Sequence stratigraphy and inferred relative sea-level change from the onshore British Jurassic

Abstract

Sequence stratigraphy — the subdivision of successions into fades packages bounded by surfaces representing major shifts in depositional environment — has provided a systematic methodology for inference of relative sea-level change from vertical facies successions. In the present review, sequence stratigraphic work on exposures of British Jurassic successions is summarized. Resultant inferred relative sea-level curves for Early Jurassic and early Mid Jurassic successions show some strong similarities at the scale of ammonite zones between widely separated basins, implying sea-level change of at least regional extent or, alternatively, regionally co-ordinated changes in sediment supply. Also well developed are coeval stage-level influxes of sandy sediments into widely separated marine basins during the Late Pliensbachian, Late Toarcian—Aalenian and Oxfordian. Similarly, widespread synchronous shifts to more offshore facies are evident in the Early Pliensbachian, Early Toarcian, Early Callovian and Early Kimmeridgian.