundaries (Christopher Kendall, 2013 (after Catuneanu, 2002))