The dangers of taking mud for granted: Lessons from Lower Old Red Sandstone dryland river systems of South Wales

Wright, V. Paul; Marriott, Susan

Abstract

Mudrocks are a prominent feature of many ancient dryland successions but they are not always a product of the settling out of suspension load. From studies of the late Silurian-early Devonian Old Red Sandstone mudrocks of South Wales it has been shown that many were not overbank sediments deposited from suspension on floodplains, but were emplaced as sand- and silt-sized aggregates transported as bed load and deposited in sinuous channels and as braid-bar complexes on multi-stage floodplains in dryland river systems. Using the Old Red Sandstone examples criteria are provided for the recognition of similar deposits in the sedimentary record. One important aspect of these mudrocks is that they can represent multiple recycling events and can constitute condensed deposits that may be characteristic of closed alluvial basins with periodically limited sediment supply. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Wright, V. P., & Marriott, S. (2007). The dangers of taking mud for granted: Lessons from Lower Old Red Sandstone dryland river systems of South Wales. Sedimentary Geology, 195(1-2), 91-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2006.03.028

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Feb 15, 2007
• Journal: Sedimentary Geology
• Print ISSN: 0037-0738
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 195
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 91-100
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2006.03.028
• Keywords: mud aggregates, dryland rivers, Old Red Sandstone, vertisols
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1029635
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2006.03.028
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Equal co-author. In the top 20 articles downloaded from the Sedimentary Geology website. Represents a synthesis of mechanisms for recognition of particular mud rock types in field and laboratory work, based on extensive research by both authors. It has wide applicability to studies of ancient mud rocks.