This study combines data from many published case studies to undertake a quantitative characterization of clastic parasequences, with the aim to determine how accommodation, sediment supply and autogenic sediment‐storage dynamics are recorded in their sedimentary architecture and stacking patterns. Results of this study are used to critically evaluate the validity of paradigms and models that are routinely used to explain and predict trends in the anatomy and arrangement of parasequences. Data on 957 parasequences from 62 case studies of clastic, shallow‐water successions were coded in a relational database, which includes outcrop and subsurface datasets of ancient and Quaternary examples. These units cover the preserved records of both river‐dominated deltas and wave‐dominated coasts, representing shoreline transits over a breadth of timescales, likely of both local and regional extent. The role of extant accommodation, rates of creation of accommodation and rates of sediment supply in determining parasequence architecture is assessed through analysis of relationships between: (i) proxies of these variables at different scales (rates of aggradation and progradation, facies‐belt shoreline trajectories, systems‐tract type, parasequence‐set stacking patterns, parasequence progradation angle and stratigraphic rise, size of feeder rivers); and (ii) parameters that describe the geometry and stacking style of parasequences, and associated shallow‐water sand bodies. Statistical analyses of database outputs indicate which proxies of accommodation, sediment supply and accommodation/sediment‐supply ratio are significant as predictors of parasequence architecture, and allow for interpretations of the importance of allogenic and autogenic factors. The principal results of this study reveal the following: (i) parasequence thickness varies as a function of water depth, accommodation generation and erosional truncation, and these variations are also reflected across types of systems tracts and parasequence sets; (ii) the dip length of parasequence sand bodies demonstrates scaling with measures of accommodation/sediment‐supply ratio at multiple scales, partly in relation to the possible effect of sediment supply on progradation rates; (iii) in systems tracts, stratigraphic trends in parasequence stacking due to autogenic mechanisms or to acceleration or deceleration in relative sea‐level fluctuations are not revealed quantitatively; (iv) some association is seen between the abundance of deltaic or river‐dominated parasequences and progradational stacking; (v) positive but modest correlation is observed between measures of river‐system size and the dip length of shallow‐marine parasequence sand bodies. The resulting insights can be applied to guide sequence stratigraphic interpretations of the rock record and the characterization of sub‐seismic stratigraphic architectures of subsurface successions.

中文翻译：

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碎屑副层序的容纳和沉积物供应控制：荟萃分析

本研究结合了许多已发表案例研究的数据，对碎屑副层序进行了定量表征，目的是确定如何在其沉积结构和堆积模式中记录容纳、沉积物供应和自生沉积物储存动态。本研究的结果用于批判性评估范式和模型的有效性，这些范式和模型通常用于解释和预测副序列的解剖结构和排列趋势。来自 62 个碎屑岩、浅水层序案例研究的 957 个副层序数据被编码在一个关系数据库中，其中包括古代和第四纪实例的露头和地下数据集。这些单位涵盖了以河流为主导的三角洲和以波浪为主导的海岸的保存记录，代表了很长的时间尺度上的海岸线过境，地方和区域范围的可能性。通过分析以下之间的关系来评估现存适应、适应产生速率和沉积物供应速率在确定准层序结构中的作用：（i）这些变量在不同尺度上的代表（加积和进积速率、相带海岸线轨迹） , 系统-域类型, 准层序堆积模式, 准层序进积角和地层上升, 支流河流的大小); (ii) 描述平行层序和相关浅水砂体的几何形状和堆叠方式的参数。对数据库输出的统计分析表明，哪些可容纳、沉积物供应和可容纳 / 沉积物供应比的代理作为准序结构的预测因子是显着的，并允许解释同种异体和自体因素的重要性。本研究的主要结果揭示了以下内容： (i) 副层序厚度随水深、适应产生和侵蚀截断而变化，这些变化也反映在系统域和副层序集类型之间；(ii) 副层序砂体的倾角长度显示出在多个尺度上测量容纳/沉积物供应比的比例，部分与沉积物供应对前积速率的可能影响有关；(iii) 在系统域中，由于自生机制或相对海平面波动的加速或减速，准层序叠加的地层趋势没有定量揭示；(iv) 三角洲或河流主导的平行层序的丰度与进积叠加之间存在某种关联；(v) 在河流系统大小的测量值与浅海副层序砂体的倾角长度之间观察到正但适度的相关性。由此产生的见解可用于指导岩石记录的层序地层解释和地下序列的次地震地层结构的表征。