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Deposits of the alluvial valley, controlled by the fluvial processes described in this chapter, collectively make up what is called a valley fill. In many ancient sequences, paleodrainages are incised (entrenched) into older deposits because of erosion during a lowstand of sea level. The incised valleys fill with sediment as sea level rises to the next highstand (Fig. 4.1). To interpret fully the fluvial deposits of the fill, the overall valley fill should be mapped and described in addition to the lateral and vertical changes of facies that occur within the fill. Various facies within alluvial valleys, or on coastal plains, are described in this section.

Fluvial processes also operate on coastal plains where valleys are not present. A complete understanding of a fluvial deposit is possible only when the regional depositional framework is established. For the cores in this book that are considered valley fill deposits, the regional framework of the deposit is generally known and, therefore, they are described as deposits of the valley fill processes.

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