j

Amanz Gressly's role in founding modero stratigraphy

Depanmelll ofG~ology wrd G~ologica/ Enginf:'ering, Culomdo Sclrool ofMines, Gulden.

Colorado HO.JO 1

Peter \V. Homewood Elf E.\plomrimr Pmducrimr. 640/8 Pau cedex. France
ABSTIUL'T
Thls papel" dbc:ussn Amanz Gre.'l.ly's
U814-186Sl fundamental conlributions to
stnllcraphy in lhl'ft arHs: f:ades con~pu
ancl opplicalions. slndtnphlc corr.l:ation.
and p~phlc l'ft0fl5trvction. To f:acil
itate acss lo hls dlscoeries. we presenl an
l1!11sh tnanslallon hls 1&38 paper on f:acies
aacl stnlil!npbk correlation. We dl..:uss tx
cerpts rrom lhis lnulalioft. whidr drmon
sinle lhat maa~ uf lhe fundamental princi
pies of modem stntittnphy Wft'e Undrrstood
and upl'ftlltd by (;ressly. We pulthls into thr
conltxl of subsequrnl drdopmrnt ond re
ftnrmml of CUI'ftlll stntJtnphk principies.
Grnsl~ t'Xplaiaed lhr creais or ~imen
tary fodes by procuscs opentinc In deposi
tlonal ell\ii'IIMMIIts. He detnonstnltd rtp
lar l:almll facies lr1lnslllooa . . . brd.~ ,..(,kh
he inlerprettd as - l a of emlro,,not nts
a1onc deposi&..a proa~a uerm~tniud :he
Cobh.idence of particular feJ morphologies
wtth parttc:alar secllm~)cal facles. and
dlsUnplshed "fKies roulls'' rrom lhMe lhal
had lime lllue and lhal uSdul for blostnllgnaphy c"lllekx" or "z-" fossilsl. He
dbcusled the eqai'l'altttcy of vertical f:~cios
wc ' lOo tluoudo a Jeriesofstnta and 131
eral flldes la . .,..,.., ..... a bed. deftlopin!l
d l r - JllilidAe that laler becanw kno,.n as
WaJitoer' s IAw of tbe C~tlOil of f ucios.
H, dlsllnpished bet'ftftl the llmc n lur of
Wnla ...t PI utA* rlt5 that nftrct thr genesis.
aacllntradoced sMCillc tums lo reflt<:t lhls
dlstlnctlon. He uttd thls uDCientandlnt~ to

or

'lhow how su 111i1J aphk St - should br

cot, el&-.1 . , _ dlll'eres facies tntts.
Grasly cleritd aa huntall:w conslslrnt.

locla>L 111111 toiWJII thenliwe deflnitlon or. now

stntlanphk JIIU'IId.lpl. whlch was lhr basls
riw ranller doritlop..... ud reflllftMnts.
1'lle 11~ te blq pn.dples of COilttmpo-

CS..I8oolloton: Oeceml)cr 19'17:-. 109: no

rary slratlgraphlc thou11h1 lncludr: 1llthe

stralh:raphlc procossresponsr syslrm con
sti"\'H mass; t2l secllment vnlumes art ditfrr
ttlliall~ parlltloned lnlo facies lracts withln a
spacr limr conlinuum as a coosequtntt oC
mass consrf'l'alion: ()) cyclcs of facios 1nc1
movemenL< lalrrally ( uphlll and downhll1l
acnxs lht Earth 's surface art dlrecUy linktd
lo vertkal facies successlons and art lhr basls
for hl~reJOIUtion COI'ftlalion of Slni
craphic cydrs; 14) slnlil!nphic base level ls
lht dock of geol~c time and lhe refrrtnce
frame for relallngthe enerey nf spacr forma
tlon with lhe rnrrgy stdimenl transfer; ond
(5) f:~eies diiTrrentiation is a hyproduct of ~
botm mlumr partWoning.

or

INTRODUCTION
Whilc mher geologisos were anempting to
sol ve tht ~trucru"' of the Jura Moun1ains. Am311Z
G"'ssly ( 1814-1865). a S wiss geologast. was
intentun unraveling the paleogeography of the
deformed ~1r:11a. In doing so. Gressly disco~ red
and ~tated many nf lhe principies 1ha1 ""' the
roundation~ of modem muligraphy. Dc:spite
numcrous obituarios. shon historic:~ l discussions.
3nd fullcr biographies-principally in Genn:~n
3nd S wiss literato"' and principally focuscd on
tht history of the "'gion in which he livtd and
wo:ed--his fundamental contributions are no1
well known IOe:uthscientiSIS. This paperfocus.:s
on his contributions 10 straligraphic scaence in
lhrtt areas: fxies concepts ond :IJ!Plication<.
slr3tigraphic correlatiun. und paleogeographic
reconstNCtion.
Althnugh Gressly is widely credited wilh
1he tirst modem use and definition of "facies"
(Dunbat 3nd Rodgen. 1957: Teichen.. 1958). his
rontributions ro scr.Wgraphic principies are much
broader :IRd deseNe greater nppreci:woo. He ex
plaincd thc genesis of sedimentary facies by
processes openting in depositional environ
ments. and demOGstr:ned rqular l:ucral facies
tr.ansitions aloog beds that he inteflJI"'td as
mosaics of erMIOIUne:nts nlong dq!osnionaJ pro-

r:. p. 1617-1631l.

files. He m:ognized the coincitlence of panicular

fossil morphologies wtth panicular facies. and
Jistinguished " facies fos~i ls" from those that hao.J
time value and tha1 were useful for biostrau g
f3llhY ('"indc:x" ur " zone" fosstls). He discussed
!he equivalency uf venical facies succession<
through a senes of slr3u and larernl facies t=s
tions along a bed. developing thc ~ame principie
th.tt l31trbt<:nme k.nown as Walther's L:aw ofthe
Correl:uion of Fxics. He disnguished bctwccn
lhe time value of str:lla :IRd propcnics thllt ~tita
lheir genesis. and introduced specific rerms 10 ~
tlect this distinction. H~ used this undcrst311ding
to show how straoigraphic succ~ions should be
conelated across ditre,.,nt facies lr3Cis. Gressly
supplicd thc L'OnCepts thal tq~laccd the founder
ing paradigm of Wemerl311 Nep1unism. and h~
csmblished many tenets uf modem stt:Uigraphy.
His insights w= "'levant3S much to thc fields of
paleontology. paleobiology. paleoecology. and
evolution :u they -... to slr31;raphy.
One purpose of this pape.r is to inc~J.Se:
awarencss ufGressly's contribuons lo the foun
dations of strutigraphy. To this end. we p"'sent
an EngUsh lrllnslntion of his 1838 paper on facie;
3Rd Sltlltigrophic comlation. We al so summarize
his sLatcments about and undrrsoanding of run
damental stratigraphic principies. 3nd place
rhem into 1he context of co ntemporary <trati
graphic thought. With 3 k.nowlcdge nf thc
philuwphies and methods G "'ssly impaned to
geologists or his time. we c311 idenlify 1he t ~w
subseque:nt additions 10 G"'ssly's uw~" thal
completed thc foundalion of sllllligraphic sea
ence. Thus. a second purpose of this paper is 10
show thlll many of thc fundamental straligraphic
principies we"' csublishod e3Tly in the practico
of slcitigraphy.

PROVIDlNG A NEW PARADIGM TO

REPLACE WERNER'S NEPTIJNIST
CONCEPT
GRssly cstablished a ~1 meoodology :IRd
pllilosophit:al :~pp~oach 10 stnligr:l!lhic ;wlysis
th3t "'placed Wemer's Neptunist concept. Al

CROSS ANO HOMEWOOO

though the Neprunist concep1 airead y had been

challenged and abandoned by ~orm: of his contemporaries (for ex311'1ple. see comrm:nW'ies in
Conkin and Conkin. 1984). Gressly offered the
altemative concepts and methods that were to become the foundation of modem stratigraphy.
Kuhn ( 1962) argued that new paradigms in science follow a period of discomfon with the e~ist
ing paradigm because of mism:uches between
observation and theory: Gressly did his studies
during such a period of discomfort.
Gressly's insightful departure from the existing paradigm contained tltree fundamental. related concep!S. Fant. he recognized thal the sedimentologic and paleontologic anributes of rocks.
"facies.'' reflected the processes of deposition
within specific geomorphic environrm:nts. Second. he understood that facies occur independently of time. and thal time and rocks must be
treated with separate conceptS and vocabularies.
Third. he established that there are predictable
panems of facies relationships. He documented
thal facies occur in regular paw:ms of later:tl ttan
sitions along a bed. and that these laterollr.lnsi
tions are repeated in venical successions. This
woi'k w:IS accomplished c:uring his early twenes
from observaons rnade on disconlinuous. vegetated outcrops. and without lhe benefit of much
formal geological training_
lmponant reviews of Gressly 's education.
collaboration with his contempor.uies. work in
the Jura. contributions to stratigraphic science.
and other biographical inforrnalion were given
by Teichen Cl958l. Wegrnann C1963). Meyer
( 1%61. Schneer ( 19721. Nelson 0985 l. Swnpfli
t 19861. and Schaer (1994). Gressly was bom in
the village of Bllrschwil (Canten de Sololhum)
in the German-speaiUng area ef Switz.erland
near the outer. norlhwestem thrusts of !he Jura
Mountains. After pre-university schooling in
Solothum. Luz.em. and Fribourg, he spent severa! months in Porrentruy (Canten Bem).
Switzerland. to imp!'O"e his French. In November 1834. at the age oC20, he went te Univmiry
of Strasbourg to study medicine. While there he
anended lectures on geology given by Phillippe
Voltz. the chief engineer of the Strasbourg miner:tl disuict. He became friends wilh Julius Thurmann. a professor of mathematics and natural
;cience at Porrentruy. wt.o also was studying geology under Voltz in Slnsbourg. Thunnann s re
search was on tbe stnli)ll"'l9hy lUid structure of
the Bemese Jura. He Clll:llllnpd Gressly to iniIate parallel and tootple.llCit!lll 'f studies in tbe
adiacent Solorum e - to tbe east.
In July 1836. aftertwo yean offield worlc in
the Sulothum Jura. Gn!osly went wilh Thurmann
to Sulothum to present an oral paper al the an
nu~l

mee une of the Sw1s~ Natur.JI Hisu)rv Soci~r, l"lh' CJnded :lh\tr.ICt nt h1' ):lf'("r \\' :t'\ puP

lished lhe following year CGressly, 1837). In this

paper Gressly gave a shon definition nf sedimentary facies and related the facies he had ot>served to depositional environments. The first
pan of Gressly's major work. "Observations
gologiques sur le Jura soleutois." was published
in 1838. apparently with considerable help in
composition and editing from his friends. panicularly Thurmann.
At lhe Sololhum meeting, Gressly also met
LouisAgassiz.lhe intemationallyrespected pale
ontelogist and geologist. Agassiz recognized the
novelty and imponance ofGressly's insights and
command of lilhostratigraphic and biostrati
graphic data. and he encouraged Gressly to
continue wilh his work. Afler publication of lhe
first pan of the "Observations." Agassiz prometed Gressly's work by circulating the paper
widely. In evidence. during the session of the
French Geological Society on November 20.
1837. M:lltUis de Roys t a good friend of Privosl)
reponed on his work on temuns of lhe sou!hwest
Paris basin. ending wilh a comment that the
facies of lhese terrains were detemned by their
aspect. bu1 not by their age (de Roys. 1837).
After the Solelhum meeting Gressly did not
retum to Strasbourg. but went to Pom:nauy and
stayed wilh Thurmann. From November 1836 to
Januay 1838. Gressly was in Neuchatel for lec
tures given by Agassiz. Subsequently. he was employed by Agassiz for severa! yea.r.; :IS an :ISsis
tant at the Museum of Neuchatelto collect and
curate fossils. Gressly's fossil collec1ion. carefully collected within a few yean and recorded
within a stratigraphic context. numbered more
!han 25.000 specimens. Between Januay 1838
and Sep1ember 1839. Gressly was mentally ill.
and lhere is an absenc~ of correspondence from
lhat period. This illness delayed publication of
the rest ofGressly's "Observalions" untill840
and 1841. That Gressly did not subsequently
pubtish en facies is attributed to his fragile heallh.
The main pan of his work. consisting of 75 sci
entific manuscripts. 51 field notl!book.s. and myr
iad personal notes. is stored at lhe Museum of
Sololhum CSwnpfli. 1986).
Wegmann ( 1963\ casts Gressly as a revolu
tionay in lhe context of normal" versus "rev~
lu1ionary" science. using tenns formalized by
T. S. Kuhn ( 1962). The prevailing geological
notions of the time were derived from Wemer's
Neptunist concep~s. in which formations were
considered contemporaneous. globally distributl!d. specific rock rypes. By contnsl from em
pirical observation Gressly recognized that a spe
cific rock type ("facies") reflects its origin in
terrns of environment and conditions of accumulation. not in terrns of its age. Rocks of the same
;Jge

than~e <.:har.tCI~f cf:tCie!\, ClV('T l!-li:ln<:C

llh:u .... .1lo nc lr.po,lllnnal J1rulilr' ,, rt llt-t'1111J'

the changes in environmem:s ac:ross a ~or

phic land~ape. Rocks of the s:~~~~e ~ occur at
multiple stratigraphic positions. reflecting 1he
repeon of environments t!woupl time. Gressly
made his observations and derived his insights
from study of fossiliferous. sbal'- sbelf and
reefallimestones. lt is possible !ha die ~ity
of facies and the abundance of die fmsil assemblages allowed Gressly to obsaw 11111 10 undrrstand lhe stntigraphic. paleoecolocic- :and geomorphic significance of subde vaNiicns in facies
and thcir'reluions to time.
To emphasize the oripMiiry oC Grnsly's
approach and his break from acap~ed stnli
gnphic practices. Wegrnann0963}11111Tcichen
(1958) compared Gressly's wpo: of facies
with that of his contemporary. Consant Privost.
Both Gressly and Pri''Ost distinguislted betv.-een
lhe origin and physical attributes of a roct vers\ls
1ts age. PrvosL a rationalisLicadttddtisconclu'ion using logical deduction. wheras Gressly
followed an emprica! path 11111 obsei oed tbe differences. In publicaons cbtin( a few :van after
Gressly's paper. Prvost ( 1839, 1845) redefined
two existing terms, '1errain~ CdesipKing roc:ks
of different types but of !he same ) lllld "formation" Ccomprising all ~oripnllling
from tht same depositional proa:ss or environment) to distinguish betwcen tbe klhpotal and
physic:tl anributes of stma. By CGiiltll. Gn!osly
proposed an entirely differennerm. "&cies." to
separate cleMiy and distinctly the pllysical and
biolegical a.<pects oC rocks fnlm ttcir
We~mann ( 1963) argued tl.a tbe redefinirion
of existin~ terms was no1 sulflciaa to COIIYey 10
their contemporaries this , _ ~tanding
about lhe disnction between bllfli*al and pltysical aspects of rocks. lmlead. ~n con
duded lhat Gressly's inno~ of 1 different
term was essential to ernphasizle die dilfuuw:e in
concepl. Gressly did not jusl redefine the tenn
"facies.'' which was in use in sewnl ~Jogical
contexts by Steno 1see w..-. 19l0: Friedman.
1990) and olhtr$ (Conkin ad Coakil\. 1984:
Marll:evitch. 1960: Nelson. 1915: Teichert. 1958).
Ralher. he introduced lhe -to~ss lhis
new way of Lllinking about the ~ tempotal
and physical upects of rocts.

