Litho-facies of inshore estuarine and tidal-inlet deposits

Abstract

Three litho-facies may be distinguished in inshore estuarine and tidal-inlet deposits. In general these litho-facies are related to the intensity of the current action over the bottom. The current action shows rapid variations in time due to alternating spring and neap tides and/or wind influences and to shifts of the channel axis. As a result fining and coarsening upward sequences of the sediment types are found. The frequency of occurrence of the litho-facies varied with depth in the estuary studied, but not in the tidal inlets.