Beach Environment

Signatures of Pleistocene Marine Transgression Preserved in Lithified Coastal Dune Morphology of The Bahamas

“…The sediment supply significant for dune development in the region is exclusively produced on the shallow (average depth = 7-10 m) marine platforms surrounding small islands during sea-level high stands. On timescales of 10 1 -10 3 years, sediments are generated through biogenic production, physiochemical precipitation (e.g., ooids and grapestones), breakdown of skeletal and reef material, tests of foraminifera, and erosion of previously deposited units or submarine cemented layers [21,25]. The characteristics of the sedimentary system mean that sediment production and availability to build aeolian dunes is directly linked with (1) relative sea level high-stands flooding the shallow platforms, (2) the construction of beaches by waves and delivery of sub-aqueous sediment, and (3) the presence of a shore platform with an elevation above mean wave height and tidal range that allows for sediment to be deposited along a beach [26,27].…”

Variations in carbonate-evaporite shoreline and ramp facies trends: Middle Miocene Fatha Formation, Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq

“…Field observations of crossbedding, trough cross-bedding, planar laminations, and ripple marks also indicate deposition above the fair-weather wave base. Meniscus cement between the ooids and bioclasts indicates very early diagenetic cementation and meteoric, vadose freshwater diagenesis (Inden and Moore, 1983;Strasser, 1986;Strasser et al, 1995;Flugel, 2004). The association of the ooids with peloids and benthic foraminifera, the marine-phreatic and meteoric cement, and the observed sedimentary structures are indicators that the ooidal microfacies accumulated in oolitic shoal on the sand barrier between the lagoon and the more open water.…”

Platform margin and deep water carbonates

“…Going from deep water to shallow water environments potential reservoir facies include 1) carbonate submarine fans, aprons, and debris sheets (Cook et al, 1972;Cook and Mullins, 1983;Mullins and Cook, in prep. ); 2) shelf-edge reefs and tidal bars (Wilson and Jordan, 1983); 3) middle shelf grainstone facies (Powers, 1962;Wilson, 1975;Wilson and Jordan, 1983); 4) inner shelf offshore bar and beach facies, and tidal flat facies ; Inden and Moore, 1983;.…”