RECOGNIZING DISORDEJl A."'D

CONFRONTlNG THE P.utADIGM ntAT
ROCK ANO TIME ARE L"'SEPAL\BLE
ANO EQIDVALENT
At the time Gressly be,_a a smdy ol Jurassic
limestones in the French and Swiss 1.- Moun
1ains. stratified rocks (Wemer's Secandary) in
Grcat Britain and Europe had been divided into
l:trce-..,calc '1.1raUrt:Jf'lhK umu
.tncl ' 'nalkr 'l llk utut.

~~d

trtT:un._

ttnnrll ' ' fntnt!llll '"" T"''

~ns were mnsidmd 11obal in dislribution and

of the lime ;m.ver their
,,c,_,.ition
-...- or
inferred oripn. fviiiWIOIIS- clauifled and

In 1he :IIUS tiW lhow stucbed. pm..,s ""'"' so 1han

.a.nywhere else. txl.f'e:mely ' 'ltled pdl"'!f'3pl'ucal tll

~al iaioco 1nttm1p1 :u <''"'Y " "" the
uni vtnal un1ronrnry rh~t was a.~bed unul ~ rn
1he difrerent stnUII:f"l'hic unns in thc difrerent <OUn
mes. Thcy llhe>e voriation<l: ore""'" rtpetnive 1n
-..J >ltlllfi'OI'hlc: URIU. aftd C:JUSO :IStO<Ii>hmeftl
fot tho ~I>C "'ilo alt<mKS 10 suxlv the na~u~< ut

~ized by s-aJ litholocic chlncteri.stics

a.nd fossil assemblases which were thought to

tyrify each UJtit throulhoot exr.ensive ft!lions.
Benuse fomwlioas occurmt in stratignphic
succeuion likc temins. fonnaons were consid
ered bod1 time bounded a.nd lithologicatly dis
tinct. Recognition of a panicular lithology was
sufficient to define thc age of the Str.lta being
exarnined. This paception of time-lithology
equivalency maintained the Wemerian tr.~dition.
which auumed lithologic identity and global
constancy of paleoenvironmental conditions
11om one time period 10 the nexL
Grenly initially in~nded to use the str.ati
gr.phic units thal his colle~gue and mentor
Thunn:utn had clefined in the Bernese Jura. a.nd
10 ;apply them 10 the Soleute Juratsee Wqt~W~n.
1963!. Thlll1!WIII hld established stratigr.~pllic
divisions and COITebtions in the tnditional m:ut
ner. measuring a series of stntisfllphic sections
(type sectionsl and then correlating the mata
~een them. The condalions wae b:lsed upon
lithologic: equivalency.

y;........,-., """'Y

c:>ur J~\SIC r:III~. I IOII-7)

Gres~ly explicitly cautioned against assi gmng
an a~oc to str.lt.:l on the basis of lithologic ~h3t:lc
terisucs. He wa~Md that bec:luse lithologcc h:u-
actenstics are ~ufficiently alike in strall~r:lphic
units of different ages. a geologist can mistake
thc age of a unit if it.s age is judged by lithology.
Similarly. he cautioned thal because the same
verbc:ll SUCCCSSIOnS of lithologies are rtpealed in
multiple slflltigr.~phic units. a gcologist can consider sever.~l temporally distinct matigr.~phic
units as one.
Commonly.he lthe~l willsaopwilhsurmo

in from of ronnauons he thouahl he knew "-cll ror

lonJt time. l.ed as""v b'l 100 much fai.th in IICCe>led
geoio~icol do@ma. ;.hich orten @tnernlitn puroly
local focts. he will pomops be misW<allboul chor
aam t1101 until thon he thoufht belon!ed onlr 10
~ saoop;ll1ic una1 and to .ubdiision '" p:Jr
liador: he OYell woll be 1m1p1ed ro romplotel~ L"On

<Odie~ wl>m lliw

tho ceoiolitallaws diOI Mr. Thurmonn wnfied wioh

.o II'OICh t:llenl and SII(I)CU on die ,.,...,~;., un1ts
o( die nei@hborin111<mese Juro ... (10f2 1- 2Jl1

However. comp:lrisons of time-equivalent

fonnations between Gre:at Brit:~in and Europe
and within Switzerbnd and ffllftCe convinced
Gressly tlwl for111Mions waoe not lithologially
uniform. Gtasly ldenlified rqional dilfuenoes
in lithology - . . coenl stratiJnlllhic units of
formation a.nd smaller scales. He also observed
lithologic vmabil iry atona beds. as well as dif
fetctJCeS in wnicaJ lithologic: successions at different gcosaphc poiIOIIS within strata in thc
Jur:L Bec:~use thc litholopes were not uniform
within either fCAiliiiOtiS orsmaller stratigrapllic
units. aae equivalalce could not be assigned on
the basis of lilholosic equiYalenc:c. His implicit
understanding - th;a beG boundaries ICACSCI 11
very high-rcsollllion time surfaces: thercforc.
gcogfllphic cMnweJ of litholol)' along beds
.-dial tbe let siional condions or cm U<Aio
1
ments also d 1 alaaJ deposionll profilc.
In summary, o.-ly tet:Oihized considerable
litholopc vmaoa within fonna&ions at both
rqional aad loc:al sales. He concluded thmt
litholoc' could nor be :resumed an a priori proxy
for time.

1Hambet bdcft t1w !OiiGis

in G<asly (183St.
hnciiUIIIbon..

m.n to ~"~~" l1lllllbn

-obu aftft thc solidus ~ftt 10

one which is ~encnlly pntettced 1n~e~ ni bdn'J

li;,1lJ:St'ied \\''I a cenut -.nbtr 01 \'fttK21~ ;_,

type secuons ('1ypes dtscnptifs"l. 1 followed e.xh

s""u~hic um1 lbe<B and subdivisions nf fonn>
uoml ulon' us honi.OIItll ertent as ror a.<!'O>Sible '"
order to 111udy oll il< ,..,a1oom. 110/21-;91

In these JXISSa!CS Gn=ssly recoomed his ch:lnging perceptions abaut the aPProaches and
phihoophies requircd 10 study thc slflltigrophy nf
the Jura. He intended 10 conduct stfllugr.~phic resean:h usin!! thc existinc par:!digm a.nd methods.
but he discoveted tl\31 they did not worlc and werc
<peciflcally conlr11di~ by his observntions. He
empiricnlly cvalunted those concepts and meth
ods that rcquired modirJC:Ition in order to honO<
both the data and his understanding of the dis
tinction bc!ween time aKI facies. Within this evolution of changing pcn:ep~ions nnd practica.! np~hes to studying the Soleure Jura. Gressly
devcloped fundamental principies thnt gutde our
science today.
ESTABLISffiNG Tm: CONCEPT Of

FACIES

Teichert 1 19S81 summarized Gressly's use o f

ruse SeftDI ~r::mgnl9hit units toin!! ~o t':.r Q!i 10 thc term "'f3cics a.nd his deriv:~tion of the racies
concept. and trnnslllled relevant pauages inlo
doubt their l~=l.,,e..,e.ciOI!I-1~1
English. We extend this proce~s becausc
Gressly demonstrated that the same rock Gressly's purpose was not juSI to propose the
rypes oa:uned at multiple stflltigra.phic positions term "fxies" fordesaiptive rock :lllributes inde
independcnt of formations and their bound:lries. penden! of time connotation. Rather. Gressly recand discovered. when he followed beds laterally. ognized it was essemialto dislinguish a rock term
!"facies") from a time temt ("terr.~in" or time
~regular laur.~l succession of pe~J"ogfllphical nnd
str.lliJT1111hic unit). Wllhout h:lving o langooge 10
.,.leontologic~l attributes lllong them. From
these observllrions and consider:ltions. Gressly express these two xoputies of str.IIA. one c:utnot
dilfercntin~ betweenlateral varintions in lithol~incd th:u he would hnve 10 establsh n dif
ferent son of regional classificntion of strati ogy ("facies") along one or more beds (timepphic units. one that did not l1SSUiftC lithologic str.nigfllphic unit.sl. a:l vcnical chanses and repconstancy within fonnntions. He rcal iud this etitions in lithology ttrougtl a suc-ces.'ion of beds.
To recapirulale the obsetv:llions and logic that
would requre de!ailed mapping of the lithologi
cal changes within beds of formations. The Gressly followed. we begin with his undcrstand
detailed mappng wouh.l cstablish tempor.~l ing of fxics. As iiiUSirnted by thc following exequi,.,lcncy of str.~ta within ronn:uions. >patial :unple. Gressly diSCCI'Iercd through deuiled field
vari:uions in lithology within time-equivalent worlt in the Jura tha rock types ("facies") a.nd
units. and lhc basis for inferring the pnleo- their fossil constiruents change in rc&ular ordcr
geomorphology of fine-scale time slices. This lllong beds and in vcnicnl succession from one
sttlllipphic unit 10 anochei-.
~pproach would establish the basis for strati
graphic concbtions.
... bal soon 1 wu ton:ed to successi.ely modify
tllese (l"hunnann"sllaws oceonling 10 1hedivme ..,.
giofts which mob up tho Soleure Jura. and tho study
of these di.....w re;on. neccssitated on m y p:>n
s,_., o( raeon:il ~~ melhodl dl'remll lO the

:BrocU!$ m used in lhe 1,..,.lation eilher lo ! lve

tho Fronch- tr:lnSiated.. :as on [""terr:lin""l. ur 10 dor
ify nnslaion in on1tr tiW we noc sny too for from

Tbe ccnl f.lcics

ises seoaal salcies. wltich
vory in die difraat~SinlilfiP!ic units (Wlllisr.aphi
callyl and rqions IJ!osnphically) of our lun..,and
whlch 1ft use!UI to bow in onlor to lllldcmmil the
IDs of distribuci-o(~ associ:lliom.
lbaesub&cies .,.eqihs a ons thalinlt
the major fxies. ..S allow appm:ialion of the
sliJhiHI nuonces ia rhe livins conditions of the
"l!anic wortd now buried '"die eanll's crust. Th~
coqu1nos link pc.....raphic:llly thc pu~ly cOI":II

the liunl Frenc:h. ~ ond itolics in lhe lr:>Mio

non are ltom 1,jressly.

GeQI~ical Socicry nf America Rulletin.

DecemN-r 10<1"7

fa:1es to the pn:ly tllllddy fxies. passing thtough

t11o oolilhs and pisoliths. o the .-~y nd v-~lly
'~ lello tmiAtW'fil \M 1be mvc.kJy t~ics.,\nat~uu:.

li'i 1o

CROSS ANO HOMEWOOD

paua,.. from one paleontoiO@icaJ assembla@e to

aJ10iher always occom~any !hose petmgraphic transions. <IS/27 to l~l

provide n chalky white stone rich in fossil frag alon11 single beds. We llave ~ c:Uiur from
menlS alre:ldy used by the Romans for an:hitee- ~ly ( ISI27to 1616: 1611(>..261 in whkh he
. rural omamems and sculpc!ft. O!her uses of stone discussed tnnsilic.al facies bet ktdl end metn
from the Corallian terrain include limestone spe- ben. gradual deco
in skeletal sze within a
Usin@ lhis obsenation. 1 have manaJed <evetal cially sui~ for manar. and limestone suited for bed away from the soun:e of the skdetal<khris.
times 10 follow (along a bedllhe in=ase of debris
use as a nux in making window glass. Gressly ob- :and !he associaon of slecific fossil assembla:.,;
siu tof skdetal fragmenu( and proservuion to find
the ori@inaJ habiw. There. one finds the fossils in wned his knowledge about these multiple uses of with specific facies.
place. with a prodip,us profusion and so well con- Jura limestones as a yooth. He lived with his f:unGressly also obw:t ed that biolcJiicat 1fossill
sen...t th.M one can study the most minute details of ily in the glass factory, which was owned bv the variations cxcur iD conson wi1ll the phy<ical
!he <>tplliution and characlerisc assemblage. the
attributes in both ead-uw:nobet IJid tr.msitional
1110re prosperou.' side of the Gres.slys and which
behavior and habits. as we will see 10 the following
employed his father. He was familiar wilh !he dif facies and regaded dle!e v.wions rdlections
de!criptions of IZITains. ( 16116-26)
ferent applications of limestones of varying char of the physic:al en>iuuti!# aad the ch:r.lctcrisacteristics obtained from the numerous small tics of habiws. He e:Jtplailled11131 if illdividwls of
Gressly applied the term "f~cies'' to signify quanies exca~ into a conspicuous single Oal a species occur otmide tlw:irUSUII &ocies. they :~re
those observable physical. chemical. and bio- lying coral bed near his home town. He had only mon: ran: and marphoto,ically IIYJiical !han
IO@ical properes of rocks that collectively per- torelate lhe dilferent physical and chemcal prop- when fund in theirtypic:ll facies. Healsor~:~
mit objective description. as well as distinctions enies importan! for industrial application to !he nized that generalisr species ocaJP! ordomonote
among rocks of dilferent types. Gressly explicitly distribution of panicular paleomological and sed- transitional facies. bu! specialist ,..,ecies domidiscriminated between objectively observable imenwy anributes of facies.
nau: in the typical !mlrtWJobc:r) facies !ll:ltin~.
propenies and any connotation of their age. It is
In the mtllllime. it io pafll1pS - -...fpl"'-' oo
3ppatent that he considered it necessary to make
ESTABLISHING THE RELATlONSHlPS
briefly cocldlaaaamy prnelll_., afwnders1:andsuch a el= distinction bec3USC he abandoned lhe BETWEEN DEPOSmONA.L
iftJ the CX'WT'dalior5 hetweeft f t Jt!tsMAIIK: CIWMihistorical Wemerian term "forrnation" ~fter the ENVlRONMENTS AND FACIES
IIIIOftS of !ln!~,.,... (lhe aal
; olk,..,.,
fir.; two pages of his publication. and subse- DISTRIBtrnONS
geolo!ical iniCIAtlllionl anollhe foolil as.oemlll~
quemly used "facies" for a descriptive roe k term
lhey conWn. (1 Y.!9-31)
and "terrain" for a timestratigraphic unit that
Havin! explained that facies are propenies of
These two end ll'ltlllber nJCt ~ ridiCT P'ft or
contained \'ariable rock typeS.
rocks not specific to time. Gressly funher recogmi:oed. amlilllle r.aes Mil defintd ~"""' """~
nized that facies are products of genetic
Jfl.1)hic ch:u..;-,uistics.. whidl vwy xall\lin~ 1t
In this way. 1have come lo undmtand lhot within processes that operated in !he depositional envitheir linoral at ~ dqlo!<itiooull ftl\'inmcnt.
!he ml ex~nt ("dimension hori~ontale"l of exh
ronment.s in which they accumulated. Justas lat
Their
pateocoolofial f.-a ..,liDloss m..m.:tivc
sntiJr.lphic unitlhen: an: several well-defined vari
cnlly
linked
deposilional
environments
change
and
alwa~cuaupuadcwa~iaft ~&.-.ail h
obl"' ,.'hich shDw !he same fe3tures in petrogr.lphic
the ~..,.,..ical ,.......,._bedili~ and str-ilk:o
composition as well as in the paleontolo,ic onri- ~a ~ic area. the facies that are incortion1and pet""'~ r-.. .. - will "'" '"
butes of thcir fossil ccntent. and which are rovemed ponted into the straligraphic m:ord change ~
wh:ll follows inlleoli~ezlo Sllaip.lic uni1in .J.:.
by specific and foirly constanllaws. (10130 10 1113) dllionally along beds tltat parallel original depotail. 1 will only " - ~ lhe lllljor brin wh;.;h ore
sitional surfaces. He observed that. by walkintz
C"'ft.StD ~ a8 CIW Mip...:ic: Ul"tft, !l' l~ar
3~ 1knrJIIir lhrirC.. .1hrouih 1111 Oll'll~:lCIIH)",
Above all. there .w two major foct. which define along beds and following changes in the physical
every,..he~ the sum of the variables which 1call
311
the more so in1M11hemareorte..wnm'"' J,,~
llld bioiO@icallfossil) component.s offacies. one
cal anollr.IMilionll sabfacit:s.., easily be linl,~ lo
fadtJ or the aspts o/ a JltGtiRraphit: wnir: one is
can establish the delails of a depositional profile.
!he mojar fxies. (13/11-211
thal within Sttltigraphc unit the occumnce ora
specific lithology necesurily also requir.,. the
oceutmlee of a specific paleomologi<=ll wociation:
and the olher is th:lla given paleontoiO@ic:alassoca
tion n~rously excludes !hose genera and species of
fossils which an: frequent in olher focies. (11/~10)
Gressly provides sorne clues about the origin of
his understanding that facies dtange along beds
a1'ld lh:u l:uerally adjacent facies are time equiva
lent. In lhe 11101tognph that follows the text we
have tr:II!Siated. he described di.fferent uses of the
rock \11!eties that compase the Corallan temin.
Alchitecrural uses of the dif!'erent roe k varieties
m dependen! on the narural dimensions of quar
ried rock produced by beddintz. and on rock
strenglh. He 1lOied thll1. when:as quanies near the
massive coral bioherm provide large. equidimensional blocks used for wall constrUCtion. quanies
fanher from the center. in the same bed. provide
lhinner slabs ofhomogeneous limestones used for
posts. lintels.. and sills. Quuries from the bioherm
center (breccia~ beds of the Corallian terrain 1

