The intrinsic rarity of equilibrium response in stratigraphic processes

Abstract

Conventional sequence stratigraphy is based, explicitly or implicitly, on the hypothesis that steady external forcing results in a steady stratigraphic configuration (equilibrium response), so that an unsteady stratigraphic configuration is usually believed to result from unsteady external forcing. Recent advances in autostratigraphy, on the other hand, have led to a significantly different notion that steady external forcing generally results in an unsteady stratigraphic configuration (non-equilibrium response). To advance this debate, it is necessary to clarify what exactly is meant by a steady stratigraphic configuration. Here, we propose a quantitative criterion for defining the latter concept in terms of the straightness of the shoreline trajectory, and specifically a straight shoreline trajectory or the shoreline being held still as a sign to express steady stratigraphic configurations. In such a definition, a steady stratigraphic configuration means that the ratio of the rate of aggradation and the rate of progradation is constant, or one of these two rates is zero. Based on this criterion, a total of 7 types of steady stratigraphic configurations can be clarified, most of which require unsteady external forcing and are thus realized by non-equilibrium response, although special cases exist. The reason that non-equilibrium responses dominate the stacking of strata is that it is common for a growing basin-margin depositional system to change its surface area. The size-changing system will easily change the stacking pattern (unsteady stratigraphic configuration) if the external forcing is steady, or, if the steady stratigraphic configuration is maintained, the rate of external forcing must change in a particular pattern (unsteady external forcing). Equilibrium responses can occur, but in very special cases. Conventional sequence stratigraphy should take into account the importance of non-equilibrium response.