Barrier island systems — a geologic overview
|
Abstract |
Barrier island geology is complicated in that there are numerous distinct sedimentary depositional environments, some having lateral continuity and some that do not. It is further complicated by such variables a sea level change, sediment supply and the relative influence of wave- and tide-dominated processes. Fortunately, there is also a great deal of predictability to barrier island geology and stratigraphy. The nature and relative positions of the depositional environments in question take on an orderly set of interrelationships that can be easily understood by even a modestly experienced coastal investigator. Although there is considerable additional complication that comes when one considers the recognition and nature of ancient buried barrier island systems from the strati-graphic record, the Holocene models are typically much less challenging to understand and manipulate. |
|