Introduction to the future of sequence stratigraphy: evolution or revolution?

Sequence stratigraphy was first developed as concepts and methods from the late 19th to mid 20th century by geologists such as Barrell and Sloss. It is now at the forefront of how sedimentary geologists observe, record, model and predict strata. The Geological Society William Smith meeting in Burlington House in September 2014 considered the current state and future developments in sequence stratigraphy, and focused particularly on how the subject should progress, either by evolution or by revolution. We feel that this is a relevant question because of continuing debate, and in some cases controversy, about what sequence stratigraphy is, how we do it and what it can be used for. For example, one of the major hindrances to progress has been the interweaving of description and interpretation, mixing method with model. This has been pointed out and discussed by various researchers (Helland-Hansen & Gjelberg 1994; Burgess & Prince in press). This thematic set of papers presents a sample of the state-of-the-art in sequence stratigraphy, representing how the method and model is now being debated and developed, from a plea to retain the earliest version of the concept to the inclusion of more radical ideas stimulated from experimental stratigraphy.