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Floodplain waters of Murray-Darling Basin riversrange from ephemeral puddles to semi-permanentbillabongs kilometres long and several metres deep.They may comprise >60% of the standing waters onthe floodplain, the more permanent waters provid-ing refugia for a diverse aquatic fauna in times ofdrought. There is evidence of a rich and diversemicroflora and -fauna in the larger permanent billa-bongs (BOON et al. 1990), but virtUally no informa-tion on such assemblages in the smaller ephemeralwaters, which may be only rainpools and of veryshort persistence (weeks or even days). We wereinterested in characterizing the diversiry and dynam-ics of the microfaunal communities in such habitats,in particular the adaptations of the microfauna tohabitat ephemeraliry and heterogeneiry. To providean estimate of the microfaunal species diversiry rep-resentative of ephemeral waters in the region, weundertook a qualitative survey of 112 small flood-plain pools in the wet spring of August-September1991, when all contained water (SHIEL et al. 1998),results of which are summarized here. Replicate sedi-ment samples were also taken over the summer of1998 from dry sediments of sites with differentflooding frequencies, viz. permanently flooded(Ryan's no. 1 billabong), flooded every 2-3 years(Ryan's no. 3), and flooded no more frequently thanevery 25 years (overbank region of Ryan's no. 2).From sediment cores, identifiable cysts, resting eggs,ephippia and diapausing individuals were identifiedas a prelude to flooding experiments to determinethe viabiliry of the floodplain 'eggbank' (cf. BOUL-TON & LLOYO 1992. See also DE STASIO 1989, 1990,HAIRSTON et al. 1995, HAIRSTON 1996, and refer-ences therein).

Deep-water channels can be bound by overbank deposits, resulting from overspilling flows, which are often ornamented with sediment waves. Here, high-resolution bathymetry, backscatter, and 2D and 3...

Rivers transport carbon from continents to oceans. Surprisingly, this carbon has often been found to be centuries old, not originating from contemporary plant biomass. This can be explained by anthropogenic disturbance of soils or discharge of radiocarbon–depleted wastewater. However, land enclosure and channel bypassing transformed many rivers from anabranching networks to single–channel systems with overbank sediment accumulation and lowered floodplain groundwater tables. We hypothesized that human development changed the fluvial carbon towards older sources by changing the morphology of watercourses. We studied radiocarbon in the Elbe, a European, anthropogenically–transformed lowland river at discharges between low flow and record peak flow. We found that the inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon was aged and up to 1850 years old. The ∆14C values remained low and invariant up to median discharges, indicating that the sources of modern carbon (fixed after 1950) were disconnected from the river during half of the time. The total share of modern carbon in DOC export was marginal (0.04%), 72% of exported DOC was older than 400 years. This was in contrast to undisturbed forested subcatchments, 72% of whose exported DOC was modern. Although population density is high, mass balances showed that wastewater did not significantly affect the ∆14C-DOC in the Elbe river. We conclude that wetlands and other sources of contemporary carbon were decoupled from the anthropogenically transformed Elbe stream network with incised stream bed relative to overbank sediments, shifting the sources of fluvial carbon in favor of aged stores.

Typhoon Aere in 2004 induced severe sedimentation and loss of storage capacity of the Shihmen Reservoir in northern Taiwan. The resulting dramatic increase in the turbidity of the water seriously affected the water supply. To effectively maintain the stability of the water supply and maintain the reservoir’s storage capacity, the government of Taiwan began to plan and construct a series of improvement measures, such as a sediment flushing tunnel, the JhongJhuang Bank-Side Reservoir, and the Amuping Desilting Tunnel. However, previous studies only focused on the impact of the sediment flushing tunnel and the Amuping Desilting Tunnel on the downstream riverbed, and did not consider the possibility of increasing sediment discharge after the completion of the JhongJhuang Bank-Side Reservoir. In addition, climate change will cause the intensity of extreme rainfall to increase enormously in the future. That rainfall and extra sediment flushing will challenge the existing flood prevention facilities. Therefore, this study considered that the JhongJhuang Bank-Side Reservoir will increase sediment discharge of the Shihmen Reservoir, and used dynamical downscaling extreme typhoon data of climate change under the RCP 8.5 scenario to explore the flood prevention and riverbed migration of the main channels of the Dahan and Tamsui Rivers in the future. We used the rainfall–runoff model of Hydrologic Modeling System to simulate rainfall and runoff, and used the hydraulic and sediment transport model of CCHE1D to holistically simulate flood events and consequent river scouring and deposition behaviors. Our results showed that the projected peak discharge during the late 21st century (2075 to 2099) will be at least 50% higher than that during the baseline (1979 to 2003) period. In terms of flood prevention, the potential of overbank flooding will increase in the downstream area, and the trend of long-term change in the riverbed will be dominated by degradation (-0.489 ± 0.743 m) in the future. The improvement measures will have a limited impact on riverbed migration (0.011 ± 0.094 m) in the Dahan and Tamsui Rivers. After the operation of the JhongJhuang Bank-Side Reservoir, the Shihmen Reservoir is expected to increase the sediment discharge ratio by 70% during floods, and it will not cause excessive water turbidity that may affect downstream water supply.

Aboveground root structures enhance drag on tidal currents in intertidal mangrove forests whereas the creeks dissecting such forests provide low‐resistance conduits for tidal flows. Here, observations from an established mangrove forest in the Whitianga estuary, Aotearoa New Zealand, are used to investigate the variability of the drag experienced by tidal flows in a mangrove creek system and subsequent effects on tidal asymmetries and ranges. Tidal flow speed maxima in the creek occurred at overbank water levels during the sheet flow stage on rising tides, but at water levels below the creek bank (the creek flow stage) on falling tides. Inferred bulk drag coefficients for the creek were greater during the sheet flow than the creek flow stage, and were linearly correlated with the bulk drag coefficients at stations in the adjacent forest. Although falling tides, associated with larger bulk drag coefficients, had an increasingly longer duration than rising tides towards the back of the forest, we observed ebb‐dominant flow speed asymmetry that declined inland in the creek. Conversely, flow speeds within the forest were consistently flood‐dominant, in accordance with smaller bulk drag coefficients during rising tides. Along the full length of the mangrove system, high‐water levels were lowered by up to 12 cm/km within the creek and 36 cm/km within the mangrove forest. Creek bed roughness associated with bulk drag coefficients observed in deeper parts of the creek was much greater than the hydraulic roughness of the sediment. For accurate simulations of landscape‐scale feedbacks between the creek and mangrove forest, incorporating both direct and indirect contributions of the vegetated forest platform to creek bed roughness is essential. These findings show that the interaction between creek flow and sheet flow in a mangrove creek system is a key driver of tidal asymmetries as well as the attenuation of high‐water conditions.

