Page 26 - Carbonate Sedimentology and Sequence Stratigraphy

CHAPTER 2: PRINCIPLES OF CARBONATE PRODUCTION 17

Fig. 2.7.— Growth forms of
corals reflect the environmental
changes related to water depth.
Example is from the Caribbean.
Branching forms dominate the up-
permost, high-energy layer of the
sea. Domal and massive forms
occupy intermediate depths. Be-
low the zone of light saturation,
corals become platy and foliose
in order to capture a maximum
amount of light. At the biologically
defined lower limit of the euphotic
zone, coral growth in this region is
already negligible. Vijn and Boss-
cher, written communication.

Fig. 2.8.— Comparison of ter-
minologies proposed for carbon-
ate sediments of different cli-
matic zones. Most terms are
created by combining parts of
the names of the most common
groups of organisms. Bound-
ary between T and C facto-
ries used in this book approxi-
mately coincides with the subtrop-
ical/temperate boundary of most
authors. Based on Mutti and Hal-
lock (2001) and Schlager (2003).
T factory C factory