Abstract
Quartz arenites and associated mudstones of the late Precambrian and early Paleozoic epeiric and mioclinal shelf seas of the western U.S.A., central U.S.A. and Scotland are interpreted to be analogs of tidal flats and tidal sand bodies. Combinations of sedimentary structures, vertical sequences, textural attributes and paleocurrent patterns confirm their deposition under tide-dominated circulation patterns. Deposition of such “platform” quartz arenites under a tide-dominated regime is consistent with a physical oceanographic law that correlates enhancement of tidal range and tidal current intensity with shelf width. Measurement of paleotidal range sequences in some of these rock units confirms the applicability of this physical oceanographic law to understanding the depositional dynamics of epeiric and mioclinal shelf seas.
Published Version
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