Sequence stratigraphic dictionary

Sequence stratigraphy represents the study of cyclic sedimentary patterns within the stratigraphic succession, as they form in response to various factors, such as fluctuations in sea level (fall or rise), tectonics, and variations in sediment supply or space available for sediment to accumulate. Depositional sequence is the fundamental stratal unit of sequence stratigraphy, bounded by subaerial unconformities. It represents the final depositional unit of one full cycle of sea level changes and it consists of subdivisions called systems tracts, which are defined on the basis of internal stratal stacking patterns, position within the sequence and types of bounding surfaces.