Overbank flows occur in alluvial valleys during flood events when the conveyance of main channel of rivers is exceeded. Once floodplains are inundated and the so-called compound channel flow is observed, the faster flow in the main channel interacts with the slower flow in the floodplain featuring a much more pronounced 3D flow structure compared to single channel flow. These flow mechanisms comprise a shear layer near the interface, lateral momentum transfer and strong secondary currents due to the non-isotropic turbulence. This paper starts by giving an overview of the main flow mechanisms in compound channels pointing out the importance of taking into account the apparent shear stress generated between the main channel and the floodplain flows due to the interaction of these flows. A new simple model was developed to include the apparent shear stress concept as a correction of the Manning roughness coefficient of main channel and floodplains. The proposed method for predicting stage–discharge relationships was calibrated and validated by experimental data from several compound channel facilities. A significant improvement in prediction of the compound channel conveyance in comparison with the traditional methods was achieved.

While numerous studies have investigated physically-based analytical approaches for estimating stream flow probability distributions and occurrences of overbank flow, these types of models are limi...

The quality of a hydrocarbon reservoir is strongly controlled by the depositional and diagenetic facies nature of the given rock. Therefore, building a precise geological/depositional model of the reservoir rock is critical to reducing risks while exploring for petroleum. Ultimate reservoir characterization for constructing an adequate geological model is still challenging due to the in general insufficiency of data; particularly integrating them through combined approaches. In this paper, we integrated seismic geomorphology, sequence stratigraphy, and sedimentology, to efficiently characterize the Upper Miocene, incised-valley fill, Abu Madi Formation at South Mansoura Area (Onshore Nile Delta, Egypt). Abu Madi Formation, in the study area, is a SW-NE trending reservoir fairway consisting of alternative sequences of shales and channel-fill sandstones, of the Messinian age, that were built as a result of the River Nile sediment supply upon the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Hence, it comprises a range of continental to coastal depositional facies. We utilized dataset including seismic data, complete set of well logs, and core samples. We performed seismic attribute analysis, particularly spectral decomposition, over stratal slices to outline the geometry of the incised-valley fill. Moreover, well log analysis was done to distinguish different facies and lithofacies associations, and define their paleo-depositional environments; a preceding further look was given to the well log-based sequence stratigraphic setting as well. Furthermore, mineralogical composition and post-depositional diagenesis were identified performing petrographical analysis of some thin sections adopted from the core samples. A linkage between such approaches, performed in this study, and their impact on reservoir quality determination was aimed to shed light on a successful integrated reservoir characterization, capable of giving a robust insight into the depositional facies, and the associated petroleum potential. The results show that MSC Abu Madi Formation constitutes a third-order depositional sequence of fluvial to estuarine units, infilling the Eonile-canyon, with five sedimentary facies associations; overbank mud, fluvial channel complex, estuarine mud, tidal channels, and tidal bars; trending SW-NE with a Y-shape channel geometry. The fluvial facies association (zone 1 and 3) enriches coarse-grained sandstones, deposited in subaerial setting, with significantly higher reservoir quality, acting as the best reservoir facies of the area. Although the dissolution of detrital components, mainly feldspars, enhanced a secondary porosity, improving reservoir quality of MSC Abu Madi sediments, continental fluvial channel facies represent the main fluid flow conduits, where marine influence is limited.

Rare earth elements (REE) have been studied in overbank floodplain sediments in two Spanish areas with very distinct geochemical and lithological features (the areas of Madrid and Iberian Pyrite Belt-IPB). Considering the high representativity of these sediments, the objective of the study is to estimate the influence of these environments over REE composition and patterns. Total REE contents were determined in overbank sediment samples from seven vertical profiles, and some samples were subjected to a Tessier sequential extraction. The contents of ΣREE vary widely in these two areas from 109 mg/kg in Tinto profile (IPB Area) to almost 1000 mg/kg in Guadarrama profile (Madrid Area). In the Madrid Area, Eu negative anomalies have been detected in all samples after a NASC normalization of the results, as well as an enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREE). Samples analyzed by sequential extraction have shown that REE are distributed in the fractions bound to organic matter, carbonates and residual. In the IPB area, the overbank sediment samples are also enriched in LREE, but they do not show any Eu anomaly. However, positive Ce anomaly is detected along the Odiel-2 profile. In the Tinto and Odiel-1 profiles, considered to be under the influence of mining activities, REE are almost entirely concentrated in the residual fraction (> 95%), while in Odiel-2 profile they present a wider distribution in all the Tessier fractions. These different patterns and contents of the REE seem to be related to the impact of acid waters. Different behaviors and characteristics were detected in these studied areas. REE in overbank sediments are heavily influenced by the parent material, as well as by the geochemical environment.

This paper describes an assemblage of diverse floodplain facies of reworked loess (facies b, c) in a Middle Pleistocene monsoonal setting of the Hanzhong Basin, central China. The vertical and lateral sedimentary sequences show changing energy conditions. Apart from the highest energy in the channel facies (facies a), a relatively high energy floodplain environment (facies b) prevailed in waterlogged conditions, with small, laterally migrating (sub)channels. Facies b generally interfingers with aggrading horizontal sheets of overbank deposits in alluvial pools and swamps in a floodplain with much lower energy (facies c), in which phases of stability (soil formation) occasionally interrupted overbank deposition. Reworked loess forms the main part of the floodplain deposits. The paleosols are considered to have been formed under low hydrodynamic conditions in an interglacial environment. These interglacial conditions follow the commonly assumed glacial conditions of channel facies a. The sedimentary successions in the floodplain show a recurrent composition and cyclicity between wet and dry floodplain sedimentation terminated by stability with soil formation. The cyclic rhythm of stacked high- and low-energy floodplain sediments is attributed to varied intensity of different hydrodynamic flooding events that may have been due to changing monsoonal rainfall or simple intrinsic fluvial behavior.

