“…Currently, studies with integrated statistical analyses either utilize only a small number of outcrops (Starek & Fuksi, 2017;Palozzi et al, 2018;Bourli et al, 2019) or only partially address these aspects of depositional systems (Pantopoulos et al, 2013(Pantopoulos et al, , 2018 The purpose of this study is to integrate the established statistical methods, improve them by testing against a well-understood submarine fan system, and enhance the understanding of the depositional system and control mechanisms. This study uses a large (> 2,500 m measured sections) outcrop dataset from the Pennsylvanian, synorogenic lower Atoka submarine fan succession of the Ouachita Mountains in the United States, where the structural-depositional framework is well-documented (Houseknecht, 1986;Coleman, 2000;Arbenz, 2008;Hou et al, 2020).…”