1620

1 ohink thll me petrO~ic or paleonoo!O@ical

chanres of a Sttltilf1ll'hic unit in !he honzonlll are
cMJied by !he chln,a in environmeno and olher clt
cumstaneu. which still so poweully innuoaa:
IOday !he dilftm~~ ,.,.... and species w'hich inhabil
!he ocean and lhe seas. At Jeaa.J oflal hove bealostonished 10 lind in !he distribution of our fossil$ !he
laws of living communities axt in the m itspoldi.ftt

1f. by ch:lllce. c:aaioo ,_allld IPOtioo wllich eh:u

:ocll:rizc 'f*lfie facies...., r0111111 irl-'w:r .-....;...,.
ilisa ....... NieM,.....
ordoeoc~01111l
species will be,., ....... lcu dtitlasul""" '''"
chlncteristic U.. in the (ocies or .,....,_ .emb to whicb dloy -'1~ bebJ. Sinnl:arl).
wherewr the topiMIIic cmistiu of a 1'3l'k."!'>
(inclicllon of fnfcrn:d iJI J sjl ' aal l*ts&tS IW ('ft
Yiltkiii1511S)Iftbai*e!l i 1 . . . . . . . . .~1

aucmbla~ftofpeuop.lic and ~ <lwac

teristics which ctwitsp:wld to the livinl communi
ties. lhe CTNiaonnw:mal conditions which rule in tht
submarine worid. ( 1V~ 12)

Gressly undentood the c:onnections among

f:w:ies. their ~enetic relation to deposilional envi
ro11ments. and consequent laterul facies tr.onsitions along paleodepositional profiles; he also
observed ~q~~lar order in laler.ll and \-ertical successions of fcies. When he followed the bed~ hll
er~~lly. he always found the same lateml succession of peno.'r.lphical and paleontoiO@ical attri
butes. Gressly undentood that he was walkin~
:llong deJ!O'itional Uimel surfaces as he walked

......,v '

--!loe....

lhe ,..,......

and <pec:ia - - . . illlivioJu:al. ""'

. . - typic>l. beta dtotlllpuL anol......,1111y in :1
peea- of poesa ,..,._lflhe bcies ..,_ im<r
mediate cllarK!Ielis1ics wilh mi:oed fi'OPIIO""' ka
~. !he fossils lho ~ less typicoJ """""''" ' In

thiS case they orc ~y.-. poarly pre<o.w<l.

poorly developed aad btlont 10 fcw pn<ra and
<p<Cie!: '-er. lhen: an occ.jcwJ weu-r.-n ..-.J
rossih whidl be.._,,_tyoodilf..-,..,..;,,,. '"""
1~ in the princit:lll faoesor-.ftk:tlnrrfy '"'"'ur 111
lhem. tll/11- 161

Gtnsly m:oprized 1lw fouilrMMpiN>Io.,:l\''

renect the physical and chemical Mtribu~<, " '

Geo1Q1!ical Suciet)' of America Bulletin. ~emherl 9'17

ui:u. , -. -

_____,... ................,..lt,ll; ......................... .......... t".... . - rooments l rn wmcn mcy cx:cur. regaruress o r ge.

..-.ru n . .... \MI.U u ~~e t'OS~u c omposiUon

lll<n!MW 11111 ftljNJi WIIIO environ-

an ocean Ion.: b~ oe lrom thc surface ot' the t:vth.

!1 5120-26)

os beift! a
r1Xftlll Wipcwiuu IS die physicaJ facies .ui-

butcs.-rie descri-,e. panllel, chan&e$ in fossil

r1101phology andpltysical facies forreef and conrip!US shelfhabii*S. anddernorrsii'IU<d imermediatc or ~nmitioMI fonns or e:~eb.

ESTABLISHING THE CONCEPTS OF

VERTICAL FACIES SUCCESSJONS AND
LAWS GOVERNING LATERALAND

Focw """"'' tiK , _ ~l'llploic QN/ tt0fi1D<

ric tltrnhwus sltow uzl'l'JfWh si mi ldrpoll'Ofttol~ll'al
dtarocrtn.f rin tltrouthotlt tlv $lratl~rapJu'c sucuJ
JiO" ("temtns"l. and occur ;" s""'"" .u qurncr
tltrouclt a ~annblt nuM#ur nf SUfHrpDJr d
rapit< UIIIU. 12 J~l

J tf'dU

~CALD~UTIONSOFFACIES

Bruaos.

oolira.. pisolira.. 1n01dv coone

,....-. <<AISbN., !he ccxal fae~s and ... ;.,.,,ll<d
. . . . such 11 -CRbd sedimenl and immedla
u-liJnS 10 IIWddy f:x:ics. 'These roc:k.s 1-ys
~die dwwucs or li1Dal ..,. shallow .....
nae cloposics .S Ollly c:oallliD foss1l usembla,n
wM:Ia 1re dwaeastk:s ofcoral bats. maaaly tomo
poted o( filled nw~~ve or ~hin1 corals. which
resisa lhe shock o( woves and whk:h Uvins &eflm'
ond ..-es"""' .. die~~~ AJI>ftr. Ocwlt4J.
~los.ac..loda)l llaildanl bonksond ....m
i ...........
danpous to ships. These

Having esrablished the genetic relation be

rween facies and deposilional environmenlS. :111d
having equated !he l:lter.~l vllriabiliry of facies
alon& beds of tire same age wi!llthe mosaic of
~itional environments along depositional
profiles. Gressly considered tire dyna.mics of the
geomorphic process-response system through
me and extended thesc relations into the four
dimensions of stratigraphy. He established !llat
tire regular pmems and trends of fncies observed
later.~lly along beds were replicated through a
venic:al succession Df beds. Moreover. tire veni
cal succession offliCies through a series of super
posee! beds wu repeated within larger scale
stratigtUphic unilS. The regular venical succession ot' facies wu accompanied by a n:gul:~r succession of fossils. G~slv explained these simi
l:ar venic:ll and l:ua:tl ~~menlS of facies :111d
the control~ of their distnbution in the fonn of
five laws.

--10,..ied

.,.,.... oJways..., ......

by orpri$111S
conro-r to ccnl Mis. which IJII'"I' to Hourish in
hilh nretr. qu~ Wllcr. dius always IMnJ
IIM~>oloy tila P">idcs tei!Wiee ID lhe WIYes.
che IRa ..... tirWy fi.Ud 10 die~ die 0111cn h:lniJccaaakl'f elastic sa\ICNI'e whic:h @'iws
:aDd - i n die force of !he waves 11111 rewwen
insoar
aly. and comes CM vicloriouo frnm die
i - - comlill. Tire eltemal JniRl'II<>I"'!Y of tht
cw...
ta ... die byouc of rhrir orpns are no leu
~IOftCUWIIISWCXS wtHd\ poetft thrtt

exs--=e. Comr&'IDftly all these popea;u oare unned

to ladr llre objec. oc. ll312:! to 1411 01

Afttr

In odler e~. he compared fossil morpholopcs in dilremrtllabitats ond related the

assemblage of specics (communitiesJ in thesc
habi131S to nuAalogic :ldaptation to !he phyi
cal and chemiaJ conditions of die respective en..,iJCAuauts. lnlbeC3SC of muddy hmitats citcd in
lile followiq. Gressly obst:t >ed ttw gener:1 and
species or tire fanal assembluges have thin.
srnood\. less-om:~~e shells tha1 are not resist:~~~tto

Gressly's first law that facies change tr:rnsitionally wi!llin coeval beds is as foil~:
<h ladr~ o{ a stmtirraploic unir has iu """' dis
rirtell'-e fHitORmpltic attd RtO~tto.uit: or poleonto
1~ onributiJ which do rfOt rrpnJitll tht t'lt.aroc
ttriJttC'J

A ,_.. nc. whiclr is COIISUJII for all p:rleontJ>

loriaJueral:llltS o( die muddy fae~ 1J thM tire
~ 1ct1Cf1 ond $pecies hove tests less apt ~
mio<~ etfeas of -ndn8. Tire shtlls.

rrcrmally >ay thin. -ay 11111Ch

lesCIIftllle..kssOi&taadwimdiffamc:
ao:es lira in die precedinr (coral( f:rdes
""- drey have 1 >ay p!CRIOOinced IIWSt\1! ....,,.
-dlora:tet. Koe>CI'. dieft""' somelimes senen
11111 sp:es """" _,. dlidr. shells bul whiclr have
las roboost sowcrwe and which euily ddamina.t<
.t6 ._n:wbyabiuion. al814-ll)

_ . , odien. Si*
p1ot 1

scvem niche-

specific uuAUop: "'II(OIIioiiS or species 10 their

habit:a. as illustnll:d by the following eltllmple.
Onc ''ftY ;;npu; wa C'hlra:aea btie which is univenal
ro CllpliSIM widlin lhe ccxal facies is a very thlck
WJI. oiWI)'$ hil!ly otnllllftlled by ribs. Slrillions,
' P"ftn nodes. ud other oma~Mnmion @:i>ttnt: .1
'1~(. \~ ~i:af pn)"MMDUmV,

the majot facies which

look ot tht low< whiclr underlie ond contrOl tlreir dis

lribrtion bolh \1!1ticolly lUid honzonwly. (2002- lSJ

traii$JIOrl.

He developed and illustrated

~vtn! deunni ned

domtn:~te our J~ terr.un.s. it renwns to te 3

\c:! f"Y utqUI';u"

nf th1 rJttirt srroiiRraphic un1t. nor th1

arrribur.s of tM utiKr fat:its fo""in' ''" sumt RtO

lorimllt~..l (str.nigraphic inten~l . C
20f28-32l

This undenWiding of lterul facies tr.~nsitions

within time-stratigr.tphic unilS given by tire first
law is tire basis for correlation and stratigr:rphic
IIIU peution ofl;nerul and temporal equivnlency
of roe k bodies. as expanded upon by his paraIJ'liPh following the fim law.

Afler stating his second law. Gressly developed at length its significance 10 paleomology
and bios~r.~gro.phy. He noted tha1 facies of simi
lar lithologic and sedimentologic clw'aaeristics
contain fossil assemblages. wbioh are analogous
in tmns of gross morphology, but tlult tire fossils
are different in det:liled analomy. He onributed
this observation to tire genenl comml of !he habi.
tal on motl'hology. whereas anatomical deu1ls
clsange from one stnrtignphic unitiO another. re
flecting time dependency. In SUITIII13r)'. because
similar facies are deposited in similar environ
menu of different ages. and beause tire extem31
I'IIOil'holoi!Y of fossils is rel:rled 10 habiut. fossils
in similar facies willlook alikt: n:prdle.~s of age.
However. subtle variations in morphology are rel:u.ed to age cnow. evolutionl.
Gressly's thinl and founlr la~n and accompanying discussions coucenr !he laterul and ,ertical
distributions of focies. 1lle third law expresses
tire nat= of laterullniiiSitions, whether abrup or
gradational. from one facies to another. The
founh law expresses regul:tr. unid irectional increases or decrews in diversity of facies as one
passes along a bed or through a succession of
beds. The third law is somewh:ll :unbiguoo~ asto
whether it refers only to la!er.J.l facies tr.lnSitions
along beds orto bodl l:ller.lllniiiSitions and \ 'Cftl
al facies s~ions through beds. 1lle accompanying discussions imply !llat Gressly was
aware rhat both abrupt and gradual facies !r.msitions occur venically through a succession of
beds and l:ua:tlly alons a bed. He recognited the
dil!'erence between nonnal stnrtigraphic successions llnd J!I!Ogr:lphic disi0C31ion or offset of f:~eies
tr.~cts. We consider his following statement as
suppon for this opinion.

This law wi 11 help correa die el:ossifiCIIIOnS of m:rny

snti(niPhic: unirs and thelt subdivisions by dtfinin~
more ~ftelsely dieir posodon (str.rtigraphically lUid
JtOPphicolly), lUid will ~r..., avoid tire seriooJs
mistakn in det2rmining tht ceological level or 1<>c:aliUcs fccwttlltioo of stntl~ic inter'V&is) which
are Stparated by I"'J" roc:k bodies w11h drfferent
dww:lensucs. l11/l-l)

Gressly'< seccnd law , thot fossils share morphol~c nnbures rel:n.U tu lile rock 1ypes 1cn

Geological Society of America Bulletin. December 1997

Moreover. in sorne cases. followin a considerable

llhick ond lotemlly utensivel pelagic deposu.
linoral fxies appeu Jibrupcly, olmost willrout any
pwiualll':lllSitioo. This plktiOdlenocL aldiough in
fft:quent. once apin bqins at die Lower Oolire. h
coincides widr llre abrupl or pw!ual horizonw f
..:tes tr3nsitions of thc snu,raphic unns whach 1

pointed 0111 previously. (23/1-{J)

Gressly's thinllaw i.s as follows:

SomttitiVS lattml{" horirDflldl"/ fot:itS ttattJitiOn.t
art nbrvpt, Jumttimu tltt tnuuitiOits ort xraduol
aNi OAt facirs pa.sstl ii'IIO Qltl()tlt.tr llt~_,h intrntt('
Jiolt 'annirs wlttur lrrJmiriona_l {totu" J orr
Jlt~t~rn ( .\ptru'J..

