Is the present the key to the past? A global characterization of modern sedimentary basins

Abstract

The stratigraphic record is heavily biased because it is uniquely composed of sediments that were laid down in basins, whereas the majority of the present and historic land surface of the planet is composed of areas that are in net long-term erosion with no preservation potential. Global mapping and quantification of the distribution of currently active sedimentary basins suggest that only 16% of Earth's terrestrial land surface is within sedimentary basins; the remainder of the land is in upland areas that will not be represented in the future rock record. Furthermore, 60% of the modern basin area has an arid climate, as opposed to 27% of the land surface. Tectonic classification of modern basins indicates that intracratonic and foreland basins cover the greatest area, whereas forearc, extensional, and strike-slip basins are the least represented by area. While this modern snapshot does not account for differences in subsidence rate or basin longevity, the mapping and quantification of modern basins highlight the incompleteness of the stratigraphic record, and the importance of caution when assuming "the present is the key to the past."

Fluvial geomorphic elements in modern sedimentary basins and their potential preservation in the rock record: A review

“…Nyburg and Howell (2015) showed that 93 modern continental sedimentary basins cover only ~16% of the current continental area if one excludes 94 the passive margin setting, thus only deposits from a relatively small portion of the modern continental 95 area will ultimately be preserved in the sedimentary rock record. 96 Weissmann et al (2010) and comprise most but not all of the fluvial deposits in these basins.…”

Basin‐scale predictive models of alluvial architecture: Constraints from the Palaeocene–Eocene, Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, USA

“…Sedimentary basins are areas in which tectonic subsidence of the Earth's crust has occurred, creating accommodation within which sedimentary successions can be deposited and, importantly, be preserved (e.g. Allen & Allen, 1990;Weissmann et al, 2010;Nyberg & Howell, 2015). By studying the deposits of continental sedimentary basins, insights can be gained into past terrestrial environments, as well as changes in climate, tectonics and base level, throughout Earth's history (Bridge, 2003).…”

The non-uniformity of fossil preservation

“…Because of this net uplift, this sedimentary record is ephemeral and unlikely to persist into deep geological time (i.e. more than 1-10 Myr) [20,22], and these deposits can be considered 'doomed sediments'. This decrease in the quantity of the stratigraphic record backward through time, as well as its accessibility at Earth's surface, are major causes of the pull of the recent, where the quality of fossil record declines with geological age [23,24].…”

“…16% today [20]). Other areas that are undergoing uplift and erosion supply sediment to the basins, in addition to carbonate sediments produced by organisms living primarily within marine environments.…”

“…pull-apart, piggyback) are less important for the fossil record, owing to their smaller area. For example, 74% of modern basin area comprises passive margins, cratonic basins and foreland basins [20]. Forearc and backarc basins constitute an additional 21% [20], but these basins are less likely to survive into the deep geological record, owing to their tendency to be destroyed through deformation, metamorphism and erosion in collisions with islands or continents [22].…”