During the past decade there has been a proliferation of sequence stratigraphic models, including the notorious "slug diagrams", that attempt to relate information from seismic data, well logs, and outcrop studies, to the character and spatial and temporal distribution of depositional systems in the subsurface. The underlying assumption in such models is that there is some orderly stratigraphic motif for any given basin setting whereby the general style of deposition repeats itself with each eustatic cycle as long as other controlling factors (climate, sediment supply, shelf gradient, subsidence, etc.) remain relatively constant. The most practical models for exploration and production geology are those that are sensitive to the variability in depositional systems and can be adjusted to fit the boundary conditions of a given geologic setting.


We have studied the late Quaternary deposits of the Northern Gulf of Mexico and constructed modified slug diagrams for six different areas of the gulf. The differences in these models from the different parts of the gulf highlight the variability that can be found in any given systems tract. The models are shown here, but please explore our website to see the details behind them. For a more detailed discussion of the different study areas, see Society for Sedimentary Research Special Publication No. 79, "Late Quaternary Stratigraphic Evolution of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Margin", edited by John B. Anderson and Richard H. Fillon.



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Gulf of Mexico Research Group
Department of Earth Science
Rice University
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Houston, Texas 77005
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