'-'llldt m~trher w mt fltr mt:ur.~ ,,,

16~1

CROSS AND HOMEWOOO

fnd-mtmlwrfa.citl. mokCI it difficult to lrfHJNit
rlrtm.l~lJl

Gressly's founh law is as follows:

Dil-trs-lr, of W fod" il'tC'mJStl in a \'t"ical dirw-

rion fmm lxu~ ro top throuRhnur tht K'hole Stl'ltS
(str.Jtipllphie succession llu'ou~h !he Junu<rcl aNJ.
diminiJitts
dirrcn011. (U/2;$...261

C'OII\YNtly.

tfdd.uJih~

in rltt opposllt

Gressly's laws are distilled from discussions

3nd commcnt:lries about f:w:ies 3nd slr.ltigr:tphic
n:l~tion.ships he had obscrvcd in thc Jwu. Sorne of
Gressly s commenwies relevan! to thc third 3nd
founh laws include thc following ideas. He n:coz
nizcd f:~eics substitutions and cxpl:~ tlmt COI1Il
boundstoncs and IQ$oonal mud.<~oncs may substi
Me for c:ICh othcr in \latiQJ suc::cessions 3nd latcrallr.lnsitions hcause thcy occupy similar water
dcpth runges. He dcscribcd f:JCies offscts or strutlgraphic discontinuitics belwttn suc.:essive bcds.
in contra.st to normalftC!Uiar venical facies succcssion~ These suutigruphic discontinuities an:
c=tcd \!y major 1~ shifts in facies ~t specific
stratigr:tphic positions. Gressly observcd that
abnlpt or ;radwll facies llliiiSitions occur laterally
aIon~ beds and venically through a~ ofbeds.
tnus dcmonSir.lting thc lateral and 'omical cqui\alcncy of facies relationships. which has becomc
koown 3S Walthcr's Law.
The corol focies compri!ICS !OeWr.>l subf~cies. which
vary in !he different 5tr.ltigl'llphie un.. llnd regiuns
of our Jur.L and whie.h ""'u>eful toknow inordcr10
undmtllnd !he laws of distribu1ions of poleontolog
ical

A$~iations.

These

~ubroc-ies nre eAplained :at;

tr:~nsiliom. which

link the mljor facies. lltld allow

PI"eciotion of !he slightut ft\WICCS on !he livnJ
condition of the oranic world now buricd in lht
e:111h's cM!. Thus coquinas link pctrographically
thc purely coral focics lo !he purel~ mudd~ fxcs.
passon~ throuth the oolths and pi:101iths. to !he
..ndy and gra\'C:Ily varieties (mi"'uresJ of thc
muddy facies. Analogoos passages from one p.ale
ontoloico.l asscmbla,e 10 anolhcr olway< aecom
pony lheoe pe!Jo;npitK: tnnslliOM. le rs alwoy< the
moSI deliate

(tnmillocW belween pcbo,;e and lincnll or ~

deposils. In O<hcr casca lhi1 ~"'" IJ ""'"' trad
u:ol ~d much le.s pcn:epubk. no;. twppcn. .,.;ucu
larly h e - coral and muddy lillor:tl facies which
are COiftliKMy hltetsptiiCI11S if1beitchaiCrt:nSUCS
rodrotcd from !he ccmen or nucld of rie.h O<pNC
IIOWlh OU! lO the pcnphny ....ic:h onJy Shows ~
ten debns or fcw undifl'tren!lated or poorly devel
oped fossils. 1:!1/l"-131

form~ which dominate

1n the tr:lnsi

tion zones. ( IY27 to 1617)

'\\'lo>t 1have said about venieol '~"on of facies

not withou1 excepllon. and it is obviously nac\li'IJ
that this bw should vary occordint to !he pcuo
!""ploic ~ and geogr-ies of roo:ks and s!nli
15

;nphic units. We should thus nnt be ~urpns~d 10

liod withina mudclv roek. ilbcwe or hclow acur.Uline
roo: k. fos.,ls which.live in mud. But !hese f05Srl> of
!he muddy facies will indK:ate no less thonthe cor>ls
:s \h:lllow marine or liuoral ~nviron ment even
thou~h 1~ roc:ks are of a dlffcrenttypc :x:conlon
h> lht lr dcpo~uuon-3J proceu. C!1/) J cu ~:161

.-\brupc fac-ies tr.Ut\ilioru ~ JWticulatly uhv1ou._ ht

I\\C('n ctn.l onu~ f~ :1nd purt mU<k. :~brl\"e
.111 when lhe cor:ol heds on: SUrt"IJ<Jndcd by \Uh<l<:la~IC

Morco>W. in somo e>ses. followinl consider.able

(thick ond lat.enlly uten.rvel pcla1oc dcposn. lit
unl roces appc:or >broltly. almost wi11oout any
plduoltnnsnion. This phenomcuon. allhou1h in
frequtnl. once osain hc!ins 11 !he I..Dwft Oolite. h
coincic.les with !he abruM or parhql hontonlll
f~ tnnsitions of !he ot!'lli~ic: Un liS ....ic:h 1
porntcd OU! pte\'IOUSiy, l23/l~l

With his fifth low. Gressly applied the mher

four lows to reconstruct paleogco,ruphies
throuph time. For ~uccesstve time tntervals he
distin~uishcd three f3cies tr:>cts ("zone" and
"band"l: littoral. pclagic. ond subpelo~ic. and he
m:apped thcse over o wide orea from the Vospes
and Blacl; Forest in the nonh lalon~ the Rhinc
nonh of Base!. Switzerland), throu~h the
Ncuchotel Jura. to the Sovoy subolpine !1~3 in
thc south. Gressly reco@niz.ed that facies di>'efsity incrcascs ~gularly ucross this l"ef!ion from
thc pclosic f:JCics 1roc1s in thc M~Uth. throol!h the
subpelo!ic. into tite littOI'lll focics lruct in the
nonh. and he esmblishcd that lhcse facies lr:IC!s
m:ntoincd appmxim;uely constont geogruphic
positions and widths throughout the Jurussic.
Tbe fifth low is st.lted a.< "11r~ dit-rnin offncin
is mor~ or lcs.t nmstanr m diff'r'nt r<'Rinn.t
!facies tracts).'' (2317)
One tould draw oline s11non, fmm Randen ... '"far

Ch>telu .... runnon' p:orallelto !he foot of the

BL.:k Fareslllld !he Vos~ which would divide thc
linotal facies and !he pclo~ic foes almost eucdy
into two sepn~e ponllel Jurassic zones. Tbe wc<l
<m ... swath continues toward... whcre itloscs pan
o( iu ch>rac1emlla """only commutcs VU'! ltun.
in'ttubr boundory belween !he peiiJIC dqx>sns and
!he l:ute Jurassic bay ... whieh is almos! entirely
filled by liaoral deposits which ~ly !hin fmm
lht Swiu borclef to thc fnnt of the Voogn. show1n1
pal~ologieal chatac:lensucs which are inere ...
iniiYh!!otal in ull !he terr.llns.t l3/l"-30l

a1

The other zone whi<:h is pcla,;e. hc!ins in AI'JO''io

:uod fonns a less broad swath compnsinJ !he r.mgcs
ol !he Sole<Jn, llnd Beme.e Jura which he on !he <dgc
o( !he Swits ba!.inand thc Teni#y ~ley> wluch nm
on to it. This swa!h is broader in the Canton of
Neuc:hottlllnd wuuld ocem 10 comprise the whole of
!he Vud and Gcneva Jun. c::J/31 '" 2.1/Sl
Tht \Ubpcl:ldc (.:ac;ies rrxt io; intetmedi:u~ hetween
ohe huor.:ol and pcl~ic '"""" tr.ICU. :and forms a tnn
~1tion 10ne mote or leq c:IO\e:ly link.Jn' them. In the
( .an10n ni S~ha(fhouM: and ln ArgO\'ta lhi\ facae~

nr:t pedom
s wUh rt:l!*lto !he odlm. ..,.,...
~ be1n' mGft linonl. 'f'lmett"'" N-tn! mf''
odlr:. JOtftJ tmm ltle Poftl_,_, lO !M lowtr
oolh< lhnouJh !he Ccnlline Terno and the ''""

lfliP'"' uniuoflhtOxfordi=l!~lll

ESTABLISIUNG 11lE FOUNDATlON OF

WALTHER'S LAW
Gmsly's suument that abnip or gr.lduol
facies U:Ubitiot b oa:ur in !he s;mc onler (:ner.J(ly
>Ion~ beds and venically tl'roulh a ICries of bc<ls
is a dcscription of ~lations amonJ! deposition~l
ert inowmw:nu.. their distribution aloft& a depos1
tional proftle. and strati!lf:~Phy rcsulting from
pro~ion. which later bec:amc known a<
w.Jdlcf' s Uw ol thc Colftl:llion olf'xics. In :art
odler pan of thc ~- Gmsly funtler develope.J
thc idea of thc equivalency betwec~~ the lateral
clistributon of fxics Ilionaa bcd Cdepositionnl
profil<l ond the vertical succcssiOI\ of focrs
~~ a series of beds. A less-literal but more
czily undcntood tramlation than thal ,;~ tn
thc Apprndix rcals as follows:
The ...bde oria~Da in r.-a~ -.ne1 1 <trebled
fococs ~OMI pby ., .-Jogous rule
1rilloin t:>th small-scale ti....,stnlr~K: unrt rol
be11 on ~ as~ly diffem~~ sc:oleJto lhol playcd by fo<
sil> al gcmrne ..,..[!DPhio:
as !he knony
nor. !he l1IQ3IO ~die llaculilosl \'Cf
ucllly ,.-ilhin !he brgcr-~ litho!.cr.lltVo'Pitic: unrL<.
10 t.ml

'*'.udo

1111::7-1~)

"Jlus, ll(l( only did Greuly undmW!d t~t the

IOICI'lll succession of facies along a rlepo5itional
prufil< was ~cd veniallly through a srnrs
ol becls. but he undenlood that fonil~ hall twn
fund4menlal uses. Rnt. some fmsil groups re
flect !he envtrouments in whch thcy INe. onchre
:.nicul:uly uscful in paleoenvironmenul nter
pret~tion. Second. other fossil ,roups occur in
specilic, limitcd str:ttifTllphic inlervals. and
t~r- a~ p:uticularly uscful for bomau
gnp!ric com:btion.
Gressly's observ:ltions about the \latieal and
lanln:l:llionsllips of facies.._ almost irnme
t.liately adoptcd and rxploitcd. culminatin~ in
Walthe 118941 reexplanation of thc relationships and his diseussion obout how that information could be applied in stratigraphic com:lalion.
By contra.st. as n01ed by Teichen f 19S81.
Gn:ssly s obKr\'lllions about thc two uses ol fossils were noc. incorporared imo common practice.
Gres~ly's contemporurie~ focused on the f11<ics
ond poleocnvuonmen~l ~pplie2tions of fosstls.
and a more prectse dcvelopmenl of biomau
~phc PPiications did n01 occur unlil Oppcl''
worit in thc t~Os.
Gressly Slressed the olue and Pf!licauon "'
palcontology on bolh contcxts for two reo,on'

, __,.............. ..... u.. m!Jva.a_, .u tu pnyNICtu

3JoBoclll ~h 10ward the study of sedimenta~')' rocks. in the :Jbsence of paleomof~oclll in

fonnlllion. wu a su::nlt scienct. Second. he ftlt
that balanctd ph~sic:JI and Oiologicol appmnch
added imponant and corrOOonttng nfonnaton.
which m:lde nterprelations more robust. After
Opptl. untl the tnd of the ctntury. biostntll
grophic applicouons dominated struugraph~. In
response. Walther tl894\ h3d a reacuon "mi lar
to that oi Gressly: helashtd out OJ:!llnst tht m
balanced use of fossils onfy for biostraugruphic
applicauons: jusi as Gressly had reected the om
balanced. soltly mntralogical approach 10 the
study ni Str.lta on his nme. Walther insisted on applyin~ dtt:llled infonnation about 1he physocal
aspects ni stntla. tpanding and emphasizin~ the
principies ti m cnunciated by Gressly.

ot
rocks on such a dear way-and delincd corre
~pondon~ tenns to express this doSlincuon-he
~st:~bli)hed o novel approoch to stratigraphic cor
relauon that os va lid lO this day.
atmourt~

REFINI NG TitE NEW PARAOIG:\1

Grc"IY cstablishecJ thc fnllowing ' trato

graphic concepts: ti l sedimentary tacocs record
the processes and conditions ol the tnvtronment
in which they accumuloted. and are interpreted
by ;onalogy with modem environmentS: (2) sev
eral facies cocxiSI atlhe same water deplh ond
may therefore substitute ior each other as sedi
ment accumulatcs through ltme: C3) the mor
phologtes of fossil specics rcflect 1he phystcal
and chemical conditions of thcir habita!. but nu
ances in their morphologies reflect evolution:
CONSOLIDATI:"lG AN APPROACH T O
!4) "Cnain fossils an: more use fui for interpre
STRATIGRAPHIC ANALYSIS
ing the environment of deposition t"facies fos
sils"). whereas others an: more use fui for estab
Gressly conduded the tirst p31'1 nf his paper by lishin~ the age nf a stratigruphic umt t"indcx" or
pre~un~ oht :>dv:tntages ofhis \lraugraphic ap
zone" fossilsl: 15) timestratigraphic surlaccs
prooch in four points.
an: detined by beds which follow deposotionul
1. h simolofies the apparenl complcny in
protile': t6\ facies change tronsitionally in u
paltontnlogy and provodts a coheren1 link he unodirecuonal trend a long dcpositional protiles.
twun palcontolo!ic:o.l and phy<oc:ll and litholns and this trend is repeated in venical sequence
ical annbutes by tstablishinJ:! alimited number nf through a succcssion of beds la working de
clo,.,ly inttrrelated laws.
scriptmn of Wahhers Law J: (7\ str:uigraphic
2. h explains the physical anributcs nf <cdi com:latoons ba~ upon lithologic cquivalency
mentary rocks. "making them u<efulto >Coence are demunstrated 10 be invalid for the area he
by carryinf:! them fmm lhe realm of sterilclpurely tudicd 1and by extrapolation. this applics 10 ull
descripti\'e 1miner:llogy 10 the real m of grology casc<t: tll) trato grophic correlations mus1 he
by <howing thcir rebtionships wioh thc pm)!re< ba.<ed upnn the ume equovaJency nf strali~raphic
<ive develupment of lifc as is nunifcs1 at the di f. units. even of theor facies differ. t9) lhe depost
ferent epochs of the history of our planetl cvolu lionol protiles ond regional focies trends within
tiont."
a linlited strotigraphic intervll define the re
3. h is the bass foc reconstructing succes<ivc gional pale<J!CO!;n1Phy.
palcogcographics and deposnional pretiles
After Gressly'< contributions had hcen ab
lhrou~h time.
sorbed into common practice. the addition of a
4. h is the basis for reconstructing the time~ nf few ne'v concepts was neccssary lo complete
deformauon using unconformilies owerlaon by the current s trau~raphic paradigm iniliated by
linoral ~ns.
Gre,sly. 'These additional concepts were t 1l the
h is surprising tlw Gressly ornined from this strati~rophic processresponse systcm con
list onc of thc most imponnnt.UV311tages. the one seTVes mass land by implication the conserva
thlt resuhed from his initial questioning of the tion law< opply to strali~raphyJ: (1\ .ediment
Neprunost =tdi~ that his wori< helped disc=l. volumes an: differentially pannioned into facies
He ~loped a new n1t.1hod of stmigraphic cor tracls within a spacelime continuum as a conre!Uiion. based noc opon establlshing the cquiva- sequcnce of mass conserva!ion: !3\ cycles of falency of rock type. bul upon csublishin! equiva- cies tract movemcnts lateral! y 1uphill and down
lency of roclr.s in a time frame. We odd lo the four hilll across the Eanh's ,urface are dtreclly
3dvnntagcs ofGrcssly's :tlpi'OKh 10 Stt:lligraphic linked 10 venical focies successions. and are thc
analysis a fifth: it is the basis for understanding basis for highresolulion correlation of strntifourdimensional Imestr:ni~raphic relation- graphic cycles: t4) str:nigraphic base le,el i~ the
slup:.. Gressly undemood thal there are rwo basoc clock of genio~ oc tirnt. and the referente IT:lme
conctpts in str.11igraphy: thc tirsl is th.:lt sedi- for relating the cnergy nf space formation with
ments nccumulate by a ser of processes in depo- thc energy of sedimen1 transfer: and 15) facies
<itional emimn- . and the <ecnnd i< thotthi< diffcrt.ntiatton i~ :. byrr<'dm:t flf o;;ct.limcnt .r,l
happtns dunn! the p:ISS3ge of time. BecauSt he ume panniontn~.

