Highlights—Dynamic Inlets

Barrier-island landforms are common on many wave-dominated shoreline systems around the world, and ancient analogs form important petroleum reservoirs.  In this study, Seminack and Buynevich use ground-penetrating radar (GPR), sediment cores and dating to understand the facies architecture and evolution of shoreline and inlet systems of Assateague Island, MD, and to test the notion that it is related to the historical Green Run Inlet, located approximately 3 km to the south.  The authors suggest that a ‘traditional’ survey of relict inlets would have overlooked the study site due, to its lack of surficial evidence of inlet existence, and that the results illustrate the value of a multi-technique approach to study of inlet dynamics.  These results illustrate how reconstructing the facies architecture and evolutionary pathways of inlet-barrier island systems provide enhanced understanding of their geological evolution and stratigraphic framework, as well as their possible influence on coastal hazards.

Sedimentological and Geophysical Signatures of A Relict Tidal Inlet Complex Along A Wave-Dominated Barrier: Assateague Island, Maryland, U.S.A. by Christopher T. Seminack and Ilya V. Buynevich

A Look Back…5 years—Paleozoic Subtropical Carbonates

Carbonate sediments can be subdivided into two end-member realms, heterozoan and photozoan, that in many cases relate to “cool water” and “warm water” conditions respectively.  Between these end members are “subtropical” carbonates that can include a mix of both realms.  In this paper, Bensing et al. describe Lower Permian strata from Arctic Canada that include a temporally changing, sedimentologically mixed assemblage.  The sediments suggest a gradual cooling and decrease in seawater temperature, but that changes in sea level and oceanographic conditions complicated trends.  The results represented a refinement of criteria for recognizing and interpreting heterozoan carbonates in Paleozoic strata.

Carbonate Deposition During a Time of Mid-Latitude Ocean Cooling: Early Permian Subtropical Sedimentation in the Sverdrup Basin, Arctic Canada by Joel P. Bensing, Noel P. James, and Benoit Beauchamp 

Highlights - The Poop on Shoreline Change

Recent studies have shown that many shorelines around the world, especially in densely populated areas, are eroding, in many cases due to the impact of humans.  In this new study, Seigguh examines the role of some non-bio-degradable materials on mitigating shoreline erosion.  By examining the transport thresholds and coefficients for a series of materials, the results illustrate that dirty diapers represent largely immobile elements, are abundant anyway, and actually provide a protective barrier against shoreline erosion.  The authors suggest that many beaches, especially those in populated regions, should be armored with diapers to prevent coastal erosion.

Transport and deposition of non-biodegradable materials protect shorelines: A case study by B.M. Seigguh

Highlights—Alluvial Plain Architecture on the Stage

Modern stratigraphic analysis utilizes unconformity-bounded, genetically related units to subdivide and then interpret stratigraphic successions.  In alluvial plain deposits, an important challenge represents means to subdivide and date the complex internal stratigraphy.  Here, De Santis et al. use physical sedimentologic characterization, coupled with amino acid racemization (AAR) and ¹⁴C dating, to recognize and date Quaternary units in an Italian alluvial plain to the scale of marine isotope stages.  Detailing and dating stratigraphy to this level reveals the influences of subsidence events, climate variability, and sea-level change on the region.  This level of resolution is interpreted to represent an important advance, compared to other Quaternary alluvial fan successions that are subdivided and dated using their relative stratigraphic position alone.

Unconformity-bounded stratigraphic units (UBSUs) in an Italian alluvial-plain area: recognizing and dating by Vincenzo De Santis, Massimo Caldara, Luigi Pennetta, Trinidad Torres, and José Eugenio Ortiz

Highlights—Tropical Storms Shape Deltas

Deltas represent generally lobate sediment accumulations formed by sediment from rivers that empty into standing bodies of water.  In these settings, storms and tropical cyclones can represent events of high energy.  To assess the role storms in formation of deltas, Garrison et al. compare the timing of the deposition of stratigraphic units, constrained by 137Cs geochronology and historical aerial photographs, and the historical record of storms in the Holocene Gum Hollow Delta (Nueces Bay, Texas Gulf of Mexico).  Results indicate that broadly coarsening- then fining-upward bedsets, interpreted to represent waxing- and waning-flow phases interpreted to represent hyperpycnal deposits.  Comparison with historical records and aerial photos reveal that these deposits are associated with tropical cyclone landfalls throughout the 80-year historical record.  These results suggest that such deposits can be used as a tool to investigate climate records in sedimentary successions in small estuarine and lagoonal deltas.