The Tigris-Euphrates is a continental-scale fluvial system, around 2800 km in length, which drains over 1 million km2 of SW Asia. The system originated in the Late Miocene and developed into the principal axial drainage system of the region, which follows broad regional structural features of the Mesopotamian Foreland Basin. Good preservation and outcropping of the Pliocene and Quaternary Euphrates deposits yield a viable local analogue for subsurface fluvial reservoirs in the region, and for other fluvial systems that have developed in foreland basin settings. This paper documents the first detailed study of the sedimentary characteristics of these Pliocene and Quaternary fluvial deposits along the middle reaches of the present-day Euphrates in Syria. The Euphrates fluvial system developed from small and probably short-lived isolated cut-and-fill channels in the Pliocene, characterised by abundant debrite and slump facies, through to a broad meandering system at present. The Quaternary deposits represent a braided to meandering system that was more energetic than that of the modern day Euphrates. The Quaternary facies include a dominance of gravels, pebbly sands and sands as channel associations, coupled with sands, muds and paleosols representing channel abandonment, overbank and crevasse-splay associations. Channel widths, where observed, range from 50 to 500 m, and minimum fill thicknesses range from 3 to 7 m. The combined channel-fill for stacked channels is up to 25 m thick. Lateral correlation of channel elements over at least 1 km of section indicates that rapid and extensive lateral migration has occurred. Crevasse splay lobes can be identified in the overbank deposits, with a width of 30–60 m and sand thickness of 0.5–1.5 m. The geometry, nature and dimensions of these architectural elements provide a useful analogue for subsurface reservoirs. The high-energy channel facies of the Quaternary system show very good reservoir attributes, with good correlation and connectivity. At the bed-scale there is significant heterogeneity of characteristics that would impact fluid-flow for hydrocarbon production from a subsurface reservoir. However, incomplete preservation of these Quaternary fluvial deposits at outcrop remains a challenge for accurately determining the scale of sedimentary features and also the size of the paleo-river.

Contourite drift systems form a significant component of the marine clastic sedimentary record. Although contourites form in all tectonic settings, few studies have described their development along convergent margins; such characterization is needed to underpin oceanographic and palaeoenvironmental studies in active settings. This study is the first to document contourite drift development along the Hikurangi subduction margin of New Zealand. Integration of bathymetric, seismic and well data enables five classes of drift to be recognized around the subduction wedge, occurring in three principal associations: (i) an upper slope drift association of giant elongate mounded (ca 150 km long, 50 km wide and up to 1100 m thick) and plastered drifts (ca 300 km long, 8 km wide and

The inception and evolution of channels in deep-water systems is controlled by the axial gradient and lateral confinement experienced by their formative flows. These parameters are often shaped by the action of tectonic structures and/or the emplacement of mass-transport deposits (MTDs). The Arro turbidite system (Aínsa depocenter, Spanish Pyrenees) is an ancient example of a deep-water channelized system from a bathymetrically complex basin, deposited in an active tectonic setting. Sedimentologic fieldwork and geologic mapping of the Arro system has been undertaken to provide context for a detailed study of three of the best-exposed outcrops: Sierra de Soto Gully, Barranco de la Caxigosa, and Muro de Bellos. These locations exemplify the role of confinement in controlling the facies and architecture in the system. Sedimentologic characterization of the deposits has allowed the identification of fifteen facies and eight facies associations; these form a continuum and are non-unique to any depositional environment. However, architectural characterization allowed the grouping of facies associations into four depositional elements: i) weakly confined, increasing-to-decreasing energy deposits; ii) progradational, weakly confined to overbank deposits; iii) alternations of MTDs and turbidites; iv) channel fills. Different styles of channel architecture are observed. In Barranco de la Caxigosa, a master surface which was cut and subsequently filled hosts three channel stories with erosional bases; channelization was enhanced by quasi-instantaneous imposition of lateral confinement by the emplacement of MTDs. In Muro de Bellos, the inception of partially levee-confined channel stories was enhanced by progressive narrowing of the depositional fairway by tectonic structures, which also controlled their migration. Results of this study suggest that deep-water channelization in active tectonic settings may be enhanced or hindered due to: 1) flow interaction with MTD-margin topography or; 2) MTD-top topography; 3) differential compaction of MTDs and/or sediment being loaded into MTDs; 4) formation of megascours by erosive MTDs; 5) basin-floor topography being reset by MTDs. Therefore, the Arro system can be used as an analog for ancient subsurface or outcrop of channelized deposits in bathymetrically complex basins, or as an ancient record of deposits left by flow types observed in modern confined systems.

Several families of Diptera are known to be active burrowers. Fly larvae of the genus Symplecta (family Limoniidae) were observed in a sandy substrate of an orange grove in Lepe, SW Spain. Traces produced by Symplecta display: (1), a proximal segment characterized by a winding furrow trail; (2), an intermediate part consisting of burrow segments arranged in zigzag; and (3), a distal part formed by a complex U-shaped burrow. The most complex morphology is present in the intermediate zigzag burrow system, which varies from irregularly sinuous and curved in its most proximal part to spiraled. In the fossil record, the trace would be ascribed to different ichnotaxa depending on the part preserved. In fact, this is a compound trace recording multiple behavioural patterns. The winding furrow shows affinities with Helminthopsis, the zigzag burrows with Treptichnus, and the U-shaped burrow with Arenicolites. Furthermore, the spiral portion shows some similarities with Spirophycus and Spirodesmos. Interestingly, formation of these compound traces is connected with different ontogenetic stages of the producer. The winding and zigzag segments are produced, respectively, by Symplecta larvae and pupae for feeding purposes, whereas the U-shaped burrow is excavated during the end of pupal stage for protection until adulthood. In the fossil record, this incipient compound trace potentially may occur in lake-margin, fluvio-estuarine and overbank deposits, including levee, crevasse splay and pond deposits, forming part of the Scoyenia or the Mermia ichnofacies. Structures similar to those produced by modern diptera are known from freshwater ichnofaunas since the Devonian

The early Permian Barakar coal measures Formation of Gondwana Supergroup in the Godavari basin comprise siliciclastic fluvial facies of passive continental margin. The lithofacies relationship and their sequences are analyzed quantitatively using embedded Markov Chain analysis along with improved binomial probability method. Summarized lithofacies sequence show the following order: (CGSD= Matrix supported conglomerate, gritty to pebbly/coarse-grained tabular and trough cross bedded sandstones)→(MGSD= Medium grained trough and planar cross bedded sandstones)→(FGSD= Fine-grained parallel and ripple drift cross-laminated sandstones)→(SH= Shale/inter-bedded sandstone-shale and gray shale)→(C=coal/shaly coal and carbonaceous shale)→(CGSD= Matrix supported conglomerate, gritty to pebbly/coarse-grained planar and trough bedded sandstones). These repetitive cycles accumulated in a low sinuosity, high gradient braided streams which became moderately sinuous at places. The lithofacies relationships showing fining upward tendency suggest a progressive upward decline in current competency. The sequence is considered as the classical example of a sand dominated braided river. The lateral changes in lithofacies association indicate shifting of sub-environments from stream channel, overbank levee and peat forming back swamp to flood plains of fluvial system. It is suggested that the channel wandering along with differential intra-basinal tectonism and subsidence controlled cyclic repetition during early Permian sedimentation in the Godavari basin.

