Ichnology in Sequence Stratigraphic Studies: An Example from the Lower Paleocene of Alabama

Abstract

Detailed ichno-sedimentological analyses of two Lower Paleocene depositional sequences contained within the Clayton and Porters Creek Formations of western Alabama. The ichnological variations reflect changes in substrate consistency, physical environmental energy, sedimentation rate, and bottom- and/or pore-water chemistry that are consistent with both the phases and magnitudes of the associated sea-level cycles. These results illustrate the potential of extended ichnological studies in the testing and refinement of sequence stratigraphic models and resulting interpretations of sea-level histories