LOIISU'I'HUUII 1-llWXApply 1() 1!1nlll~r:lph~

The rir.;t addilion:ll concept to the cunent str.tto

graphoc paradigm w3s contnbuted by Johlnnes

Walthcr t lll94 l. He cxpressed a fundamental re
quirement of straupraphy. th;u the stratieraphk
proces5/respon~ s y<tem must con<ervc onas-.
Walther's undcr.<tandin~ oltlm conceptos e~
plained in the simple nbsenauon thal a soeces
>ion of sll':Ulat one pllce is equtvalenl tn u meto
a str.IUgr:tphic surface of disconunuity at another
pi3CC. Thatos. of erosoon is occurring in one zone
along a geomorphic protile. sediment must be ac
cumulating efsewhere. lrough this expression.
he accoon1ed foc the existence of uoconformnies
and condensed sectoons 31 ccrtain gcographoc positions that formcd at the time when sediments
were accumulang al othcr geographic locations.
Walther swed 11894. p. 9961: "h iscl= indeed.
that no materi:ll can tlisappear from thc eanh. that
the ma.~s of earth material remaiM constantlif we
disregard falling meteoritesJ."This mass-balance
requirement. ahhough csscntialto straugraphic
undersl:lllding. is not commonly stated e~plicilly
or uscd implicitly today.
Walthers under.<tanding of mllSS<onservnut>n
requirementS was e nuncioted even more clearly
Jnd spec:ifically by 831TCII (1917. p. 7941: "/\ dis
conformi1y marks a period of timt which is rcp
r=ntcd in sorne other region by n dcposit of for
mation [rock) ,,.fue." h is revealing th.:l! t'rom thc
sllllt str:nigraphic proce<.<responsc systems werc
coMidered in the samc contexl as nther phy~ical
and chemicnf systcniS and rc;:tttJ.,j as operatinp
with the same ba.~oc law.
Sedlmcnt Volume Partitioning
Recogni1ion of mass conscrvntion in thc 5trati
p:tphic process-responsc systern led to thc coral
lary concept of sediment volume partitioning by
Bamll ( 1912\. Walther recognized thal there was
scvere time-space panitioning o f sediment at
times when erosiona! unconfonni1ies and 5ur
faces of sediment 5tarvation fonned. Barrell ex
tended this concept 10 includc time-space v:lrin
tions in volumes of sedimcnt accumulattd in
different f:leies tr.ICIS, evcn when unconformities
or surfaces of sedimen1 starvation were absent.
Bam:ll illustr.lled !he concept of sedimcnt m i
ume panitionin! with a delu example. He
showed that facies uacts moved uphill and clown
hill. and that the widths and lhcknesses of thcse
facies U'11Cts increllSed and decreascd in regular
pro~ressions. Barrell thoutbt that thcsc changes
occurred in response to sea-leve! variations and
uphill and downhill movementS of sitcs of sedi
ment accommodatinn. This principie h35 been
.!pfli!!tl in -;tr:ni~r.lphic i:ltcfj)ftt!ltinn of \:i~r.ttt'
Jata <funng the pa.<t two dccades. l:ltl!elv <fue to

CROSS ANO HOMEWOOD

1hc popul:lri1y of sei~moc and ~equence <mui~ ''The simplest consideration will teach that this
pby ini ti:tted by Peter R. Vail"s group al Enon task (stratigraphic correlationl connol be full !'lylun. 1'>71).
lillc<l "llh tite hdp ot' Ofgl\ntc l'emams antJ on thc
basts of char:lctenstk fossils.. .. H<re paleontol
Cydes or Fllcies Tr.ct Movtments a~
on alone can do nnthin' and needs the help and
Equiv:al~nt to Slrati~traphic Cycles Delined
soppon of other methods. We bdie,e that comby \"ertical SucctSSions of Facies
par:>lt\'e lithology can remo,e these sarne difli
cuhie< which comparauve anatomy has dis
Walther is bener lmown 1oday for bis uw of charged for the field of paleontology."' .-\nd he
tbe Correlalion of Facie~"' th311 he os for express- believed that 111!94. p. 981) "'there are no zone
in@ the requirement thol moss is coMened in fos~ols that can tell us which rocks are 10 be seen
straugrophic process-response sys1ems. This is as heteropic. simultaneou~ deposits of the whole
largdy due to Middleton"s ( 1973) account of e:anh surface .... The geologist finds himselfin
Walthcr"s work. Middleton focused on Walther's the fatal situation of bcing unable to recognize
undet'l\landing of the relationships betwecn ''erti- different formauons either as contemporaneous
cal facies successions and lateral facies lransi- or a' belnn~mg to differenl ages wi1h cer
tioM which
required geometrically by sedi t3tnty.... only the ontological method can S3\'t
ment accumulattnn on an inclined surfacc. tha1 ts. u) from 1bio lstratt~rJptly. ami only the la"< of
progr:Wauon. Huwever. Midtlleton did out dwell the <'Orrelatinn of fade> are tn the po"uon 10
on the omponance of tbose relatinnships on the widen our knnwleuge."' Finally. he not d that
context of str:mpraphic correlation. "'""" though e\'en uncunfunnme~ :md other (,urfaC'C's ot \trall
11 was wnhin this strongraphic contexl that
~raphoc di~unttnuuy nnly help e$tablbh relam-c
Walther cnnsuucted his law. a< was emphasozed a~es ot rock unus rattler than true temporal
by hos tille. To understand Wahher's insistence cqu~talcncy of correlatton tl89~. p. \183 t: "when
;obout the need to fnrmulate such a law tor 1he a 1rnnsyressmn rcsult~ rrom a po~i1 i,e shoreline
purpose ot ~1rougraphic correlation. we '"kw his <hiftin:. the songle tliscon.lance cannot pn"ibly
insigh1 from a historical context.
be of the samc age. and the relative sarne agc is
Walther first restated Gressly, ob,enalion encuuntered rather lamely a!!ain."'
that the uescriplive. physical auributes of a roe k
With 1hese arguments Wahher establbh<tl the
!Grc"ly'' "'facoe~"'l reOectthe pro"<' that need for a mcthotl n f tempora l corrclattun ol
oprrated i n the e nvironmenl wherc 1he ~~di
5tnta tntlepcntlent uf bio<trJtigr:sphy. In reacttoo
ment accumulated . Wahh<r wrote t 1!19~. 10 what he con\IUerW an excess\-e emph""" rol
p. 9771. "'\Vhen we examine the primal') quali
usin!' fosstl dat:~ exclusively as thc baso' for
ti es of the rocks. we c~nno1 ltelp but no1ice that tstablishinl,! temporal relations of strata. Walther
m mon~ ways they are s1rongly uependcnt on
foeused on physical auributes of strola i'or corre
~~1ernal conditions.... But there is not only a
lation. He "''en stated that the primary purpo>< of
cau,al relationship between the " ngle deposit his book was 10 describe a method of strotl
and thc climatic cond itions under which i1 graphic correlation basetl upon the concep1 of
arose. but also the severa! types of structure> of equi\'alency between lateral facies trJnsition>and
one and the same facies tract are most closely \'eflic31 facies succes.<ions t Walther. 1!!9J. p. ')l!-11:
connectetl by menns o f the same o r simtlar cir- "'Howevcr. our opinoon offer.~ a means thmugh
cumstances of formation."' Walther rccognized dv! correlaton o f focies 10 chan~e the hotnotaxy
that similar environments have similar (relative are equivulency ) of lhe characterstc
processes. and will therefore produce si milar fossols into a homochrony lequtv:llent age) oflhe
>euimentologtc products.
roeks. W~ have described this way brielly m the
Like Gressly. Wnlther ( 1894. p. 978) distin sectton before. and this cntire work ha ~uide
gll\shed between the genetic origin (process-n-- boot for lite new way:
'JII>n<co of rocks cGressly's "'facies"'l and their
h is on this explicit context of necding a
ume 'alue fGressly's "'terr.n"l. and hecauuoned method of correlatiun that the "'uw of the Corre
"''-eral times that lhese two aspec1s of rocks must laton of Facoes" is expressed. Walther adopted
not be confused. He noted thal "'lf we seriously Gl'essly's Facies uw~ which establi>hetl that
wanl 10 pursue the history of the eanh ..... 110 fries transitions alon~ depositional prolilc> are
Wahhcr. 1hos is the pnmary objective of geolt~o repea1ed tn \'Cntcal facies successtOn>. \\'alther
cal sludyl. '1hen we have to establish the ages of recognlz.ed that progradalion resulted from accu
rnck units ntlependentof lithology so that su< mulation nf sediment along the inclined ,unace
ce"" c paleo~eo~rophie> can he reconsuu<ted." uf a depositinnal pmtilc. and pro,itled a lwpn
\\';~lthcr a<~ened that fo<SII.' alune are an onatl
thtttcal exam)llt: ni >edoment lillint: a tjonl uunng
<quatc mean> of eStllblishin slratograph:c col'l'e a pcnud ol unchMging sea lt:\'cl. He umJcNxl<l
lamon, , and that correlauon ba>ed upon phy"cal 1ha1 a necess:uy ~eometric '-'On~equcmc( uf
3ttnhute' nf <trata o< euenual 11RC).J. p. 979o: rrot:r~d:mon ,.; the dt,wnhilllnr ~~\\ :tfdl uan,l;t

tion o( uphill for 13lldwardl facieS tr:IC13. resuhin~

on a downhilll<>-uohill to'r dcm1f'o<h;JII"''' " '
etal $UICCieSSon nt rxu!S.. Bte3lht' tm,ronn~n'

are ~enlly linked a long tleJ'O'Il oON! prntik.

the downlrill ond uphilltranslalton' ol eO\' tron
ments :u-e reeorded simul1aneously ~ all poso
tions aiOft!! a ~itior~;~l protile. \ 'enK.-:JI fao:oe'
<uccessions at all posiuons "'1thn !otr.III!;I"JPhoc
un11 recQrd these simultaneous lt21l$13110fl\ of en
vironmenu ;md are 1he basis for stratt~phic cor
relution . This explicit linka~ ~"een the "'7.tg
u ;"' uphill and downhill mO\'Cmtnt of emtron
ments and the expression of tbe>t tnO\~ments m
vt:Tti<al f:~~:ies 'U<."CCS,ions as strat!;I"Jpltic <y< le'
is the IOS~ht Wahlter addetl lO the latcr.JI :llld \ 'Cf
tical ~ btoonships that P~'oously had be-en <le
:.cribed by Gressly and " hoch
now callcu
"'Walther\ Law."'

Stratienphic Bast' J..,,..,l is :a RdrTntt

FrtiiM for lhr ~ ol'lirM and the Sit...
o( Sediment Accumultion. Erosion. ~nd
~ondrposition

The muial ,tt:p lel\\ anl th~ ne\t lunJanH.:nljl

new <tratt ~raphic concepl ""' Barrell"' li'J 17

recu~n11on

that Mr:ltlgrJphic ~ucc.~\IUf\"i n:"-orcJ

trttn'lllt\ nf ha~< l~\t l up and Jown at:ro" tht.
E:ann , ,urf:u:c . \Vh~rc h.a'c 1~\t:l ... ;.a hu\1.' thC'
Eanh, ,urta.:c. -<dimem "'ill a.:cumulotc of .,.,-u.
iment "3\':lolabk. Where ba.-e le\-el i~ bek,... the
Eanh', ,u>cc. 'edomen1 , erotkd and tran<
ferred tlownhillto the next site \\-htre""""' le\"tl
is abo'" the E:!nh"s surfacc.
lransots of
base le\-el up antl OO..n acro!o.< 1he Eanlt's surface
pnxluce a stratigraphic record at a li~ed geo
;raphic position of altemating epi>Otles of' depo
sition and m~ion secn as r~_gular \tnical SU\:\:e~
, ion' o( facie' separated by ,urfac" uf
unconformity. The up :ond dc)Wn mo,ernenls t'
ba.<c lcvel coinciue with tite uphill and tlownhill
"'zig Zllg"'I'IIO\-ements of fat:ie' lT3Cb antl thc c<n
comitam cycles of \'tllic:~l facits suc"C\.,011, ~"
u[!niz.e<l b~ Gressly and Walther.
We now r<:>lizc tlw baseIC\el m<"~"" do
not tnmh~ tran:<its :u:ross the Eanh \ surfacc: at
all reographic loeations. In~ pl:aces. a1 sorne
umes. base IC\'CI~&illau:s up and doll'n enttl'el~
below or en1irely abnve 1he Eanh'< <urtace.
\Vhere base-lcvel o.cillauon' are alwy< "'"~
the Eanh , su:x:e. sediments m:ty ..:cuonulat< at
increaMnC! ancJ d~creasin1: nte~. and thc~ ~,,:h~'
.
are reco~nt:tablc in eonlormable >trata.
The critcal issue i> that Bam:ll =O!Inozed lhe
mc:tronnme aspect uf basele\'el c~din~. and
untlef'lnnd th:tt tite strati~rJphic cycle> produceu
hy tht Uphill anu duwnhill mO\'Cment' tll la.: te'
lrJCI~ dunn!! b3~h:vd c:yd~' ''ere lhe ha''' lur
high re\Oiutum >tratt~'f'Jphic eonelallon. He al \O
um.leritotKI 1h~1 u me "a' c.:ununuuu' and 1ha1

ne,.