River confluences can be metastable and contain valuable geological records of catchment response to decadal- to millennial-scale environmental change. However, in alluvial reaches, flood stratigraphies are particularly hard to date using 14C. In this paper, we use a novel combination of optically stimulated luminescence and multiproxy sedimentological analyses to provide a flood record for the confluence of the Rivers Severn and Teme (United Kingdom) over the past two millennia, which we compare with independent European climate records. The results show that by ca. 2000 yr B.P., the Severn-Teme confluence had stabilized and overbank alluviation had commenced. Initially, this occurred from moderately high flood magnitudes between ca. 2000 and 1800 yr B.P. (50 BCE–150 CE), but was followed from 1800 to 1600 yr B.P. (150–350 CE) by fine alluvial deposition and decreased flood intensity. From 1600 to 1400 yr B.P. (350–550 CE), the accumulation rate increased, with evidence of large flood events associated with the climatic deterioration of the Dark Age Cold Period. Following a period of reduced flood activity after ca. 1400 yr B.P. (ca. 550 CE), larger flood events and increase in accumulation rate once again became more prevalent from ca. 850 yr B.P. (ca. 1100 CE), coincident with the start of the Medieval Climate Anomaly, a period associated with warmer, wetter conditions and increased land-use intensity. This state persisted until ca. 450 yr B.P. (ca. 1500 CE), after which increased flood magnitudes can be associated with climatic variations during the Little Ice Age. We demonstrate that from the combination of high-resolution dating techniques and multiple analytical parameters, distinctive phases of relative flood magnitude versus flood duration can be determined to a detailed chronological precision beyond that possible from 14C dating. This permits the identification of the regional factors behind floodplain sedimentation, which we correlate with the intensification of land-use and climatic drivers over the last two millennia.

The present study focuses on the upper Neogene deposits, called the “Poznań Clays”, that cover more than 75,000 km2 of Poland. They are situated between the first mid- Polish lignite seam and the glaciogenic deposits of the Pleistocene age. Lithostratigraphically, the “Poznań Clays” belong to the uppermost portion of the lignite-bearing Grey Clays Member and the whole Wielkopolska Member (Poznań Formation). The examined fine-grained sediments include mud-rich floodplain deposits with palaeosol remnants and large sandy-muddy or muddy palaeochannel bodies. Therefore, taking into account facies analysis, cross-sectional geometry, and the planform of the palaeochannels, it can be stated that the “Poznań Clays” formed in the environment of a late Neogene anastomosing river.

Enthusiasm for using beaver dam analogues (BDAs) to restore incised channels and riparian corridors has been increasing. BDAs are expected to create a similar channel response to natural beaver dams by causing channel bed aggradation and overbank flow, which subsequently raise water tables and support vegetation growth. However, lack of funding for monitoring projects post‐restoration has limited research on whether BDAs actually cause expected channel change in the Front Range and elsewhere. Geomorphic and hydrologic response to BDAs was monitored in two watersheds 1 year post‐restoration. BDAs were studied at Fish Creek, a steep mountainous catchment, and Campbell Creek, a lower gradient piedmont catchment from May to October 2018. At each restoration site, the upstream‐ and downstream‐most BDAs were chosen for intensive study in comparison with unrestored reference reaches. Monitoring focused on quantifying sediment volumes in BDA ponds and recording changes to stream stage and riparian groundwater. Despite differences in physical basin characteristics, BDA pools at both sites stored similar volumes of sediment and stored more sediment than reference pools. Sediment storage is positively correlated to BDA height and pool surface area. However, BDAs did not have a significant influence on shallow groundwater. The lack of groundwater response proximal to BDAs could indicate that local watershed factors have a stronger influence on groundwater response than restoration design 1 year post‐restoration. Systematic, long‐term studies of channel and floodplain response to BDAs are needed to better understand how BDAs will influence geomorphology and hydrology.

Accurate prediction of shear force distribution along the boundary in open channels is a key to the solution of numerous hydraulic problems. The problem becomes more complicated for meandering compound channels. A model is developed for predicting the percentage of shear force at the floodplain (%Sfp) of two-stage meandering channels using gene-expression programming (GEP) by considering five dimensionless parameters viz. the width ratio, relative depth, sinuosity, bed slope, and meander belt width ratio as the inputs in the model. Basing on the %Sfp, the apparent shear force along the division lines of separation in compound channels is selected for discharge calculation using the conventional channel division methods. An Enhanced Channel Division Method (ECDM) is introduced to calculate discharge by assuming interface line at main channel and floodplain junction. A modified variable-inclined (MVI) interface is suggested having zero apparent shear determined from flow contribution in the main channel and floodplain. The MVI interface is further used to calculate discharge in the meandering compound channels. Performance of the GEP model is tested against other analytical methods of calculating %Sfp. Error between the observed and calculated discharges using the MVI interface is found to be the minimum when compared to other interface methods. The enhance channel division method is successfully applied for validating the two available overbank discharge values for the river Baitarani at Anandapur (drainage area of 8570 sq. km), giving the minimum errors of 0.31% and 1.02% for flow depths of 7.5 m and 8.63 m, respectively.

Theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaurs (along with titanosaurian sauropods) are found in two overbank flood deposited mottled muds/shale units (alternated by meandering river deposited sandstone unit) of the latest Maastrichtian (67 - 66 Ma) Vitakri Formation, Barkhan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. These vertebrates coexisted under the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary line of control and became extinct as mass extinction. Previously these taxa lack the detail description but here theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaur from Pakistan are being described well with large photographs which provide better understanding of fauna from Pakistan and comparison with coeval taxa from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. These fauna with associated cranial and postcranial skeletons are significant for Gondwanan paleobiogeography and phylogenetic studies.

