Highlights

The stratigraphy of fluvial systems in rift basins records the complex interactions of numerous internal and external forcing mechanisms.  To better understand the controls on alluvial architecture in rift basins, Connell et al. examine the relation between surface processes and stratigraphic variability using an experimental basin, varying subsidence and sediment flux and observing stratigraphic packaging and variability.  The results reveal the changes in sediment distribution in a setting with well-constrained external boundary conditions.  The data provide novel insights into how multiple sediment sources impact the stratigraphic position, size, and composition of axial-river deposits of rift basins.

Stratigraphic Architecture of An Experimental Basin With Interacting Drainages by Sean D. Connell, Wonsuck Kim, Gary A. Smith, and Chris Paola