lime is rull) oo>pn:setllfd in the str:ltigrnphic

19SM: sce ~ummary in Cro~s et ~l.. 1993). Ths during baselcl'el fall when accommoolannn
principie has bern slow to develop and bccome spacc is dccn:zmg. Con.'Cquencl~. chcre are sp.:
rcco!!nized and applocd in .cr:~tigr:~phic analysis. cilic :me! distincu,e str:lli@r:lphi.: sogn~tun:s nfthc
scntcd bi gn 11111.'\lrioormuy at 01to ~oc po- Huwc,-cr. wuh lhc hondsighl of history. we can olilfcrrnt p31tSni b.'ISCIe-el cyclcs. lbe -cdimcn
sitian i.' tCjMC!W111cd by rock 31 :ano~her fl<Kitton. \re honl< of its n:<:ognmon ond u<age during the olo!ic and str:ugr:~phic attribute:< nt facies trao:t.
Tbe nat insisflt e:= completed the funcbmen past h~lf ceniU(\'. p:omcul:trly on Wibon t 1967). commonly describcd in "facocs modeb" .md
!al prindplc cl\31 stt:lli~r:~phic b:lsc C\"CI is che rcf Cunis 119701. ~lacKenoe cl'lnl. Wilkinson "depositoonal system m<XIcl~" Jre !hu~ mouure
ercnce fr:ame for the passagc of time and che 11975). Galloway c19Kt.l. and Sonnenicld ~nd of ~llribuleS which C~l>tcd '"P3ratelv durin~
ba.<selev-cl cycles.
ilCcumulatiun uf >cllimcnt was contribuccd bv Crms 119931.
Whlcr ti~ l. Dunng the iiuen~ing hall' cc~
Accompanying scoliment volume panitioning
lury. thc tcrm ~ lt\el" was ustd in numcmu. are diffcrcnccs in >lrac~l gcometries. facies assu ORIGIN OF GRESSL\"S IDEAS ANO
controllli."t~ way>. but primanly in ~'CUmorphic
coauons and >Ucce~soons. lithologic dhcrsit y. SOME UNANSWF.RED QUF.STIONS
t:llher 1h:ln Slnii~Jphic cnntcxts. B~ll's nouun 'tr:lllticacion t)'pe>. and pecrophysic~l anributcs
Ahhou!h bio!r:Jphics documcnt GreS<Iys life
th:ll st1"31a- NWrally divisible 11110 str:dcgr.phic of straca which :ue prescrvcd within illrntical f~
(c.@
.. Sramptli. 1986. a.nd rcferenccs ciccd
cj'clesth:lt m:mlthe nsc 3lld f:tll oi b:be levcl ~ cio:s tr:x:ts but on different ponions oi b.'ISCIev-cl
muhiplc f~ics wcnt urK.iulkn~cll. unmO<l c'Ydes. Tbe cfrm ""bcoC1 differentiacion" relers 10 thcreinl. chere remaons consider:~ble rnystery
ificd. :md unu~. \Vheelcr brought me lcrm bxk thcse changes in stdimencological ad scrati abouc sever:tl aspects of his intcllcctual leaps lO
10 Mr:ltt!!r.Jph~ anll introduced a diffcrern nottnn graphic ~ttributcs durin~ b:t\elcvel cycles. Fa ward establishing a ncw philosophical appmach
uf base lc--cl tNI w:s more appropna1c for slmtt cie.' diffcrcntoation retleccs the degree oi prescr and mechodolo!!y of stnuigraphy. \Vas che con
grJphic analy>i>.
vation uf original gcomorphic elemenls. as well cept thac ~ facies represent~ !he producos of
WhcclcnU~Sidcrcll ,rotigr.phic trJSC lc-vcl ~s
as the \"ariacions in types of geomorphic ele processes oper:1ting in s pecilic cnvironments
an ab:lc r:11.1 1nonph ~' cc-:U 1. noohurizunta l. unllu la ments th:u cxostcd wnhin a depositional environ passed :llon! to Grcssly <perh~ps by Vohz; Gall.
19761. or did he discover ic through personal
tory. Cllntinuou~ .urf:u:c th31 riscs and f~ll5 Wllh mcnt ~~ d ilfcrenttomcs.
observacions of Str:ll~ on thc Solothum Jura>rr
Thcrc are rwo prindp:tl c:ucgories o( facies dif
re>p<c11n the E:ml,.<>un":lce. As base le--el ri~<.
inttr>cctions uf thc t>a.,cl~el >wf.'lce and the fcrmtiation. Tbe tirst e.ncompasscs che chan~ in Gressly discovcn:d the signolicance of relating
,eaward-indincd Eanh\ .un':cr mo\-e upholl. anributc. of ~single l~cies th~t occurduring b.'ISC obscrved lichologic attribuces to che procc~se>
Thi> oncnoa.<es thc area uf thc E:uth "s >un~ce !~el cydcs. The depo<its uf ~ brnidcd stre:un lhat lhac t'ormed them. chen huw did he undcrscand
bclnw ha.e lcvoel whcrc scdimcm m:y accumu ~ccumulate during lnw accommooJacion. for thltnssociation sincc he had no tirslhand ~nowl
late. and io~~:rcaso:s the scdimcnt Monaye capudcy example. have limilcd f~cies oJivcr.~ity. By con cdge uf 3 marine environment nr mndem marine
in cunton..'mul cnvcnmments. As b:be lcvd f~ll>. trosc. che dcposics uf~ brJodcd stream chat ~'CU sediments umil 1859? Did his undcrscanding of
the upp"itc :\.'Urs. StrJiigr,phic baso: lcvel is a mulate lluring high accommndation hav-c in marine c:uilon~te p~leoenvironments come from
"""'-1ipror nf the ont=c"tion~ baern PfOCCl'<C' aca<cd fxic. di\"rr<ity. ln thc laner = a gre31er liter:~ture. such as Ch~le~ Lyell's Priu<"ipl.-s of
th:u <:r..':ltc 3lld rcmuw ao.:commod:uion 'pace . v.lri<ty :uod a l:u;cr proponion nf thc original geo- Grolugy. or rrom his mentor. and friend<' Why
morphic clcments of the br.Jidcd scream are pre did Gressly nor publi.s h un f~cies and 'Cr.Jil
3lld >urtici:ll pro.~ that bri~ stdimem tu ur
renkl\'c !!Cdimcnt fmm that spxe. In effccc. but <CI'\'I:d. although che gcomorpbic demcnt of che gnphic con"CI~tion after his tir.~t and only paper
on thc subject'! These questions are unanswen:d
001 e~plicitly. Wheclcr olclined stnti~rJphoc tr.1.'1e
brJidoo streams wrn: the
in bulh cases.
lr\"cl as :a pocenciomecric cner;y 'urfacc 1h~1
Thc >Ccond 1ype uf facies ditfcrencialion is n despice considerable bibliographic ami historical
o.les.:ribcs thc cncrgy ""!Uircllto 1110\'e the Eunh \
complete chlnge in che types of facies andlor che resean:h. sorne uf which ha. bcen cited. Perhaps
'urfu..-e up ow o.lown tu a posicion wflcn: grJdicnl<. facies >uccessions lh~t Ql:cur atlhe same positiun adolitional knowleolge can be ;leancd from scudv
,cdiment suwly. and 3\.'<.'0mmodotion an: 111 along a copugrophic pmtil< uf dcp<.>Sition. Tbe>e of his lleld n01es and unpuhlshed manuscripts.
changc' in facie> as:.(mblages retleo:t changes in stored in the Sulocbum muscum.
.:quitibriunnCrus.Hul.. 1993).
\~...,tcrs ..tt:lligrJphic b:o.\4! lt\cl is thc con
che g~'Omorphic con>muents uf thc depositionnl
c'l:ptu:ll .Jcvi.:e th;lt linlr.s ~1 conccptS: cn\'ironmcnc. A c"Ommon cx:unple is lhe allem:l A LESSON FR0!\1 GRESSI.Y'S APPROACII
Gn:>sl~s faacs and f:ll.'ies CI"II:IS: Wahhcr>
1ion of wavcllominated. open-ocean-facing
A common percepcion in che prnctice uf scdi
nolion ofthc -ziJ ;taf" upllill anddawnhill m<l\"C shorcface.< during base lt:\el f~ll. with tid:clc'Ur
mcnt o( fxies tr:.ccs: Gressly' and Walthcr"~ rent olominacrd open bay. ~ulf. and estu:uy envi- menwy geolo~y today is that vari:uions in .crati
idcntolic:otun that chis mu''emct11 > rccurdcd as ronments oluring ba>elcvcl rise. The seomcxpllic grnphic architecturc. facies compositions and
clements occur altemately atthe s:une position assemblages. and pelTOphy~icul aunbuces of sc"ll
~ular venical facies successions chac udinf
, scraugr:apric c-yclcs: Barrell's notion thllt b~ along thc topogr;phic dcpositional prolile and at imentllr)' rocb :ue complex. disorgnnilcd. highly
lcwl cycles ow the clod; of Slnligraphy <and thc same ro~~~ge in water deprhs. Essentially. the vuiable and haphaurd "noise- of the str:~ti
lhereiore th:lol c!Wftlalions b:ued upun physocal open-ocean-facin@. wave-dominated stn ight gruphic ~ . Howevcr gn:ot the comp!exity
and varillbility in scdimenlologic delllils. this pcr
>tr.llo~ :ft pouible t: 3111.1 theconcep of sed
c~lline is tcmpur.uily n:p!:ll.'ed doring times of
imem ,..,.._ pgnctionin~
baselevel nsc :uod incrcasing :x:comrnodation by ceivcd "noise~ must origimue fmm thc preserv:l
an emb~ycd coastline. when: wave energy is tion of Vllr)'ing proponiuns o f original geomor
phic elernents as str:Wl. We tue ronfrontcd tod:cy
F.te DB:su k in PPI.mool-1 ols.timenr dampened :uod cidal cun-cnts nn: enhatlced.
Vol._l'alillwciaJC
Thc dcgrer of prrscrvJtion is n conscqucnce of with 11 similar problem to the one Gres~ly olved
the ratio uf IICcommod.tuiun 10 stdiment supply. by ctuefully documenting all those attributes
which he l'OUid master with thc menns available
Thc 1:151 f1lnd;uncm:ll principie to be emplac'ed Setlimentvolumes and geomorphic elrmcnts
withm the c:urn:nt stntigr.plric par:~lligm i' che ""'"'completely pre;ervcd durin~ b~selevtl ri~ ut his time.
Usin; Gm;stys appmach. lhi~ .. noose"" ,.,,..J
..:unt..-cpt ol l:u.;I\.":S c.htl~renuauon 'Van Siden . when accommod:mon s pace ~~ mcrc~smg. than

! ~-un.l by che combiru11ion of nxks plu~ surf~ce1

of str:~ti,nphk olisc\ntinuity. Tbe u me rcpre

G"nlo~ic~l

Sudetv ni Americ~ Rulknn. De<:cmher l'l'll

CROSS ANO HOMEWOOO

be considered 10 h.ave a high infonnalion content

and a m!U!ar. predicuble S1IUCI\Ire. Quantitative
mca>ur;n:nts of sedimentoiogtcal. btolopcal.
and pcii"Ophysical aaributes sbould provide infor
mation crucial to unnveling lhe complex ltistOf)'
of scdimenwion. E.wnples of sedimentologicaJ
allributes 10 measure indude bcdset thiclcness of
identical typcs of cross srratification: bedform
diverslty: frequency of shale panings: frequency
and :unount of relief 011 scour surfaces: ;)lid ciegnle
of preservati011 of ori@inal geomorphic elements.
Examples ofbiological allributes include miaofacies composition: faunal si.u:: spccies di~iry:
number of trophic levels: and reproductive strat
egy of popubtions. EJtamples of pcuophysical at
lributes include porosiry. pcrmeabiliry. and capil
l:uy emry pressure. Recording of thesc aaributes
within a time frame given by the chan~es in
accommodati011 should provide a clearer and cc.herent p1crure of lhe deuils of stratigr.~.phy.

trends within a limited strllip:lp/tic interval de

fine lhe repional pal~~taphy.
Gressly providcd the shoulden upon which
ocher ,;ants of stratigrapltic scicnce have stood.
After Gressly. lhere were five additional strati
~phic conceptS thal were added to complete lhe
curmtt stngraphic paradism. <ll The stn
gnpltic process-response system conserves ma.ss.
(2} Sediment volumes are diffenentially panitioncd imo facies tncts within a spcetime connuum as a consequence of mass conservation.
(3}Cyclcs of facies tr.ICI mo>eniCIIS lalaally (uphill and downhillliiCI'OSS lhe Eanh's surface are
di=tly linked 10 venicaJ facies suc=sions. ;nd
are the basis for high-resolution com:lation of
sb'llligraphic cycles. C4l Stntigr:sphic base level is
lhe d ock of geolog.ic lime. and the referente
frame for relating lhe energy of SJIICe formation
wilh the cnergy of sedirnent uansfer. (5) Facies
dill'eremiation is a byproduct of sedirnent \'Olume
pllltitioning. Most of these concep1s were added
around lhe rum of lhe century.

CONCLUSIONS
Amanz Gressly began geologicallield studies
in the Jura Mountains with lhe imention of mapping and com:lating strata and reconstructing
SUCCe$SiVC paleogeogl'llp/tiCS within lhe ex.isting
pantdigm of Wemerian Nr~~unism. His careful
observations causcd him to recol!ftiZC the invaJid
ity of the tenets of ~ parndigm. whicb he jenisoned. and he developcd the foundation of the
stratigr.~phic parndigm we have today.
Gressly established lhe following strati~pltic
principies. (!) Scdimemary facies record the
processes and conditions of the environment in
which they accumulatcd. and are interpretcd by
analogy with modem environments. 12) Severnl
facies coexist at lhe same water depth and may
therefore substitute for each Olher as scdiment
accumulates through time. (3) The morpbologies
of fossil species reflect lhe physical and chemical
conditions of their habitat. but nuances in their
morphologies reflect cvolution. (4 ) C~n fossils are more useful for interpreting the environ
ment of deposition ("facies fossils"). whereas
oth= are lliOI\! useful for establishinl! lhe of
a ~tnuigraphic unit ("index" or "zone'' fossils).
151 Time-suuti~phic suaces an: defined by
beds that follow adepositional profilc.C6l Facies
chanl!e transitionally in a unidirectional trend
along depositional profiles. and this trend is repcatcd in ~cal sequence through a succession
of beds ta worlng descnpuon of Wal~'s
l.aw). (7) Suatignaphic com:laons based upon
lithologic equivalency are dcmonstnltcd invalid
for the =he studied Cand by extnpolation. this
~pplies 10 all cases 1. C8l Str.uipphic com:lation~
mu<t be bued upon the time equi,nlency of
strati~raphic units. even if their facies differ.
f'll The depositional profiles and regtonal facies

16~6

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We th.ank Jean Paul Schaer and Marc Weidt1WIII for reviewing our tnnslation of Gressly and
for considerable insight 011 relevam historicaJ ;nd
biograplcal manen. Their shzed enthusiasm for
this subject was stimulatin&. Michele Aldrich.
Gerry Friedman. and Gerry Middle1011 providcd
constnlctive reviews and direacd our :memion 10
sorne of the relevan! literature. Jolm Grottinger
read the pcnuhimate draft and sug~sred im
prol'ements in the presentation. We a~iate
their help. Elf E~ploration Production gave pcrmission 10 P. Homewood to publ ish lhis papcr.
API'f:NDIX. TllANSLATIONOF"CEELLGICAL
OIISERVAnONS OFTRE soutrRE .rtlRA."
PilRT l. "llf'SCRJFI10N OFTEJUtAINS WHJCH

COMPOSE 1HE F'RAMEWORK OF111EJVRA

RANCD IN 1HE CAHlON OFSOUUREAND
ADJACtNT REGJONS" fGRESSLY. 11311
The mounain nn,.. whidl run tJwouab the Soleoft
Canton Md all of northwest Striuer!Md are compoced. as in the French Md Bcmese JW'L of altcrMt

2. ~ ........ or Musdlelbllt
J. lfaoper- or a
morh
ll.Jwtwlc 0< (I/tfliL JmtaiiOn
AlIWic C..,.. subdi icled illi<Y.
l. ' - a t sandslollel of U;u ond romntontS

ideaL

.-_..p)ptwa
2. Upprr as Ot Uassic marls
ll~r I IDflulc or r..-r Oo/ir~ic

a-p. '""'

dMdedile:
l.Mom ......"' l....... in En,lishl llld""" oolitt
2. e~ r.b:w4*t lima..,....ld<Me , ,.
crilos- bioclaslic1Ot Dona'
3. Oll~s nxrtn. rusty IUdy li....-.. G~ot
Ootiw lwnt~a in EnJiish). w rnarb-" On~a

