Criteria for defining and recognizing the various orders of sequences in outcrop sequence stratigraphy  

作　　者：WANG Xunlian Faculty of Earth Sciences and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China 

出　　处：《Science China Earth Sciences》2004年第7期618-629,共12页中国科学（地球科学英文版）

基　　金：This work was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40172014);the state key project “Study of Sequence Stratigraphy on the Paleocontinents and Their Margins of China and Earth Rhythms (SSER)” of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China,and the Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 013101). Geological Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2000.

摘　　要：The regional distribution in different depositional facies belts is here regarded as an important criterion for defining and recognizing the various orders of sequences. The third-order sequence is possibly global in nature, which may be discerned in different depositional facies belts in one continental margin and can be correlated over long distances, sometimes even worldwide. Commonly, correlation of subsequence (fourth-order sequence with time interval of 0.51.5 Ma) is difficult in different facies belts, although some of them may also be worldwide in distribution. A subsequence should be able to discern and correlate within at least one facies belt. The higher-order sequences, including microsequence (fifth-order sequence) and minisequence (sixth-order sequence), are regional or local in distribution. They may reflect the longer and shorter Milankovitch cycles respectively. Sequence and subsequence are usually recognizable in different facies belts, while microsequence and minisequence may be distinguished only in shallow marine deposits, but not in slope and basin facies deposits. A brief discussion is made on the essential conditions for correct identification of sequences, useful methods of study, and problems meriting special attention in outcrop sequence stratigraphy.The regional distribution in different depositional facies belts is here regarded as an important criterion for defining and recognizing the various orders of sequences. The third-order sequence is possibly global in nature, which may be discerned in different depositional facies belts in one continental margin and can be correlated over long distances, sometimes even worldwide. Commonly, correlation of subsequence (fourth-order sequence with time interval of 0.5–1.5 Ma) is difficult in different facies belts, although some of them may also be worldwide in distribution. A subsequence should be able to discern and correlate within at least one facies belt. The higher-order sequences, including microsequence (fifth-order sequence) and minisequence (sixth-order sequence), are regional or local in distribution. They may reflect the longer and shorter Milankovitch cycles respectively. Sequence and subsequence are usually recognizable in different facies belts, while microsequence and minisequence may be distinguished only in shallow marine deposits, but not in slope and basin facies deposits. A brief discussion is made on the essential conditions for correct identification of sequences, useful methods of study, and problems meriting special attention in outcrop sequence stratigraphy.

关 键 词：outcrop SEQUENCE stratigraphy  FACIES belt  sequence  subsequence  microsequence  minisequence  meter-scale cyclothem  MILANKOVITCH cycle. 

分 类 号：P539[天文地球—古生物学与地层学]