Record of historical Gulf of Mexico storms preserved in the stratigraphy of Gum Hollow Delta, Nueces Bay, Texas, U.S.A.: an example of tropical-cyclone-induced hyperpycnal deposition by James R. Garrison, Jr., Sara Potter Miller, Alberto M. Mestas-Nuñez, and Joshua Williams

Highlights—Persistent Fractures and Diagenesis

Syndepositional deformation features can impact depositional geometries, but can they also represent fluid conduits active throughout a strata's entire history? In this paper, Budd et al. address this question using petrographic, geomechanical, and clumped-isotope analysis of diagenetic products in syndepositional fractures (Permian, Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico, USA).  Results show that the complex diagenetic fills in the fractures are multigenerational, and represent numerous, repeated fracture openings, fills, and reactivation over ~260 Ma since deposition.  The results highlight the potential for re-activated syndepositional fractures in a carbonate platform to dominate fluid flow in that platform and to drive the diagenetic history of adjacent host rocks.

Syndepositional deformation features in high-relief carbonate platforms: long-lived conduits for diagenetic fluids by David A. Budd, Edmund L. Frost, III, Katharine W. Huntington, and Patricia F. Allwardt

Highlights—Grain Shape in Antarctica: the Cold, Hard Truth

The shapes of sedimentary particles can be useful for elucidating many aspects of their history, from origin to deposition to diagenesis.  Livsey et al. examine the utility of grain shape as a depositional proxy for glacially influenced sediment within the James Ross Basin and Joinville Plateau of the Antarctic Peninsula from the Eocene to the present.  The results from Fourier shape analyses of more than 6,000 quartz grains reveal changes through time, associated with climate shifts.  It shows that grain roughness increases with the onset of increased glaciation from the Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene, after an Early Pliocene warm period, and from the Pliocene to Pleistocene; in contrast, grain roughness decreases from the Middle Miocene through an Early Pliocene warm period. This study highlights the utility of Fourier grain-shape analysis for understanding the history of grains, and its potential application in polar studies.

Fourier grain-shape analysis of Antarctic marine core: the relative influence of provenance and glacial activity on grain shape by Daniel N. Livsey,  Alexander R. Simms, Warren G.  Clary, Julia S. Wellner, John B. Anderson, and John P. Chandler

Highlights—Biomineralization

Recently, numerous studies have examined the possible role of bacterially induced mineral precipitation (organomineralization).  Laboratory studies represent an important means to explore these processes, but Gallagher et al. reveal how the presence of phosphate in media (needed for microbial growth) may affect rate, morphology and mineralogy of precipitated minerals.  The results of this study reveal potential pitfalls that could cause misinterpretation of laboratory biomineralization experiments.

Phosphate-related artifacts in carbonate mineralization experiments by Kimberley L. Gallagher, Olivier Braissant, Tristan J. Kading, Christophe Dupraz, and Pieter T. Visscher

Highlights—Unraveling Sediment Mixing

Mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sediments can provide unique interpretive challenges, as the two types of sediments are controlled by different parameters.  In this paper, Chiarella and Longhitano describe the application of a new technique for describing and interpreting sediments of mixed systems.  The application of this method to a succession of Plio-Pleistocene deposits facilitated the reconstruction of the depositional framework and stratigraphic evolution, revealing otherwise ambiguous patterns.  These techniques and results illustrate a new means to evaluate mixed carbonate-siliciclastic systems and their dynamics.  

Distinguishing depositional environments in shallow-water mixed, bio-siliciclastic deposits on the basis of the degree of heterolithic segregation (Gelasian, southern Italy) by Domenico Chiarella and Sergio G. Longhitano

Highlights—Dolomite: It’s the Fault’s Fault

A unique aspect of carbonate platforms is their ability to develop flanks with gradients that exceed the angle of repose due to early cementation and binding.  Frost et al. document a Permian example of an oversteepened carbonate platform margin that was impacted by early syndepositional deformation.  A suite of field, petrographic, and stable isotopic data reveal that these early fractures and faults also facilitated the flow of early dolomitizing fluids.  These results are interpreted to reveal a spatially and temporally complex alteration of host limestone that led to bed-scale heterogeneity in dolomite patterns and petrophysical properties.

Syndepositional deformation in a high-relief carbonate platform and its effect on early fluid flow as revealed by dolomite patterns by Edmund L. Frost, III, David A. Budd, and Charles Kerans

Highlights—Don’t Underestimate Perms (with apologies to Charles Nessler)

Predicting the permeability of subsurface sandstone bodies is a major challenge for petroleum production and ground water management. In this study, Walderhaug et al. test several methods of permeability prediction using almost 1900 samples from the Norwegian continental shelf and the Fontainebleau Sandstone.  The data indicate that for clay-free and very clay-poor sandstone, permeability can be calculated with the Kozeny equation.  In contrast, for sandstones containing more than ~ 3% clay, a modified Kozeny equation that accounts for pore system geometry provides more accurate results for sandstone with higher clay contents.  These results emphasize the hazards of predicting permeability from grain size and porosity alone, and illustrate the complexity of permeability-porosity relations in sandstones with clays.