C!MidJJ 1wnw1c a,.,., ,.. Ol[orrJitA oulldi,,ded

_,

l. Oxfordian nw1$ or <hford Cloy (the batr -mten

ia~ishl

2. T......, l chaii!H(chony -.;,

ow,..., JunuJIC or u,.., Ooliihic a,.,.,..>Ubdilod inlo:

I . CanllieiTIIII

2. fbeda:an scmin
This clw i!Xation seems 10 me 10 be tle "'"" not
un1 ..t most fl-.ble for stlldy ot \CCondrv
1"""'-s Sccondoo .'I Sinltlplllhic: UNU of ltp>M !Nt
we IR cuw::aa:d wutl becausc it pr'O"des ""-'ee' tJi.;.;... wluch ore..,.,_ llld awids subdn-nions tiW
1ft! onificW Of purrly local. lt 11...... UOIO brift, out
~- rnrOIIercumplu desci ipd .. ~(d...

sifiraion) the essential charxurisrics of ow stmi

plllhic 1lftiiS ond their ial reboftlllipo W'llll..ao,s
r.- I'<Jmp coumries. lndeed. arry dese s~'1tem
lila r.- fomp lokJcisu llld Slriclly
to the
IIUily of a ~ diillllt CUUI'IIIY can le1d 10 .me- iD
w a z w:u (mismatehesJ which ore
10
for tle Swiu Jo.n llld wlricb ha beal 1 ''""'""' npt
riace. Commonly thll wblcll is percy tNO for
b f , . - o( counuy may 1101 be appowia for anothrr .... that is - very far awoy. And. t is 0<1ly
dlialp areful Jllldy o( al! o( the ""'"""' o( , ... icll<l
- . ..t then tl1rouJh COOIJ*iCWI of - . J of theoe
ep.ttudied in this ,_,.,, lhll one alast -.n at
~ resultS. Thete resuhs...,. ollow 1 ,_.br.
..,.w.iolaof the eeok>Jicol JIOIOii 1 1ond more
or..,. pobobk ~ (- iJrllihic coml>ti<lnl
of a ,_,cutar roclt (ltbulosY). or a , ; - S1ral unat.
ThillhtMd ~ a sod t.is for 1 wdl..ubli<ohed
11111 pedictne lulowlcd,e of the - ttte cond
!CiiiL . . . die laws of fonn:lfion of the5e iOckS 3nd

,.i,..

"""'ied

easy r.,.._

. . . . . . . C9t12-m.
.. ft SiaSIIaall llave SIUdied. perflapJ- so aJaan
MI11Rsc eiK. catmnely v.wd peoopaphk al or

qiul variaom -IUA lf e'l'ffy Step the

ptl

inl hlrd and nonresiuam limr-.u llld marb which

oscribed _,,_. to 1lae

dilfrrM tlnll,..ic units in die cllffemal <C>OIIIIries.
Thory (tlanr YlriaioMI are nn actetici-. "'--m

cOftlaln minor bedl of silictous. iro&-rich. and othrr

monenb. The number of strlti@BIIhic unns rqft

forn

~by thesebeds tS .,...... ~y in the nonll

of the

e - llld in the adjaceM- of Aflovia 11111

Bloel Jtn. rlwl in the rat of the Svms Jura. Besides

the variousoolilhic: p:roups. olderstntipaptric unnso(
the Triusoc fomwion OIJCCniP. shownr sectlOM of
lhrir tihed beds. Thete uplifted stmiftl!lhic units in
tls ara comprise the whole kWiidlo y (Wemers S..:
andary. or stnliflld rocksl seneo fnJm the '-.rirpl<d
~~one:s 10 lhe ponlandian v.uh :a s.ucceumn trom
bale tc>tnp 11 foil..,..: 1!1)-1 ~ 1
l. TrlG,&Ji~ or COitC'Itylrmtt' F'orwt.tJtlnll. n WPfpnin.r

dtt

foil""'"' ~m>IU.'
l. Variegated sandslone temin

.....,.... uniformity lhll -

~piic: unitll-n:e;wns1. and tulle~

~ast wbo _",.. 10 ltlldy the ~ of oow

Jonsoit~ ll~l-7)
dy. he (the w~opstl

wiii...,...,.IIIJirise

in m. ot fonna1ioM he tlaoucfal he k.- .,.,n for

-1*<1

10111' Iillt. Led ~ by 100 much faidl ia

P +t< dopa. whidl ofteft pceatim ,.ty load
faob.. he will Pftbl!'l be mitt&Ual atoa.t Cha&CRII
wt.icla il t1en he "-PI be~.-, to 1,;.....
su ., ;plaic unit .... 10 . subdii . . ift i*lilulll. he
<>n will be t<mpted to complt!fly confct,. onmal
, .,,tljllaic unr. loillJ so for u to doubl lhtlr ..,_.
-~ ...~. 110111-1~1

aro...... 3Jl01her more lltenttve study. -

Ion~ ond obo\e 11 more""""""''""

Geological Sociery of Amerita Bulletin. Decemberl997

pro-

wdl \hnw him

how tMCh lhe 'tNC'ture of ovr Jura is srill ui'W:.ow~t..

fiCU wtlich Wlflo,N IIWW f'C*JIO~icaJ ~
ai'Mi whol.c rcxh UI <WII)'- nk:uuml when thl

a..t tt.e Kll. Al k-an. 1 often h:rw: bren 1St~

iftd eo n..t ltt Che ditn"iburion of our fouits rht laws
of liinJ eonww.nidt1 tnd in thr corrnpondina

... ..... ........, O.l'ulckw.._.. ........

mdt to whk:!h 1hry ltad will hn-t- bf.e.n amen.Uy
_ . _ . , ..... ..., ,.,... IIWI)-:!01
_ _ .,..,., ..111<""'""1' _ , ....
w t<oluiullowo 11111 lh. , . . _ waifiod ..;m to

....-.... ol ,aopf4h"c .... ,eOJIIO"C cJoonaor.

i~whcoc: J ldo tht li'lli"fC"'OMHHn~!he
CM'MU.Wi
11eandilic:JM whkf'l tv1t M rhc ~
-!IV4-12l

~.~,

- - -...... -,..,nc-otlh<
...pborios- , _ ........... .,....,.
cui><ly mocfifytlln<l.., _ . , 10 lile di>mc
....,., . . . .,. .... _
, _ Mdft!INIIy
ol ~ ctn.mc rqioftt aeccu wd on
a 'Y'-

.wy,.,

ol -

l....-..-ldifl""""'""'-

._,"typ<s <Jacnpjf.-,.
.,_.lhc

.... ... ,_.,....by sp<dftc ond r.irly

............. (100001 11/JJ
Abow 111. ,_. . .
&cu whlcll defloe

-lltljor

c:ollforir

"'' - ........ o l t h e - wltidt 1

ar tht ....,.tl{oltMi~ ..t: OIW f , _ . . . , . _

. _,..... ...........,_, <>1.-nlc/iJioo/

t:Jf.,_

ot-ltft'rl~--~tPJrlwc w nact
ri/k' ,.., ...... kol ~: -.,.., & . .

r'Wff ,W. D' 4 J ,.,..~ G.JOCIIt;OII riftMJI'SI! ,J.

tWn- - "'-'.,..n..<.{fmsi/sriido.,.fw
O

Jll/4-10)

JI. b y -........ ~---.--.

ldiCritc. tpt'lifc (arie 1ft ..,... in ~ (IQ. it ,

a ~~ Nle rha ~f)tmcfts of 1~ Jt'M1' tftd
tpetieJ wllt he m\K't. nm". "n dew:loped and las
dwa.wriltk tNn hl the f~ein ur rmtn1 -..mta1e
to whido ttw:y -.nally b<kwtf. Similorly.--""'
,.0f1M)IIte charac1eri1tics o( a (X~ lincticMOn of
illrrml drpollrioMI ,mees~ or ntVironmcats)II'C
..... -lopotl. tite poltonfOiot<ll .. t f . . . alto
tre tht btM eqam~.a. dtt cenen and species tre
m.-~- aft1ft01( typittl. best dnft..
aped. ud f t COIIIWikMI) ia a pafrct Sllle of ~
rioL lrltw: flda...,.,...,.u ''w(bmrsria wiOt
...,._;c ,......,. t1te r..

...

""*

-""'--------tih...., . -.._

tnO<al- ...... """""""-_.ay ....

P*l1 ~ ....,ty .... 1 ............

..........
-~-- ....... ~ .

ft)""

---p
.
_
.
.
_,
.
_r._,...,_,.., ............ ..
-"*--..-.. . . .Ji..;a-..

- -.. "" ........ foritsO J - .-lyOCC\IJ'

ia iltno.lll/11 - 26)
1
al and pc:aclliijlf;iall ..-u relMed 10 ftcirs) ia rhr:
-ipdood adt _....,.., ....

""',;a"'-

lhe.....,

wNc:h 1'0""'1""
IC tallia. .k;
........_,.~ ......... ,..... ~'',a
........ , _ _ plO) ........ ,...
~ -=11__.-teale da.e au4iJpllc 1llliL tlbdt 01
ployedby ,. . . . . . . .
10 chl C1M

~ ............... drcripiOidd--
p..,tlic una,. 1 wilf JW my Ulki pCCtiOii Oft thc dif.

forin d l o t l - fO b< l- -

~ or ~it---tt dieqJ JCII

:kj)OIIS.

wirlwNt ooaibin """'<CCif"""'"- f t

'""'.-:bol
..
- iry ...,...,.....
..... w.:...................
...... ONifiod ..,....,.

CICh-...., SeN-.. . - .

- h is _...., pn<tit<d.l.-..1 of brincwid'la DtfWA Mlmbcr of ,'frtkal teetiont a typc ICC

follow<d
tQ hori.lortt.al CJila'll. f U pouible M onia In study
111its vuiodaM. ti Olll- 29)
In thls Wl)', f hlve rome eo ndcntatld that wkhin
rht IIUI eumt1 ..d"-cmtc. horirontllt"J al ftdlltr
rain. rhttl .,. Mftnl ~t-ddinr:d Vlrith~ which
umt rnrwn 1ft lktiliiJIPhiic ~iiW.. n
well a~ in 1M p.leo.eolofk arrribu-I.C1 of their rouil

_ ,. -,forir~

Ottalt

"""'............................
dllr-.. . ..,.... """"'-
-<lrTPI-""_,_,_
.....,..,._...,........_.,,m.,,m ....
cical

--ciJ.

1 lltlot 11tot the JldiOii ; 1 or ,.~

c:~r~Maa ot scnrinpsk _.. ie w hori:r.oM.a ~
c..t<dbythe ....... io - J

- -andJO,.,......uy
;-...,. ....,
... dift'c:rt:M
Jaa"l
~IQ luch tnllabit lbe

errnin of our J.,. from R.tndH in 1he Caruon

o(

......................- . ei..UC- wttith

~ Md btftdt m fOI"a: of tht w.ws bit tuoYU"S
iee owty. Md C'OmiCt 0t.11 vk'eorion rmm tht m~
~ mmbtt, 11w: t.rtla'ftll hU. . . . .) o/ thc orp.~

....,..., .... ,.,....ottoew.._ .. ..,.... _..

pn.

""""'*' ...

ro thr citc:UI'M4NK'C'S wtlich pera thtit

.,.;,-.. c-....y o11 , _

unioed "'

.... olljl<ti><.' lllllO> .,.01

Ooe . . . - - - ..._. clivme

~-- 11 "" ......... - . . - ;,
.;..... d...Xity ... b Ot .... flailole """""'.
o1 omcvlo&ed u . - ditb . . -. . .....,
. . . - by
wlt . . uuaaol flaj.
bk: ud tre he.td iNicie lft'Dnl commoe tpickftnal
shcllh. 1"hry neeh lO the scdiflllfM _ , ' " Md any

,_liben

Tite

tite""' ............ beyoJid

CleftC'YI Md fn:wnthc Sw1u lrnoluttl basl" u r. u dllt
fool lhc ~ in tht Fttnch dcpilhUCIICS ol ()oubJ..

"""'
Jyltts . . . - Ethinodtnnt
...........
- wi1h
"'
by l>oldfut.
..,...,.,;fiod
111"-

, ....... Hout.s -. tJ2/13- 22)

1i lld 10 murn IMCr co more pm:ise CICW$Si<M
of thit ~ Wt o - '""'Y al llllho deuoih of

"" olo multude ol ;>1- wttich .,. joiikdtofe'het

or

.,.._...,.i<ll ............

""' - - of ....
of
_. llretitr...k . . . IMI dw phenuri'WN wlchtft Jhr

wi.

._;M Cft\W01 wttr*y -MIIatkNt me 10 judre

Jft111er IIIWIIQ 1M 10 11"' morr jUibficd opinioa on
dw:tt 11
t 1Vl.J-21l
"" -~~-. h it ,.,.,.... ... ...4~
1

. . ..

ltritflt
... -... ..y ......... .....,.::~"'~:=~
i. . die ~ bftwrem lht 1"42 . ; a.:slibl

-"'="""

11 _,,.,._..___,,....
lotic1'iwktw JoIRihcfouia&UUtt' 1csdw)'
tll.'f9..31)
Fn ololl. ... ohtm<:bolft .. ., teminol
- -.....- - . . , ; .,..,,., _
wltby
........ -...,..;.lly~ from. blll
ft1rfJY ~a, f01 r.~tance. bfttc:tu. c:oarw ootik sand
CQ~UiMI: 81 rotb wfrtk.'h IICCOnltnc to 1hcir S'ti\ICtUft
1ft: ti.JCMWty rlvtrriNJI in orittfl fmm low' a'ltfl)' tta.
for ine&.IKC mlrit. rNrly 1imntontS. fine p'lillcd ltr..e
MOnea. hoMc,.:newal i me~IOnft.. ~orles.' pH.oljtic
lhntttnnes. aM plMihn. fpethtpt oncolitel wi\ich
.......... tlw-.;o, IJlil - 101
T'Mtt rwo t"d membtr fodt rypn,. eithtr plft or
..,ac C'ONCir wdl.tincd fatin. -xonilftan ftir
prt+tic d\lnneristit'l. -...tch \lllrf ICCOtdillf ro
dtp<mtloaal ....._
Tkir ,.eeo.fOLotial ftMiml are no ku distiactoc
ii!lldllww)'tw: ; lid t"t'f'ft lhr ~ delail to t:he
ICOpccticai(C.... MNC1\U~. be:ddift.l aDd SUMiftCatiaftJ ..S pc:uc; 41 ' (niVIT'\. wt will lee: ift .....
rc.no., ht " " ''"' nch
i cktail. 1.;n oaly

fOJ<J----y

~-0<--"*--

. . . <M ......

\'lried spuie11 tuch 11 Ctdlrit. OildmiiL ud thr

a,pr .......n. s,..4 oick widl w wn ~ w
.................... . - y -.11.,11-22)
A-1 tite BIYOI-....... 11< . . . ., . of
o
1IOIIdly olllud 10 tite ofl4>t.-""'
fised otojoca. ~......... ""'c.v... ond
.... StooedJWd& -~ ...... - """ Oild. """""

ou-..

*'

cmt

..

