Marine flooding surfaces are a fundamental concept in
sequence stratigraphy
Sequence stratigraphy is a branch of geology, specifically a branch of stratigraphy, that attempts to discern and understand historic geology through time by subdividing and linking sedimentary deposits into unconformity bounded units on a variety ...
, where they form the limiting surfaces of
parasequence A parasequence is a fundamental concept of sequence stratigraphy. Parasequences are not directly related to sequences.
Definition
A parasequence is defined as a genetically related succession of bedsets that is bounded by marine flooding surfac ...
s.
A marine flooding surfaces is defined as a sharp contact that separates overlying younger
strata
In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as ei ...
with deep-water
facies
In geology, a facies ( , ; same pronunciation and spelling in the plural) is a body of rock with specified characteristics, which can be any observable attribute of rocks (such as their overall appearance, composition, or condition of formatio ...
from underlying older strata with shallow-water facies.
Therefore, marine flooding surfaces indicate a deepening and can display signs of
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...
and/or nondeposition resulting in a
hiatus
Hiatus may refer to:
*Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure
* Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy
*''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species '' Hiatus fulvipes''
* Gl ...
or break in the sedimentary record.
References
{{reflist
Sequence stratigraphy
Sedimentology