The ichnology of shallow-marine to transitional environments is a key field of study with respect to understanding the variability of environmental parameters from inshore marginal-marine settings to the offshore transition zone. Over the last decades ichnology has evolved from being a tool to determine bathymetry, becoming the standard palaeoenvironmental methodology by which trace fossils can be used to inform sedimentary facies models. In particular, the analysis of mixed assemblages of invertebrate and vertebrate trace fossils allows detailed palaeoenvironmental and facies analysis. This volume focuses on the ichnological record of shallow-marine to transitional environments through the geological record, in addition to modern ones through neoichnology.
The ichnology of shallow-marine to transitional environments is a key field of study with respect to understanding the variability of environmental parameters from inshore marginal-marine settings to the offshore transition zone. Over the last decades ichnology has evolved from being a tool to determine bathymetry, becoming the standard palaeoenvironmental methodology by which trace fossils can be used to inform sedimentary facies models. In particular, the analysis of mixed assemblages of invertebrate and vertebrate trace fossils allows detailed palaeoenvironmental and facies analysis. This volume focuses on the ichnological record of shallow-marine to transitional environments through the geological record, in addition to modern ones through neoichnology.
Siliciclastic shallow-marine deposits record the interface between land and sea, and its response to a variety of forcing mechanisms: physical process regime, the internal dynamics of coastal and shelfal depositional systems, relative sea level, sediment flux, tectonic setting, and climate. These deposits have long been the subject of conceptual stratigraphic models that seek to explain the interplay between these various forcing mechanisms, and their preservation in the stratigraphic record. This volume arose from an SEPM research conference on shoreline-shelf stratigraphy that was held in Grand Junction, Colorado, on August 24-28, 2004. The aim of the resulting volume is to highlight the development over the last 15 years of the stratigraphic concepts and models that are used to interpret siliciclastic marginal-marine, shallow-marine, and shelf deposits.
Integration of ichnological information into sedimentological models, and vice versa, is one of the main means by which we can improve our understanding of ancient depositional environments. Mainly intended for sedimentologists, this book aims to make ichnological methods as part of facies interpretation more popular, providing an analytical review of the ichnology of all major depositional environments and the use of ichnology in biostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic analysis. It starts with an introduction to the historical aspect of ichnology, introducing common concepts and methods, and then continues with parts treating the main depositional systems from continental, shallow-marine and deep-marine siliciclastics, and marine carbonates. The last part is dedicated to the ichnology in hydrocarbon reservoir and aquifer characterization. - First overview in 25 years of the status of ichnological studies in facies reconstructions of all major depositional environments - Written by a selected, well-experienced and specialized international authorship - Provides easy access to the comprehensive and widespread literature
Ichnology is the study of traces created in the substrate by living organisms. This is the first book to systematically cover basic concepts and applications in both paleobiology and sedimentology, bridging the gap between the two main facets of the field. It emphasizes the importance of understanding ecologic controls on benthic fauna distribution and the role of burrowing organisms in changing their environments. A detailed analysis of the ichnology of a range of depositional environments is presented using examples from the Precambrian to the recent, and the use of trace fossils in facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy is discussed. The potential for biogenic structures to provide valuable information and solve problems in a wide range of fields is also highlighted. An invaluable resource for researchers and graduate students in paleontology, sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy, this book will also be of interest to industry professionals working in petroleum geoscience.
It has been increasingly realized by sedimentologist in the petroleum industry and academia that integration of ichonological information into sedimentological models, and vice versa, is one of the main means by which we can improve our understanding of ancient depositional environments. This volume aims to provide an analytical review of yhe ichnology of all major depositional environments and the use ichnology in biostratigraphic and sequence stratigraphic analysis, as well as highly refined palaeeoenvironmental studies. The remit of the book is achieved through a combination of review articles and novel research papers that outline methodologies and protocols for improving our understanding of ancient palaeoenvironments. Trace fossils from microscopic borings to dinosaur footprints are considered.
This book focuses on the world’s largest mangrove delta complex, located at Sundarban, a world heritage site, and on the relatively new and rapidly expanding scientific discipline of ichnology. In addition to presenting a range of ichnological research databases that are widely applicable to multidisciplinary research fields in geology, biophysics, biology, ecology, geomorphology and the marine and environmental sciences, it addresses the global concern of rising sea levels to explain growing ecological problems, from the mass mortality of coastal organisms and rapid loss of mangrove forest wealth, to widespread coastal and riverbank erosion. It also demonstrates the value of applying new ichnological tools to coastal geotechnical planning and programming, and to groundwater exploration. Thus, the book addresses a broad readership including earth scientists from various disciplines, state administrators and members of the general public.
Deepwater Sedimentary Systems: Science, Discovery and Applications helps readers identify, understand and interpret deepwater sedimentary systems at various scales – both onshore and offshore. This book describes the best practices in the integration of geology, geophysics, engineering, technology and economics used to inform smart business decisions in these diverse environments. It draws on technical results gained from deepwater exploration and production drilling campaigns and global field analog studies. With the multi-decadal resilience of deepwater exploration and production and the nature of its inherent uncertainty, this book serves as the essential reference for companies, consultancies, universities, governments and deepwater practitioners around the world seeking to understand deepwater systems and how to explore for and produce resources in these frontier environments. From an academic perspective, readers will use this book as the primer for understanding the processes, deposits and sedimentary environments in deep water – from deep oceans to deep lakes. This book provides conceptual approaches and state-of-the-art information on deepwater systems, as well as scenarios for the next 100 years of human-led exploration and development in deepwater, offshore environments. The students taught this material in today's classrooms will become the leaders of tomorrow in Earth's deepwater frontier. This book provides a broad foundation in deepwater sedimentary systems. What may take an individual dozens of academic and professional courses to achieve an understanding in these systems is provided here in one book. - Presents a holistic view of how subsurface and engineering processes work together in the energy industry, bringing together contributions from the various technical and engineering disciplines - Provides diverse perspectives from a global authorship to create an accurate picture of the process of deepwater exploration and production around the world - Helps readers understand how to interpret deepwater systems at various scales to inform smart business decisions, with a significant portion of the workflows derived from the upstream energy industry
This book serves as an up-to-date introduction, as well as overview to modern trace fossil research and covers nearly all of the essential aspects of modern ichnology. Divided into three section, Trace Fossils covers the historical background and concepts of ichnology, on-going research problems, and indications about the possible future growth of the discipline and potential connections to other fields. This work is intended for a broad audience of geological and biological scientists. Workers new to the field could get a sense of the main concepts of ichnology and a clear idea of how trace fossil research is conducted. Scientists in related disciplines could find potential uses for trace fossils in their fields. And, established workers could use the book to check on the progress of their particular brand of ichnology. By design, there is something here for novice and veteran, insider and outsider, and for the biologically-oriented workers and for the sedimentary geologists.* Presents a review of the state of ichnology at the beginning of the 21st Century* Summarizes the basic concepts and methods of modern trace fossil research* Discusses crucial background information about the history of trace fossil research, the main concepts of ichnology, examples of current problems and future directions, and the potential connections to other disciplines within both biology and geology
