TECTONIC CONTROL OF LITHOLOGIC ASSOCIATIONS

ABSTRACT Lithologic responses to tectonic controls permit the organization of sediments into several broad groups, depending on their accumulation on shelves, in basins, or in geosynclines. Each lithologic association includes particular sandstones, shales, and limestones, which in the aggregate are the result of the tectonic framework, the tectonic intensity, and the nature of the depositional environment. The writers point out typical lithologic associations, and attempt to organize the criteria by which they may be recognized. Examples are given from regional studies, and a tabular summary is presented of associated rock types set within their tectonic framework.