The metronomic variations of the Earth-Moon system and of the Earth-Sun orbital patterns produce gravitational and temperature effects that alter the physical environment on the Earth's surface. These give an interpenetrating effect of forcing cycles ranging from twice-daily tides, day-night alternations, various tidal patterns and the annual solar pattern. All of these have been used palaeontologically to give precision to short-term age determination in the past. It is cycles of the Milankovitch band that are showing promise of enabling new practical timescales to be established for parts of the geological record. These depend on changes in the Earth-Sun distance and changes in the tilt of the Earth's axis with respect to the Earth's orbit round the Sun. There is increasing evidence that small-scale sedimentary rhythmic couplets may represent the effect of such changes. The disentangling of the interpenetrating cycles to produce an orbital forcing timescale is an exciting problem and challenge for palaeobiology and sedimentology. These should enable numerical dates to be given to bio- and chronostratigraphical timescales and eventually enable many Earth processes to be analysed in real time. The papers in this volume represent major new developments in sedimentological, paIaeontological, geochemical and stratigraphical research being undertaken in this field.--Provided by publisher.--Provided by publisher.

It is cycles of the Milankovitch band that are showing promise of enabling new practical timescales to be established for parts of the geological record. These depend on changes in the Earth-Sun distance and changes in the tilt of the Earth's axis with respect to the Earth's orbit round the Sun. There is increasing evidence that small-scale sedimentary rhythmic couplets may represent the effect of such changes. The papers in this volume represent major new developments in sedimentological, paIaeontological, geochemical and stratigraphical research being undertaken in this field.

Stratigraphy and Time Scale, Volume Three in the Advances in Sequence Stratigraphy series, covers current research across many stratigraphic disciplines, providing information on the most recent developments for the geoscientific research community. This fully commissioned review publication aims to foster and convey progress in stratigraphy, including geochronology, magnetostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, event-stratigraphy, isotope stratigraphy, astrochronology, climatostratigraphy, seismic stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, ice core chronology, cyclostratigraphy, palaeoceanography, sequence stratigraphy, and more. Updated chapters include topics such as the Cyclostratigraphy of shallow-water carbonates - limitations and opportunities, Muschelkalk ramp cycles, Orbital Control on Paleozoic Source Rock Formation, and Cyclostratigraphy in different Jurassic carbonate ramps (Iberian Basin, NE Spain).

An essential reference for researchers, and suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental science, palaeoceanography and geology.

Increasingly environmental scientists, palaeoceanographers and geologists are collecting quantitative records of environmental changes (time-series) from sediments, ice cores, cave calcite, corals and trees. This book explains how to analyse these records, using straightforward explanations and diagrams rather than formal mathematical derivations. All the main cyclostratigraphic methods are covered including spectral analysis, cross-spectral analysis, filtering, complex demodulation, wavelet and singular spectrum analysis. Practical problems of time-series analysis, including those of distortions of environmental signals during stratigraphic encoding, are considered in detail. Recent research into various types of tidal and climatic cycles is summarised. The book ends with an extensive reference section, and an appendix listing sources of computer algorithms. This book provides the ideal reference for all those using time-series analysis to study the nature and history of climatic and tidal cycles. It is suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental science, palaeoceanography and geology.

Modern seismic data have become an essential toolkit for studying carbonate platforms and reservoirs in impressive detail. Whilst driven primarily by oil and gas exploration and development, data sharing and collaboration are delivering fundamental geological knowledge on carbonate systems, revealing platform geomorphologies and how their evolution on millennial time scales, as well as kilometric length scales, was forced by long-term eustatic, oceanographic or tectonic factors. Quantitative interrogation of modern seismic attributes in carbonate reservoirs permits flow units and barriers arising from depositional and diagenetic processes to be imaged and extrapolated between wells. This volume reviews the variety of carbonate platform and reservoir characteristics that can be interpreted from modern seismic data, illustrating the benefits of creative interaction between geophysical and carbonate geological experts at all stages of a seismic campaign. Papers cover carbonate exploration, including the uniquely challenging South Atlantic pre-salt reservoirs, seismic modelling of carbonates, and seismic indicators of fluid flow and diagenesis.

This long-awaited book about non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) aims to cover gaps in our knowledge of these abundant but understudied palynological remains. NPPs, such as fungal spores, testate amoebae, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs and animal remains, are routinely recovered from palynological preparations of marine or terrestrial material, from Proterozoic to recent geological times. This book gives the reader a comprehensive overview of the different types of NPPs, with examples from diverse time periods and environments. It provides guidance on sample preparation to maximize the recovery of these NPPs, detailed information on their diversity and ecological affinity, clarification on the nomenclature and demonstrates their value as environmental indicators. This volume will become the reference guide for any student, academic or practitioner interested in everything else in their palynological preparations.