Prediction of permeability in quartz-rich sandstones: examples from the Norwegian continental shelf and the Fontainebleau Sandstone by Olav Walderhaug, Arild Eliassen, and Nils Einar Aase

JSR January Issue is Open Access

Articles are currently being added to JSR's January issue which is available open access!

Highlight—The Ups and Downs of Lakes

The character of deposition in lacustrine sedimentary systems is closely linked to climatic and hydrologic change, and as such, their stratigraphic record can provide important information on paleoclimate changes.  In this study, Wang et al. examine Pliocene-Quaternary lithofacies and stratigraphy of a ~kilometer long core from the western Qaidam Basin of China. Integrating magnetostratigraphy with lithofacies facilitate semi-quantitative interpretation of lake level fluctuations. Collectively, these data provide sedimentologic evidence for long-term change from a semi-deep fresh lake system to a playa system, associated with stepwise Pliocene-Pleistocene drying of the Asian inland forced by changes of global ice volume.

Pliocene–Pleistocene climate change at the NE Tibetan Plateau deduced from lithofacies variation in the drill core SG-1, western Qaidam Basin, China by Jiuyi Wang, Xiaomin Fang, Erwin Appel, and Chunhui Song

Highlights—Iron-rich Condensed Sections

Condensed sections are thin stratigraphic intervals that represent considerable time.  In some cases, these intervals include ferruginous particles such as oolitic ironstone.  Here, García-Frank et al. document different iron-rich particles of Early to Middle Jurassic transition period, including the Fuentelsaz GSSP worldwide reference section, in the NW Iberian Range (Spain). The results, which integrate observations of mineralogy and REY (rare earth elements and yttrium), reveal a complex depositional, textural, and diagenetic history.  Beyond providing new insights into the evolution of the westernmost Tethyan basins, these data motivate a conceptual model for the long-standing conundrum concerning the genesis of oolitic ironstones in condensed sections.

Iron-coated particles from condensed Aalenian–Bajocian deposits: evolutionary model (Iberian Basin, Spain) by Alejandra García-Frank, Soledad Ureta, and Ramón Mas

Highlights—Patterns in Rift Carbonates: It’s Their Fault

The nature of carbonate sedimentary systems of passive margins have been well documented, but patterns of carbonates in rifted settings are less systematically explored.  In this paper, Purkis et al. map and describe the spatial patterns of carbonate accumulation of reefal and other carbonates in the present-day Red Sea using Landsat data.  Patterns in these data reveal that fault lineaments direct the orientation of larger (> 5 km²) carbonate bodies, but that water depth is not the primary determinant on the occurrence or distribution of reefal framework versus sediment.  These data may provide insights into the orientation and scale of carbonate accumulations in ancient marine rift settings.

Patterns of sedimentation in the contemporary Red Sea as an analog for ancient carbonates in rift settings by Sam J. Purkis, Paul M. (Mitch) Harris, and James Ellis

Highlights—California Sand Source

Provenance studies provide unique insights into the source and tectonic history of sedimentary basins.  In this study, Doebbert et al. describe the provenance of sand-sized sedimentary particles in the Gualala Basin of northern California, using petrography, detrital zircon analyses, and feldspar Pb isotopes. The results provide novel insights into regional paleogeography, and indicate that the Gualala Basin was in close proximity to the Mojave block until ~50 Ma, but that northward translation of the basin of ~550 km occurred thereafter.  In addition to demonstrating the value of combined proxies in sedimentary provenance study, this study highlights the importance of considering the sand-size fraction in conglomeratic settings.

The sandstone-derived provenance record of the Gualala Basin, northern California, U.S.A. by Amalia C. Doebbert, Alan R. Carroll, and Clark Johnson

RIP—Print JSR. Like Pulling Band-Aids Off Hairy Arms....

“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Now is a time to stop.  As many readers know, JSR is moving to an all digital format in 2013 – SEPM will no longer print hard copies of the journal.  This change is a major shift in the journal, which has published on paper continuously since 1931, as the oldest journal in sedimentary geology.  This change has been coming for years, but apparently still surprises and disappoints some dedicated JSR readers.  For example, here is a recent email note from an SEPM member, copied verbatim.

“Shocking news from SEPM concerning its politics to get out of general printing of J. Sed. Res. and Palaios and to publish preferentially electronically in future…. This might be the way of the 21th century, but I always appreciated the days, when the new issues of the journals arrived at home, to sit in a comfortable armchair, scroll  through the content and to read interesting or even stimulating contents. Last not least it was a pleasure to put the issues on the shelf, where I assembled J. Sed.Pet. since 1981 and Palaios from Vol. 1 (palaeontologists apparently are collectors).  Compared to 2012, the subscription prices for 2013 for “print on demand” increased in such an dramatic rate that I will not afford that. I am not interested to receive electronic version for my private pleasure.  I therefore decided – and not so easily – to cancel my membership … after 31 years.”

