Introduction to Carbonate Facies, Depositional Environments, and Depositional Systems: Definition of Depositional Enviromnment

Introduction to Carbonate Facies, Depositional Environments, and Depositional Systems

Robert G. Loucks, Charles Kerans, Xavier Janson
Bureau of Economic Geology
Reservoir Characterization Research Laboratory

GENERALIZED CARBONATE DEPOSITIONAL MODELS A generalized carbonate platform model displays the relative position of the major carbonate depositional systems and associated depositional environments.
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Depositional environments are not randomly distributed, but form in response to well-organized physical, biological, and chemical processes. Therefore, predictable patterns of depositional environments develop. The generalized platform model is simplified as to the control of relative sea-level changes on the placement of the different depositional environments. The reader can refer to Handford and Loucks (1993) for a basic discussion on relative sea-level changes on carbonate system tracts.



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