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A mind of their own; recent advances in autogenic dynamics in rivers and deltas

Chris Paola
A mind of their own; recent advances in autogenic dynamics in rivers and deltas (in Autogenic dynamics of and self-organization in sedimentary systems, David A. Budd (editor), Elizabeth A. Hajek (editor) and Sam J. Purkis (editor))
Special Publication - Society for Sedimentary Geology (2016) 106: 5-17

Abstract

The science of the internally generated behavior and spatial organization of depositional systems has come a long way since Beerbower first coined the term "autocycles" to refer to fining-upward sequences generated by river meander migration, cutoff, and eventual return. Ongoing research has broadened the scope and scale range of known autogenic dynamics, even as a unifying theme-sediment storage and release-has emerged. Many internally generated processes do not have a single characteristic length or time scale but rather occupy a broad scale range (hence, "autocyclic" has been gradually replaced by "autogenic"). But even where they are broad, the scale ranges for autogenic processes are bounded by limiting time and length scales. The central role of sediment storage and release provides a means of estimating these limiting length and time scales based on mass balance, geometry, and mean sediment flux. Recent research has also allowed us to expand the upper limits of autogenic behavior to time scales of 10 (super 5) to 10 (super 6) years. Finally, we recognize that autogenic dynamics is not simply superimposed on allogenic signals but interacts strongly with, modifies, and even destroys allogenic input. That the autogenic imprint on the stratigraphic record is stronger and more complex than once thought can be seen as an opportunity to focus on using the record to learn about intrinsic surface behavior under pre-human conditions, rather than simply as an archive of externally imposed signals.


ISSN: 1060-071X
EISSN: 2159-5755
Serial Title: Special Publication - Society for Sedimentary Geology
Serial Volume: 106
Title: A mind of their own; recent advances in autogenic dynamics in rivers and deltas
Title: Autogenic dynamics of and self-organization in sedimentary systems
Author(s): Paola, Chris
Author(s): Budd, David A.editor
Author(s): Hajek, Elizabeth A.editor
Author(s): Purkis, Sam J.editor
Affiliation: University of Minnesota, Department of Earth Sciences, Minneapolis, MN, United States
Affiliation: University of Colorado, Department of Geological Sciences, Boulder, CO, United States
Pages: 5-17
Published: 2016
Text Language: English
Publisher: Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM), Tulsa, OK, United States
Meeting name: SEPM research conference; Autogenic dynamics of sedimentary systems
Meeting location: Grand Junction, CO, USA, United States
Meeting date: 20140803Aug. 3-6, 2014
References: 105
Accession Number: 2017-082525
Categories: Sedimentary petrology
Document Type: Serial Conference document
Bibliographic Level: Analytic
Illustration Description: illus.
Country of Publication: United States
Secondary Affiliation: GeoRef, Copyright 2018, American Geosciences Institute.
Update Code: 201743
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