As with SEPM as a whole, we at JSR aim to serve the community of sedimentary geologists and paleontologists, and so receiving a letter like this is somewhat disturbing.  As such, we would like to take the opportunity to briefly explain some of the reasoning behind the decision.

SEPM journals form the financial backbone of the society.  The vast majority of the society revenue comes from the journals, and this net positive revenue supports the Special Publications, Annual Meetings, Special Conferences, and so on.

Historically, however, trends in journal expenses and revenue are clear and illustrate that: 1) on-line versions are more profitable than the print versions; 2) the number of those receiving hard copies has steadily declined; and 3) continuing to print the paper versions has become more and more expensive with time – actually representing a revenue drain, for an increasingly smaller number of print subscribers.  In fact, the society has published paper editions of the journals at a net loss annually, estimated to be in excess of $75,000 for 2012.  Although your humble blogger has forgotten the numbers with that last glass of egg nog, the cost of printing each and every issue of the year was equal to the annual revenue from subscribers – and the difference between the cost and the price paid was basically subsidized by everyone else, those who elected to receive only the electronic version.

[To be clear, however, SEPM does provide Print-on-Demand at cost through a vendor.  Or you can print out your own hard copies.  More info on POD will be forthcoming….]  

These financial constraints worked in concert with changing perceptions and utilization of journals.  Increasing journal prices and decreasing library budgets lead to constraints, and many libraries are opting to go for only one version – the on-line version.  Similarly, many (but certainly not all) of our consumers are requesting ease of access – facilitated by on-line publications.  The official version of JSR papers have been on-line for years now, and JSR is available your mobile device as well.

Although the majority of scientists suggest they search and read journals on-line, it is true that many still enjoy reading hard copies, including many SEPM members.  For us, the transition may be somewhat difficult – but we will make it.  But we hope is like one SEPM council member said during the discussion of the transition – “…phasing it out would be sort of like slowly pulling a band-aid off my hairy leg.  Better to yank!” 

In The Five People You Meet In Heaven, Mitch Albom wrote,“All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time.” We thank our readers for working with us through this transition and we look forward to continuing to pursue unique avenues for communicating the best science!  We welcome your feedback.

Highlights – Mixed System Reef Diagenesis

Although siliciclastic-influenced carbonate systems are common through the stratigraphic record, their diagenesis remains poorly constrained, especially in the context of climatic variability.  Madden and Wilson describe diagenetic alteration of Neogene delta-front coral reefs that formed coevally with nearly continuous siliciclastic influx in a humid equatorial setting from equatorial Borneo.  The data show that continental groundwater flow driven by basin-margin palaeohydrology resulted in pervasive stabilization and calcitization, features rare in arid or temperate counterparts. The results provide an analog for patterns of diagenesis and porosity distribution in nearshore marine carbonates along predominantly siliciclastic coastlines, such as in delta-front, fan-delta, or siliciclastic inner-shelf settings.

Diagenesis of Neogene delta-front patch reefs: alteration of coastal, siliciclastic-influenced carbonates from humid equatorial regions by Robert H. C. Madden and Moyra E. J. Wilson

Highlights – Out of This World Shapes

Akin to the Earth’s, the lunar surface is covered by a regolith of clastic particles; yet, the processes that impact these particles is quite distinct.  To better understand the potential character of the lunar surface and its impact on spacecraft, Rickman et al. describe results aimed at characterizing shape, a fundamental (yet poorly constrained) descriptive attribute of simulants of these particles. The results illustrate a range of techniques that will be useful for systematically describing lunar samples, when they become available.

Particle shape in simulants of the lunar regolith by Doug Rickman, Christopher Immer, Philip Metzger, Emily Dixon, Matthew Pendleton, and Jennifer Edmunson

Highlights – A Flysch-y Story

Stratigraphy records the plate tectonic history of the Earth.  In this paper, Shaulis et al. describe the nature, timing and rates of orogenic flysch deposition in the late Paleozoic Ouachita trough on the southeastern Laurentian margin using U-Pb dates of zircon.  The results document late Mississippian tectono-sedimentary dynamics, including changing rates of accumulation related to a submarine fan complex interpreted to have built longitudinally along the basin axis.  These results provide new insights into the character and dynamics of flysch sedimentation in closing remnant ocean basins.

Timing and rates of flysch sedimentation in the Stanley Group, Ouachita Mountains, Oklahoma and Arkansas, U.S.A.: constraints from U-Pb zircon ages of subaqueous ash-flow tuffs by Barry J. Shaulis, Thomas J. Lapen, John F. Casey, and Douglas R. Reid