Introduction to Carbonate Environments, Facies, and Facies Tracts
Robert G. Loucks, Charles Kerans, Xavier Janson
Bureau of Economic Geology
 
 
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DEFINITION OF FACIES

The term “facies” is an important in describing ancient rocks; however, as the International Stratigraphic Guide (1976) stated, “The general term ‘facies’ has been greatly overworked. . . . If the term is used, it is desirable to make clear the specific kind of facies to which reference is made.” The Glossary of Geology, edited by Bates and Jackson (1987), subdivides facies into types:

Click on each facies type to see the many ways the term "facies" can be applied. The thin section below is used as an example of the same rock being described six different ways. Each way is correct, but you must specify in each case how you are using the facies term .

Lithofacies
Biofacies
Sedimentary Facies
Environmental Facies
Petrographic Facies
Paleogeographic Facies
 

Lower Cretaceous mollusk grainstone. Many of the mollusks have undergone dissolution and formed moldic pores.

 
 
 

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