Despite extensive research on alluvial architecture, there is still a pressing need for data from modern fluvio-deltaic environments. Previous research in the fluvial-dominated proximal and central Rhine–Meuse delta (the Netherlands) has yielded clear spatial trends in alluvial architecture. In this paper, we include the backwater length to establish architectural trends from apex to shoreline. Channel-belt sand body width / thickness ratios and interconnectedness were determined, and the proportions of fluvial channel-belt deposits, fluvial overbank deposits, organics and intertidal deposits were calculated for the complete fluvio-deltaic wedge based on high-resolution geological cross sections. It was found that the average width / thickness ratio of channel-belt sand bodies in the proximal delta is 5 times higher than in the distal delta. Other down-valley trends include an 80 % decrease in the channel deposit proportion (CDP) and a near-constant proportion of overbank deposits. Additionally, interconnectedness in the proximal delta is 3 times higher than in the distal delta. Based on the Rhine–Meuse dataset, we propose a linear empirical function to model the spatial variability of CDP. It is argued that this relationship is driven by four key factors: channel lateral-migration rate, channel-belt longevity, creation of accommodation space and inherited floodplain width. Additionally, it is established that the sensitivity of CDP to changes in the ratio between channel-belt sand body width and floodplain width (normalized channel-belt sand body width) varies spatially and is greatest in the central and distal delta. Furthermore, the proportion of fluvial channel-belt sands is generally an appropriate proxy for the total sand content of fluvio-deltaic successions, although its suitability as a total sand indicator rapidly fades in the distal delta. Characteristics of the backwater zone of the Rhine–Meuse delta are (1) sand body width / thickness ratios that are lower as a consequence of channel narrowing (not deepening), (2) a rapid increase and then a drop in the organic proportion, (3) an increase in the total sand proportion towards the shoreline, and (4) a drop in the connectedness ratio. For this paper, unique high-resolution quantitative data and spatial trends of the alluvial architecture are presented for an entire delta, providing data that can be used to further improve existing fluvial stratigraphy models.

The water mill is one of the few objects in the Old Polish Industrial District that have been preserved in good condition. This also applies to the remains of hydrotechnical infrastructure that are still visible in the relief and traces of its functioning preserved in the sediments of the Kamionka River floodplain. Detailed analyzes using specialized research methods supported by a query of historical materials revealed the location of individual elements of this infrastructure, i.e. former reservoir, mill race, dyke. Part of this infrastructure is well preserved in the relief and visible on the digital elevation model. Other historical metallurgical activity traces are only visible after macro- and microscopic analysis of lacustrine and overbank sediments, i.e. charcoals, slags and microscopic iron balls. A forge operated in the place of the restored mill or nearby, as proven by archival materials. Currently, the water mill is being restored, and the research presented in the article was used to take this object along with the nearest surroundings under protection as a technical monument. Młyn w Jędrowie jest jednym z niewielu obiektów na terenie Staropolskiego Okręgu Przemysłowego, który zachował się w dobrym stanie. Dotyczy to również pozostałości wciąż widocznej w rzeźbie infrastruktury hydrotechnicznej oraz śladów jej funkcjonowania zachowanych w osadach równiny zalewowej Kamionki. Szczegółowe analizy, z wykorzystaniem specjalistycznych metod badawczych podpartych kwerendą materiałów historycznych, pozwoliły na lokalizację poszczególnych elementów tej infrastruktury, tj. dawny zbiornik, młynówka, wały. Część tej infrastruktury jest dobrze zachowana w rzeźbie i widoczna na numerycznym modelu terenu. Inne ślady po historycznej działalności metalurgicznej widoczne są dopiero po makro- i mikroskopowej analizie osadów jeziornych oraz pozakorytowych, tj. węgielki drzewne, żużle i mikroskopijne kulki żelaza. W miejscu odrestaurowanego młyna lub też w jego pobliżu funkcjonowała kuźnica, o czym świadczą materiały archiwalne. Obecnie młyn jest odrestaurowywany, a badania przedstawione w artykule posłużyły do objęcia tego obiektu wraz z najbliższym otoczeniem ochroną konserwatorską jako zabytku techniki.

Seismic attributes can be important predictors, either qualitative or quantitative, of reservoir geometries when they are correctly used in reservoir characterization studies. This paper discusses seismic attribute analyses and their usefulness in seismic geomorphology study of Moragot field of Pattani Basin, Gulf of Thailand. Early to Middle Miocene fluvial channel and overbank sands are the reservoirs in Pattani Basin. Due to their limited horizontal and vertical distribution, it is not always possible to predict the geometry and distribution of these sands based on the conventional seismic interpretation. This study utilized various seismic attributes, e.g., RMS amplitude analysis, spectral decomposition, semblance and dip-steered similarity, RGB blending to image the geometry and the spatial distribution of sand bodies in horizon and stratal slices at different stratigraphic intervals. Attribute analyses reveal, at shallow stratigraphic levels, RMS and semblance can successfully identify channel-shaped sand bodies and mud-filled channels associated with channel belts. On the other hand in deeper stratigraphic intervals, sand distribution can be imaged more effectively by using spectral decomposition and dip-steered similarity volumes. High-frequency spectral decomposition slices can image thin sands, and low-frequency slices can image thick sands quite effectively in deeper intervals. RGB blending of different frequency slices is particularly useful in delineating channel systems of various dimensions at deeper intervals. These images show the distribution of sands and mud-filled channels at various stratigraphic levels. The width of channel belts varies from 200 m to 3 km. These channel belts are N–S or NW–SE oriented. From the channel pattern and their dimensions, depositional environments can be predicted. Mud-filled channels identified in the horizon slices will act as a connectivity barrier between sand bodies at either side of the channel. They can also act as lateral and up-dip seal to form stratigraphic traps. The seismic attribute analyses clearly show the geometry and spatial distribution of sand bodies. Hence, this method for predicting sand body geometry might help in field development planning as well as in reducing exploration risk.