........ tttojariorin ..- ... .-""""""

ow . .ierphk unia u r. a t bow dteir o.
... droueh "'' ~ ~0- h ~so ..
IMl N,.,... ot 1eu .UrntfOUS ~ _ , trlftSitioa.al
subfKiet c:wa ..,, be liAMd to che majot f.arirs.
(ll/11-2 1)

a--._._. m4ioes. piooliln. .-Jycoono

t1te ..... rxiet .,.. ...,...;..,.. de

poaie& IUCh .. teWOrbd xd:irnmt lid inwncdift ftWto
liciona to mudd)' (let,, 11lac mcks twtys show rhe
c:t.ww:Ottlodct of llaoJol ond ithllkiw mtriae ~~~
~ .-~.,,..,

... -~ C'Orlllin ro..u a.uembtqn wf'W::b tre cha'x

lll'i:ltlct o1 ttn1 bed1. mnJy uw, r a1 ot fiud mu-

or bnnc:W... conlt. which reAsll tht shock of

- - whiciiiMotJ .......... .,.a..-.. 111<

Apricio&.- ~ Catqoityll '""-....,.

bullil---lftftin...po.l_ ..... .,
t e outo ...... "Thaecon.llalwlyt~rr . .
_.., _........,..""""""' ....... nd.. -

. , - ittJticlt ......,. . - - . -

.....,.. ...... ~ .... pnrdts ..

tltoe ...._ 111<-. bno '"""' fUaJ 11>the . . . - _

OeoJa,ial Sociel)o of America Bulletin.

~btr

-h

...........
n....-. _..,.__ltdp., ...
dlor-"' _.......,
.._ . . .,._Ot _____
.....--....

-------()titen--

00 111<- Odien

by

----lkM-theAI<:aao>Uid
thep<Jfon&od---~.... - ......
., tite
<OC.
---tlte-poloht-titlterby-.0.
muddier uicOIIdNnt lllchend by Corals UMI
CriMMda. weh u t:he A..-.n tnd el'tllop. or by 111
eacnai~ dewtkltMMnf o( \he carboftaae JheU liU che
Trichile&. the Chtmtcr ([)tceru). thc Pnntt. a.nd
!lome of rhc trMJidon ..,eclft of tt.e rm.ddy f:acic~.
FiAtlly, nl.hett nc.lped rhe dawcttw eoe~npt or he
ocean hy thc hlth elulicily of lhtir *11 slld\ u lhc

s..a--.....

Pectlnicb. lbc U mu..lftd thl Tmbntulicb which in

edditioft 'Mft 5 ' ltd by e~ron~11catnen~ holt.Jfat

io lho ftm~ol eJ...x . 114123 01 ISill
tlteid<n!icolclw

Oo&.,...,....___

...... - Ot , .

*"

O>lhc--- .., . . -..... fittds

6c Twt.J. Troche. Pkaou:a-ieo.ICIIIIt Ncrilre&. Md ~
(oirly .... -JitJpodaoi ................ IO

............ - . . . -

ec. CJwcecrsos

alli!houp idconwaL ~- . . . . . .pwticulwlh::IK

................ ot--OIIy-tb<-

p.an. To lhe ~. C ' ' 5 it ..t tidb en ~

t; uud) tqlriMs wt aaly ....._..- _.,._,. ~

- onl)'by _s.,.titl&-,._111
bodieo- OJpOlc ... .........,. (1~19)
Oncvtr'f l-dloiwillit - ; , - .
to .,....... wilhin- ..... flcics is. _ , dlict dltll.
atwayt hiJhiY omM'Aa:d by ritll .aittiOftl. spinQ.

OTite------n.o.-_'""'. . .

-ond-CAtWt
OIJP. . .
"""!
.....ic:ul ....,.,._,,, _., irfttolot ond Ut<ful (Of
-....lttio tht ttlcllto tito .....,. la ....., ""'

fmJII 111< ,...,.,. ..... -

(15/lG-26)

..., 1 tite di-....... Jll - it>dldoJ.wttich

............ 01

ow lwL aad whk:h . . ..tal to 'taow in Older f.O

_ _...... -

ol-1 olpolocw.....,.ul

-la""'

u ........

JiJtlt tlw tMjor- Mol """" _.,.;..

ou.....
ollhc ...
.,....
lirittc coudilioos
01
.,.
_
_ _ .................
n.o.

- - - Jiat .......... call)' .... .,_.!yCO<Oliorin ..

t11t ...,..I r ...cid)' r.ne.. possioc """""'"'" ootitll'

1997

C1101SS ANO H0MEW00D

llld ....... ... . -,.llld .,-11)' . . . . - , .....
twrs) ol
facirs. J:MI IOIJI . . . . . . . fn:a
(JM pakoe 101 .....
. . . . to
leo
~ydlc& ps... '' . . :Lkil...,..lhr:

thc.......,

IIIC'JIMr....,

........., ....

... .-y-lacia. (l6ml> l l/))

1i

A_.-.wt~~ct~is_for....

,,,.,..or...

~-..;.,.11!-.

......,._ ....., ..... o.-......... ot

wilh cill'aall F . . .w:u. .

__
--"-""
"
'
. . . - - l-

. . .. .

kooc ,...,.._ -r ctwaaeriscic e ait:al &s~m~~

.......... _ _ _ _ _,
- - and .m.,.._ by .......... (latj.IJ)

kW11t

olthe ...,.._ lacia. ~

..,..., ,.,.... , _ , . . - diloinllh ...... .. they

........
...,.w lltther
- ll'f"'lobby-.d
'""' <pw .......
-
finolly .. ...........
ooli1r
oppowd n ooWI

lo !he""""""" (conll facies.....,. dwy- ...,

puesuw:ad --r.c

re:a.-.a...-. ~..._

f t . .. . .......... -.:! tpllt'in .... ..., lhict . . .

~

~ l'hty ........ W::C:OOdiac iOciiCWI

CA_:

Thnc ,.....,......... ...,. -

...... -

...,, _ _ in .-. ....... -

_,...,,...ckuikoflhc:~iorl.ddwwsujs..

....- o l l d l e o d a - d i t f - -

Thm.- -,..,..... wod"""llliol

.., ............lhl:-11111-...
'*'"'......

di<

will_

.. .... followo&
d " " ' ' " " " (1611-26)
.,.,. ...,.,;. ...... sudo u mar~.. ond .....
_..,._,._fledy ....,.... Md -.,mllio<
................... sma11 ooldo. .,.....,
conccncrie ~ .._ ~ limiJif M~ 1D

---

.._..,_,

..-ur...,

_,.. ...;a. rorics. wlli<ll;, ;.o .. .....,._ .. ,..

pm:"ediaa CJM,, eidler ' " - b ateM wirlhf dw J.a..
whiQ " ri'IUith liria' . .f t c:.N:r. 01
.... 10 1be:
nldicolly dif.
fcftnl from tht ttnl1ine fade&. 1'1lk &des is c:hnr:1
bod,..,_anybydllrl,...l'"'l.....,..._but<l
,_,iculwly in ! h e -,_,..by thc hilft Ylriabil
ity or <he c~q>o<iu llimolotinl di-lrrl.....d by
lo<ll """"'"wtlid>ln..-.l_.....,...uoltthow

po-11 _,. . . . -..

,...m. .. _ _ _ ,,_

,_

...___ -.....

.....,.,......., . -.... o....myliodo

....,,_,..,.

..__ . . , ..., _

...... in ... ccnl '""" ....... they ...

tiwly thift,.tl lo dw ldt: llrNIIfty !he.._ lnd lht
Ptcdnkh. wiUeh are Y&riout.ly c:wunw-.4 il 1M

ccnlliN lacia widlribs.- ....... .,._

....

ftlate: IOthrir ~ ia: lht ~ ~

-lcxal _..... rlil ...-'7 -

... _.

,...,
...., "*"of'-ij
""""''.........
- .( latl4-2)
.... - l l l d
.... liwdww:eiadtMtOIIII~

AIIOChetd' '

. -y facieo io !NI they . . -

adooively lnt
io
-loriesllo........ - . . , . . . . . , _ ,. . .
m;.,..-.aapec~a. E_...,,..,..

..... -

...... """"'......ly ...... -

INd in lht m.t CA" dlry In: MW c. pllcr lloy

""""'" .-.du=lbyual filrils . - in !he ot
on1o 01her objcoas lyina on tliC unoor. n. spo~~o
ror.ft ..,CII lO brhnf: !Umillrf). ( llf2s..Jll
Anoth<t r.n.. ol th< rnllddy t)'l'< beloofo to tho
lbpcl.,ic Md pcllrfc
llimilar ptOop ..,,, "'""' lit1orll lodn boo dlllm by ..,
t~cnltiC: (O" il asKmbLIJC lf'd b) J1C4Wiak
1IWI-<Il
Tite ......le:~ .... ...,. - Uln:I'NCJ

<,...,..,...,..,_.....ha

"'*'""'....._

lo-.11<-km-

..,.
..,.....,--che--C
M""'
;..,..,
-oldlt
-..ddy flrietlft f t Faifa ca. Arieta Md c::Jmatn
B'
'*leq,uuly
. . . . . . . ~SWWaawwcaeod~1 . t lll
N~ CHuci wtlicll ~ 10 abociMt in 111 ch(
........ conl t'll-.ddy flrin. Nl't . .
only ,_
Tu .-.... ..._ o.r.c.t _, ocha' tanlt f IIft

..,......_.Widin

"""""

""'*

....

-~~---
tMtaldy

_ . . . . . . , . . _ _ . . _ . , _ ,. .

.... ________
..

. . ,..... lht

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .,., iu&a

----_.......,. ....
-------.,
!'

i ,.....,of-=iar
Afta......

.
UWUl'fVlU
1beroojool--

..._,.~

n. .............. p..--llfloioftrol
-(1006..21)
&ttlfn-t:M: ee, ......... .,.

.......,.,.,,..

, . _.,,

"",..~ ,.,.,;,twp~tk

.,.;,,

rt

.,,

' a:i::

111, .,..,.,.,.,

JotW ~,., ,_,,, it1t/ Wwll ....i

......,....,..,_ ~m

Thi tew witl Mtp

..,..1

tt1e cl..,ir.carioru of

..,....,..,..ic: ..;u lftd *ir wbdlis.Kln ..,.

(::OfT't!ln

4tfil.ftl tnOft prKIIel)'lhftr potit"- (*M~i

colly ...u ftotl41 1 n,.Md...;n-cwiMiidtho
ICrirM-.....a ia~ dllr ltulciul ~~cA
(<Omlllioo . , _ . , . . . . ......... , Moicl>
.,. - - by . . . . , . - - widl d;f!- dw

_,_,._...,. . .......
m..
. . ,.. . __ .._..,.10_- .,...,..n ,.,.,...,,.....,.,_,
,.,._..lhr
.."'"'*........
59"
t --.

""""""""' . . -lik,_..Md~.....,. wry "M:at ter wt.en nc1an

...,.,_- .lol

... _ , _ . ... _olthe _ _ _ _

y-.. . . __ ..

llld
opodeo"
'dltccnl
.....
muddy
lacia: dluldlt
Tridlioa.
!he-l
lld
othtt tpecie. commnnl)' Mvr an e.onnoutly .._ele

beC'ome '"'in:lr decOCftJI'OM:d

,...... ...-...,. 1 wJ.UdftJdllo-.otioo.
l t.ve: mauftd lfWf'll ~ lo fui.,_ che Wftoaw ol
drbri, du llftd

to 1\nd \he orir!MI hlbit.a

ia plaa. widl o pn>dp>us
prdu!loo llld so wdl , _
ao ...Sy
Of

__
ol _ _...............
_ _h __
............
ifllolsbdnroold
.......

to.,.-._...
...,.

-tlooonoaiw
1"*".......
.,. ........
.,......- - .... "" .. .....

liollylto thc conll... _ , _ wtllctl ,..,. _ , ,

come. a c - y ad liok oll1be ledo~. llld doa "t

"'di<-

________
..
__
__,_.,..
... _

___,u..,__ ___....... .........,,._

.,.--k---.
___ . . . ... __

___

dio......--.
Rowofttd dqlooiiJ. _ . , . ...., n:llillodl-

-ddi-l"p .!IS/27.
..---
.,1611)

__.,...,_,,..._.,

....,..-,~-ra.Dy

er;..,m. 1ft

fW't':, JPftad out. aad bdon1 ., moedy to free..livina

farm.~. &hinoduu .e Mtlrln1 rwe in

'Diioits ~
in those
wllich .,. tnvelly to lllldy '- la dlt ,_;nc

raf Eddnus -.d rdalluiPftEI'. lbe

e:Yef)'Wheft i lhe' mMdy rocb, but

mcft

--.....................
s.c.
ci!W&kii:Aic b frlr ~
:t

..... ...,. dlic:t. lactdoJ- _ _, - -

for

.......ud dopooiu ..... - nd mW: tho P " " - ""'"4111"""'~ to decipbor.

O.hcr c:autes ....n'aled to nepuN PfOCeuH IDd

...t.ic:h.,.Ml)'d

orwhk:hc:.oalybr--.

,....... 1"'-'~l -lilo iO _......,,_

- . . cllll-41

A...Uiowil " .

lrDI.,Ihcflnl: lll/5)
MJ ......,.,,

hctn ,..,.,.., Jltt.., ,........ 4

e \

IDkwl
dw ..,.,~ ~nbt

( ........ ,. . . . lJ , .

tiiii<<rio _
_.....
...,...," ,......,, tJ( S. .ip:ofiot't/ mwt(,,_,Jtlc _,.IL
(21_,
llool ........... ., _ _ _ _ _

stcM (__..!1 ...

'
*
"""'
"
duriot
~
_...........ooc.,
............
_....,...._.,louils
..... .......... .,_.,
..-.,1 . ..., ..
1'Mtt.
......__...,.r
__ or...,.....,
.... ___, ................
....
........,...,..,.

___
'"""'_o.-______............................ _.,.,._ __,.- ........... ...-tirio....,....,.-........ ..., --- -... ..-..s-...--lo>

(;IQICOIM.If't

-n u rar ""' r- ...~ty

no... b

.., -

prodi.l;o. ..,.nty ol frft binha

fA..... in pwlic:Wit SoleM. "d

)&. ~
,, (Af.l. ~-- Tollina. Jolytihls. Nactio1o.
C<luiL llllldlt .....,. ,. ...
1

-.e-"""
'"''"Ir ,,..

..,... "" .,..... - - ........ y -hod ot ""

Gfylh<P. and E - rrllich .,.
ar

fted. A._ dio Gr.......... _ , - - - tho

R...llllriaa..., Plaowids. Hllla.lllld MOIOf .,.
Turrillo w F - - ... C.,..l '
~ N-..iloidl.. wsy 1iwnt +.AS
Bdea....... u ...,. "' ,.,_ dqoaodi. . . . . . -

. . ,. .----Salolid&witll""'""
..--
n.-

Wll"""icM (~Cia. Ct..-..w aR ICfiUU-.d by tht

_.o~-... ,..

.,. "*-ristic ol thc -~Reptiles.,.,_,ia&tarty in ""'

1uniMic ......... ""' ,..,. . .

- . . ..

u-

""'*"- -

mtriaed - rqiono lnd

~
~-dlotannUelllthc ......
, ... ,,.,..
olllll.................
.aMJ and lhu.s follow lcs.s stria1y dtt f.ariel 1aws.

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CJeoloticll Sociecy o( Amerita Bulletin. Oec>embor 1997

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