Sediment supply as a control on the variability of sequences: An example from the late Namurian of northern England

Currently, variations in accommodation space are seen as the major control on facies stacking patterns and stratal geometries. This paper emphasizes the importance of the sediment supply variable through the use of a regional. stratal surface-based interpretation of the late Namurian stratigraphy of northern England. Late highstand palaeogeographies and stacking pattern variations highlight spatial and temporal variations in sediment supply, which promote the contemporaneous development of progradational, aggradational and retrogradational stacking pattern. This questions the derivation of relative sea-level curves from specific stacking patterns and highlights the potential for miscorrelation in areas with major sediment supply variations.