International audience; Located on a divergent margin dominated by gravity tectonics above overpressured marine shales, the Niger Delta slope has been described as having a stepped profile characterized by ‘filled ponded basins’ that are prone to erosion and sediment bypass. Previous studies based on 3D seismic data have described the depositional architecture of the western Niger Delta's upper slope, but calibration of the seismic facies is lacking and the timing of major changes in sedimentary record remains elusive. In this study, seismic sequence-stratigraphy, 3D geomorphological analyses of high-resolution 3D seismic data, and bio/chronostratigraphic analyses from four boreholes, enabled the identification and characterization of the depositional architecture in Neogene ‘filled ponded basins’. Seven major seismic units were dated as Chattian, Burdigalian, Serravallian, Tortonian, Middle Pliocene and Middle Pleistocene to the present day. Major changes in the sedimentary record occurred in the Plio-Pleistocene, with the onset of erosive channel levee systems (CLSs) and mass-transport deposits (MTDs) generally capped by a hemipelagic drape. Amalgamated CLSs characterize the Tortonian-Late Miocene while erosive MTDs and CLSs characterize the Plio-Pleistocene units. Thick, laterally extensive MTDs are associated with regional slope instability, while active mobile shale triggered local spatially confined MTDs. Submarine channels evolved from moderate to highly sinuous. The degree of channel confinement generally decreases downstream where they are characterized by abandoned meander loops and avulsion resulting from levee breaching. Channel fills and levees/overbank deposits topped by hemipelagic drapes provide effective reservoir/seal (traps) for hydrocarbons. The alternation of channel deposits and hemipelagic layers indicate that eustasy controlled depositional patterns at a regional scale, while the spatio-temporal switches in submarine channel courses show that shale tectonics locally controlled deposition in intraslope basins.

Floodplain inundation poses both risks and benefits to society. In this study, we characterize floodplain inundation across the United States using 5800 stream gages. We find that between 4% and 12.6% of a river’s annual flow moves through its floodplains. Flood duration and magnitude is greater in large rivers, whereas the frequency of events is greater in small streams. However, the relative exchange of floodwater between the channel and floodplain is similar across small streams and large rivers, with the exception of the water-limited arid river basins. When summed up across the entire river network, 90% of that exchange occurs in small streams on an annual basis. Our detailed characterization of inundation hydrology provides a unique perspective that the regulatory, management, and research communities can use to help balance both the risks and benefits associated with flooding., The variations in overbank flow from rivers onto floodplains from regional to continental scales are understudied. Here, the authors investigate this variation as a function of hydroclimatic parameters and channel size in the conterminous U.S. and find that the timing of floodplain inundation is largely controlled by regional factors, while the frequency, duration and magnitude of these inundations vary consistently with channel size.

Sinuous ridges are important landforms on the surface of Mars that show promise for quantifying ancient martian surface hydrology. Morphological similarity of these ridges to river channels in planform led to a hypothesis that ridges are topographically inverted river channels, or “inverted channels”, formed due to an erosion-resistant channel-filling material that preserved a snapshot of the channel geometry in inverted relief due to differential erosion. An alternative deposit-inversion hypothesis proposes that ridges represent exhumed river-channel belts, with geometries that reflect the lateral migration and vertical aggradation of rivers over significant geologic time, rather than the original channel geometry. To investigate these hypotheses we studied sinuous ridges within the Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation near Green River, Utah, USA. Ridges in Utah extend for hundreds of meters, are up to 120 m wide, and stand up to 39 m above the surrounding plain. Ridges are capped by sandstone bodies 3–10 m thick that contain dune- and bar-scale inclined stratification, which we interpret as eroded remnants of channel belts that record the migration and aggradation of single-thread, sand-bedded rivers, rather than channel fills that can preserve the original channel geometry. Caprocks overlie mudstones and thinner sandstone beds that are interpreted as floodplain deposits, and in cases additional channel-belt sandstones are present lower in the ridge stratigraphy. Apparent networks from branching ridges typically represent discrete sandstone bodies that cross at different stratigraphic levels rather than a coeval river network. Ridge-forming sandstone bodies also have been narrowed during exhumation by cliff retreat and bisected by fluvial erosion. Using a large compilation of channel-belt geometries on Earth and our measurements of ridges in Utah, we propose that caprock thickness is the most reliable indicator of paleo-channel geometry, and can be used to reconstruct river depth and discharge. In contrast, channel lateral migration and caprock erosion during exhumation make ridge breadth an uncertain proxy for channel width. An example in Aeolis Dorsa, Mars, illustrates that river discharge estimates based solely on caprock width may differ significantly from estimates based on caprock thickness. Overall, our study suggests that sinuous ridges are not inverted channel fills, but rather reflect exhumation of a thick stratigraphic package of stacked channel belts and overbank deposits formed from depositional rivers over significant geologic time.

The major hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Gulf of Thailand, including the Songkhla Basin, are deposited throughout the syn- and post-rift section (Late Eocene-Recent), with the main reservoirs occurring in the Early Miocene to Middle Miocene section. These reservoirs are predominantly fluvial channels with complex lateral and vertical geometries and distributions particularly as point bars, overbank deposits, and sand- or mud-filled channels. This study characterizes the reservoir architecture and depositional environment of Songkhla Basin from late syn-rift to post-rift, during the Miocene, by integrating the seismic attributes (RMS, similarity, and spectral decomposition), well log interpretations, and well biostratigraphic data. Two distinctive channel characteristics and patterns were interpreted: (A) N-S oriented meandering channel complexes, aligned sub-parallel to the western boundary faults, developed during the late syn-rift (upper Early Miocene), (B) NE-SW oriented long, narrow fluvial channels with tidal and marine influence, developed in the post-rift phase I (Middle Miocene). These channel orientations reflect changes in the basin architecture passing from the late syn-rift stage to the post rift. Syn-rift channel orientation was controlled by topography created by motion on the western boundary fault system, while during the post-rift stage channel orientations were affected by mild inversion on the boundary fault system and thermal subsidence, which resulted in an eastward shift in the basin depocentre towards the flexural margin.

