Carbonate sedimentation and environments, Shark Bay, Western Australia / Карбонатные отложения и окружающая среда, Шар Бэй, Западная Австралия

The papers in this book are the early results of a research program on sedimentation in Shark Bay which is being carried out from the Department of Geology, The University of Western Australia. The investigation is directed toward an understanding of processes responsible for the formation and early diagenesis of carbonate sediments. Particular emphasis has been placed on development of sedimentary facies and processes in the context of sea-level changes and evolution of the hydrologic environment during the latter part of the Quaternary. Shark Bay, which lies between latitudes 24°30’ and 26°45’S on the arid western coast of Australia, has the dimensions of a minor epicontinental sea; it has an area of about 5,000 sq mi and an average depth of 30 ft. The embayment offers exceptional opportunities for research in carbonate sedimentation since there is a wide range of environments, biotic communities, and sediment types available for study. Carbonate deposition is predominant, and sedimentation is controlled by hydrologic factors, waves, currents, and organisms. Organisms play a major role in sedimentation by contribution of skeletal parts and by intervention in sedimentation. <...>