The glaciation-induced base-level fall and basin physiography straightforward controls fluvial style in any coastal setting. An alternate climatic influence including warm and cold (glacial) conditions may result in marine onlap with interception by unconformity formation and fluvial incursion in a coastal stratigraphic record. Unconformably overlying the marine sediments, the fluvial sandstone in the upper part of Pliocene Sandhan Formation is studied herein for documentation of architectural element and variability in the fluvial sedimentation motif, if any, in space-time framework. The identified architectural elements include channel (CH), gravel bar and bedforms (GB), sandy bedforms (SB), downstream accretion (DA), sediment gravity flow (SG), compound bar (CB) overbank fines (OF) and paleosol (P). From dominance of coarse-grained, granular pebbly sandstone with SB, GB, SG and DA elements, and incidence of 6–12 m thick fining-upward cycles, it is inferred that the Sandhan fluvial system was of Donjek-type braided in character. Only at the Nagmati River section in the south-east, a change in fluvial character is recorded as Platte-type. A role of basin physiography involving median-high across the depositional profile is identified from (i) decrease in thickness of fluvial deposit from north-west to south-southeast, and (ii) reduction in topographic-gradient in the south-southeast. Considering the Pliocene time frame, the fluvial incursion onto the marine system within Sandhan depositional history is identified as a result of base-level fall under influence of global glaciation.

Collapse sinkholes are common in areas where gypsum strata underlie rock that is incompetent to bridge the cavities created by the groundwater dissolution of gypsum. On floodplains these can be obscured due to fill by overbank deposits, and channels tend to migrate towards larger enclosed depressions. This study utilises GIS to analyse the influence exerted by small collapse sinkholes on the channel dynamics of the alluvial River Ure, UK. At Ripon Loop, a large compound meander bend, sinkhole area and channel dynamics have been tracked over >160 years from multiple datasets, including historic maps, aerial imagery, lidar and a Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry dataset acquired for this study. This indicated two distinct populations, firstly long-lived, constant-sized sinkholes and secondly dynamically growing holes aligned with the contact of bedrock and unconsolidated materials of a buried valley at depth where artesian water saturated with sulphate enters the latter. Frequent overbank flows of the River Ure across the neck of the bend have interacted with sinkholes, e.g. by deposition of bedload in the down-valley end of the holes and localised headward incision on the opposite side due to the relatively high gradient between holes and the downstream limb. The location of holes has conditioned the incision of small shallow channels over at least 7 years, before cutoff occurred over several floods in 2019. Initially overbank flow traversed the neck via the chain of sinkholes before widening and deepening of the channel captured all the surface flow of the River Ure, resulting in the mobilisation of more than 20,000 m3 of sediment. Allogenic influences on fluvial systems in relation to meander dynamics are often neglected and this study is the first to link floodplain sinkholes with detailed mechanisms of a chute cutoff, hereby indicating a potential feedback to sinkhole dissolution processes.

This work uses a high-quality 3D seismic volume from offshore Canterbury Basin, New Zealand, to investigate how submarine canyon systems can focus sub-surface fluid. The seismic volume was structurally conditioned to improve the contrast in seismic reflections, preserving their lateral continuity. It reveals multiple pockmarks, eroded gullies and intra-slope lobe complexes occurring in association with the Waitaki Submarine Canyon. Pockmarks are densely clustered on the northern bank of the canyon and occur at a water depth of 500–900 m. In parallel, near-seafloor strata contain channel-fill deposits, channel lobes, meandering channel belts and overbank sediments deposited downslope of the submarine canyon. We propose that subsurface fluid migrates from relatively deep Cretaceous strata through shallow channel-fill deposits and lobes to latter seep out through the canyon and associated gullies. The new, reprocessed Fluid Cube meta-attribute confirms that fluids have seeped out through the eroded walls of the Waitaki Canyon, with such a seepage generating seafloor depressions in its northern bank. Our findings stress the importance of shallow reservoirs (channel-fill deposits and lobes) as potential repositories for fluid, hydrocarbons, or geothermal energy on continental margins across the world.

The surface of the lowland deltaic plain around Taihu (Lake Tai), south of the Yangtze river mouth in eastern China, lies near sea level and until recent drainage and development by human societies was mostly covered by wetlands of various types. It was created by regular overbank flooding, mainly from the Yangtze, and the deposition of mostly mineral sediments over the several millennia since sea level regained its current altitude in the early mid-Holocene and progradation of the Yangtze delta began. Fluvial activity has therefore been the dominant influence on sedimentation in the Taihu lowlands, and in the lower Yangtze valley generally, and has determined the character of the mainly inorganic sediment sequences that have accumulated there, with autochthonous deposition of organic sediments within the local wetland plant communities playing a minor role. The presence of both clastic flood horizons and peat layers within the deposits of the Taihu plain attests to great variability in the magnitude of fluvial input from the Yangtze, with repeated extreme floods occurring at some periods, but with periods when the growth of peat layers shows low water tables, little exogenic sediment input and so little fluvial influence. We have examined the published evidence for these different depositional environments in the lower Yangtze and the Taihu plain during the Holocene, comparing the flood history with the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze catchment. Discrete phases of high or low flooding influence are recognised, and these correspond with large-scale Holocene climate history. Intensified human land use in recent millennia has complicated this relationship, amplifying the flooding signal. Our palynological research shows that algal microfossil type and abundance is a useful proxy for changing water depth and quality in the aquatic environments of the Holocene Taihu wetlands, and can recognise flooding events that are not registered in the floodplain lithological sequences.

Study region\ud Little Kinyasungwe River Catchment, central semi-arid Tanzania.\ud \ud Study focus\ud The structure and hydraulic properties of superficial geology can play a crucial role in controlling groundwater recharge in drylands. However, the pathways by which groundwater recharge occurs and their sensitivity to environmental change remain poorly resolved. Geophysical surveys using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) were conducted in the study region and used to delineate shallow subsurface stratigraphy in conjunction with borehole logs. Based on these results, a series of local-scale conceptual hydrogeological models was produced and collated to generate a 3D conceptual model of groundwater recharge to the wellfield.\ud \ud New hydrological insights for the region\ud We propose that configurations of superficial geology control groundwater recharge in dryland settings as follows: 1) superficial sand deposits act as collectors and stores that slowly feed recharge into zones of active faulting; 2) these fault zones provide permeable pathways enabling greater recharge to occur; 3) ‘windows’ within layers of smectitic clay that underlie ephemeral streams may provide pathways for focused recharge via transmission losses; and 4) overbank flooding during high intensity precipitation events increases the probability of activating such permeable pathways. These conceptual models provide a physical basis to improve numerical models of groundwater recharge in drylands, and a conceptual framework to evaluate strategies (e.g., Managed Aquifer Recharge) to artificially enhance the availability of groundwater resources in these regions.

The Ibar River is an international river whose watercourse passes next to numerous technogenic landfills and chemical-industrial complexes. They can affect the quality of water in the river, as well as the quality of overbank sediments. The river flows into the West Morava River near Kraljevo and it represents its largest tributary. The analysis of the overbank sediments of Ibar tributaries showed high concentration of heavy metals at some points. The statistical analysis of the content determined the existence of two synthetic factors around which heavy metals were concentrated. The comparison of the chemical composition of overbank sediment with the composition of geological and pedological substratum on which they were developed showed that the increased concentrations of heavy metals were mostly a product of geological and pedological composition of the river’s substratum and basin, and had no connection with (possible) anthropogenic factors. However, due to the sensitivity and proximity of potential pollutants, the necessity to constantly monitor chemical composition of overbank sediments in the river basin was determined.

On the flanks of the dormant Miravalles volcano, systematic fieldwork and radiocarbon dating of buried humus-rich soils (paleosols) and wood fragments, augmented by mineralogical and geochemical analysis, reveal extensive and previously undocumented Holocene activity. Phase 1 consisted of 8.3 ka (~6300 BCE) volcanic debris avalanche and thick lapilli blast and fallout deposit that appear coeval. Hiatus 1 marks 2600 years of inactivity ensued followed by Phase 2 lapilli interbedded with ~5.5 ka lahars below a 5.3 ka basaltic lava flow (~3400 BCE). Hiatus 2 lasted 1800 years from 5.3 ka to 3.5 ka (3300-1500 BCE), after which a very active Phase 3 ensued (3.5 to 0.5 ka; 1600 BCE to 1500 CE) with > four lapilli eruptions, > 4 lahars, > 6 layers of ash and pumice, and small andesitic lava flows. The most recent evidence for eruption is an 880-year-old (0.9 ka; 1070 CE) lapilli overlain by gravels that may represent distal lahar sediments. Evidence indicates the occurrence of at least two, if not three, destructive lahars on the southwest flank of Miravalles in the past 500 years. The overbank sedimentary record indicates much more activity of Miravalles volcano over the past 3500 years (since 1500 BCE) than previously known, with a minimum of 24 events in that span. Overbank floodplain deposits are likely to contain the most compete record of recent activity in active and dormant volcanoes, and in the absence of dateable vegetation fragments, radiocarbon dating of paleosol A-horizons is very useful, with a precision of ~ 10%, i.e. 800 + 80 ybp.

To investigate the importance of crevasse-splay elements for the connectivity of fluvial sandbodies, an integrated study has been undertaken that combines data from outcropping and subsurface fluvial successions, and modern rivers, with outputs from forward stratigraphic models and object-based modelling. Literature-derived analogue data on over 2100 crevasse-splay elements from many fluvial systems have been synthesized to obtain quantifications of the proportion and geometry of crevasse-splay units, and of their topological relationships with channel deposits. Some of the analogue data are used to inform inputs to stochastic modelling that is applied to determine how the presence of crevasse-splay deposits affects the connectivity of successions in which channel sandstones are preserved as channelized bodies or compartmentalized point-bar units.\ud \ud \ud \ud Architectural configurations are documented that are variably characterized by (i) crevasse-splay sandbody compartmentalization, (ii) channel-sandbody connections that increase sandbody size and the likelihood of borehole connectivity, and (iii) intercommunication between different channel sandbodies. Analyses of analogue data demonstrate scaling relationships between the morphometry of crevasse-splay elements and associated channel elements and river catchments. Results also demonstrate how the proportions of channel and crevasse-splay deposits tend to covary in stratigraphic volumes. This information, when ported to stochastic models, yields results showing how the influence of crevasse-splay elements on static connectivity varies – in relative terms – as a function of architectural style, net-to-gross ratio and channel-sandbody geometry. Channel-body connections may be more important for smaller and relatively sand-poor fluvial systems, whereas mud-plug compartmentalization of splay elements may be more important for successions with larger channel-body width-to-thickness aspect ratios and lower net-to-gross ratios.\ud \ud \ud \ud The results of this work can be applied to facilitate and improve the characterization and modelling of the static connectivity of subsurface successions that include crevasse-splay deposits. The results also reveal the possible influence of certain geological controls (channel avulsion, river-system scale, overbank cannibalization) on static connectivity.

Backward erosion piping (BEP) is a common hazard along artificial levees in the Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV). This study applies an empirical assessment of overbank deposit thickness, als...

Tectonic activity can affect every single segment of a sedimentary system and the various environments within a basin react in specific ways to tectonic forcing. However, the outcomes of tectonic activity on one environment have important consequences on the sedimentary processes in adjacent ones. In this paper, I evaluate the relationships between tectonic activity and sedimentary processes in several distinct environments, and in different times within the last sea- level cycle, in the submarine part of a single sedimentary system: the Capo d'Orlando Basin. The study area is located in the southeastern Tyrrhenian Sea along the northern Sicilian margin and is affected by active tectonics. A multibeam bathymetric coverage, chirp and regional sparker profiles are available over the study area. In the shelf, the Caronia Horst controls the thickness of the high stand systems tract and the character and the preservation potential of the coastal deposits of the transgressive systems tract. Coastal physiography, due to differential vertical movements, affects offshore current strength and pattern of sediment transport, causing the sand-mud line to move offshore. In the upper slope, tilting increases sediment instability and the accumulation of landslide deposits. Uplift, responsible for the local shallower depth of the shelf edge, favoured the connection between canyon heads and river mouths during the last sea-level low stand. More importantly, some of the canyon heads are still close to the coast and can receive sediment from rivers or offshore currents even during the present-day high stand. The Naso and the Calava Channels have fault-controlled courses and an asymmetric profile, which controls the location of overbank flows, sediment failures and landslide deposition. In the basin plain, the continued activity of the major faults has created subtle topography and the turbidite lobes do not present a compensational stacking pattern but remain fixed in fault-controlled lows; differential compaction in the separate fault blocks also contribute to differences in turbidite thickness. Landslides are present at the base of the fault-controlled basin-bounding escarpments and punctuate the otherwise turbidite-dominated succession. The analysis of the Capo d'Orlando Basin illustrates the range of effects that tectonic structures have on sedimentary processes going from the continental shelf to the basin plain. More importantly, although in a qualitative way, this research shows how the tectonic influence on up-dip processes is also responsible for the nature of the depositional record in the deeper part of the basin.