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Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Sedimentology and Stratigraphy”

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A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263). This special issue belongs to the section "Sedimentology, Stratigraphy and Palaeontology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 8236

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Dr. Roberta Somma

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Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: forensic geology; geology; sedimentology; geological mapping; remote sensing; litho-biostratigraphy; structural geology; active tectonics; interplay of tectonics and sedimentation; carbonates; exploration geophysics; quaternary geology; geoheritage; geotourism
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Dr. Sabatino Ciarcia

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Department of Science and Technology (DST), Università degli Studi del Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy
Interests: sedimentology; basin analysis; stratigraphy; field geology; wedge-top basins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the main advances in the field of sedimentology and stratigraphy. Sedimentology analyses the processes of formation, transport, deposition, and diagenesis of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Stratigraphy, based on the use stratigraphic principles, explores how sediments and sedimentary rocks are accumulated in the diverse sedimentary environments widespread from marine environments to continental areas. Consequently, sedimentary rocks are recorders of the Earth’s ancient surface and its related evolution through space and time.

The main aims of the Special Issue will consist of bringing together research that studies sedimentological and stratigraphic data using advanced techniques, methods, and models with the goal of discussing wider contemporary implications. The Special Issue will cover topics concerning facies analysis, the processes of fluid transport, and petroleum geology, and links between erosion, deposition, climate, and tectonics.

Contributions from researchers worldwide that tackle key questions or comprehensive reviews of the current state of the art in sedimentology and stratigraphy are welcome.

We sincerely invite you to be part of this collaborative endeavor.

Dr. Roberta Somma
Dr. Sabatino Ciarcia
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

sediment composition, texture, and structure
contamination of modern sediments
sedimentary structures
facies analysis
depositional systems
sequence stratigraphy
basin analysis
paleoenvironments
palaeoclimate
stratigraphic correlation
lithostratigraphy
biostratigraphy
geochronology
chronostratigraphy
magnetostratigraphy

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 13004 KB

Open AccessArticle

Ongoing Deformation at the Southern Apennine Front: Insights from the Gulf of Taranto (Italy)

by Agostino Meo, Bruno Massa, Sabatino Ciarcia and Maria Rosaria Senatore

Geosciences 2026, 16(4), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16040141 - 30 Mar 2026

Viewed by 199

Abstract

The Gulf of Taranto (Ionian Sea) is a key transitional sector between the Southern Apennines collisional belt and the Calabrian Arc system, where the expression of Pleistocene–Holocene deformation in the shallow stratigraphic record remains debated. This study focuses on the Taranto Canyon area, the main morphologic feature of the northeastern Gulf of Taranto slope. We integrate high-resolution multibeam bathymetry (10 m grid) with Sparker seismic profiles to (i) define the shallow seismo-stratigraphic framework and (ii) document spatial relationships between shallow discontinuities, morphostructural lineaments, and submarine channel network organization. A simplified tie to the Livia 001 well constrains the subdivision of the shallow succession into four seismic units: the late Pleistocene–Holocene unit (PtH), the Santerno Formation (SNT), the Calcarenite di Gravina (GRA), and the Cupello Limestones (CPL). The PtH interval shows the strongest lateral variability and includes widespread acoustically disturbed bodies and recurrent sub-vertical fluid escape acoustic anomalies. Steep discontinuities producing reflector terminations, minor vertical separation, and localized bending affect PtH and, locally, SNT, with normal fault geometries prevailing where resolvable. Bathymetric mapping reveals multiple lineament families and preferred channel orientations that persist across higher Strahler orders, supporting a structurally conditioned template that guides seafloor morphology, sediment routing, and canyon–slope evolution in the northeastern Gulf of Taranto. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Sedimentology and Stratigraphy”)

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27 pages, 10128 KB

Open AccessArticle

Late Pleistocene to Holocene Depositional Environments in Foredeep Basins: Coastal Plain Responses to Sea-Level and Tectonic Forcing—The Metaponto Area (Southern Italy)

by Agostino Meo and Maria Rosaria Senatore

Geosciences 2026, 16(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences16010005 - 20 Dec 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 764

Abstract

The Metaponto coastal plain (Ionian margin, Southern Italy) records the Late Pleistocene–Holocene evolution of a foredeep coastal system shaped by relative sea-level change, vertical land motion, and compaction. We analyze a 22 m continuous core (Meta 1) using lithofacies logging, grain size statistics and cumulative curves, multivariate analysis of grain size distributions (PCA and k-means clustering), and three AMS 14C ages, and we compare the record with a nearby borehole (MSB) and a global eustatic curve. Four depositional units document a shift from lower-shoreface–offshore deposition to lagoon–barrier/aeolian systems, culminating in late Holocene near-surface progradation. Textural end members (mud-rich offshore/lagoonal, traction-dominated, and sand-rich) are coherent across classical parameters, Visher-type curves, PCA, and k-means clusters. Depth–age comparisons suggest net uplift during the Late Glacial, followed by near-present relative sea level and a Late Holocene onset of modest net subsidence; a compaction contribution is plausible but unquantified. Subsidence/uplift rates therefore remain upper-bound estimates owing to sparse chronological control and the lack of glacio-isostatic and compaction modeling. Together with the MSB emerged-beach tie-point, the record constrains shoreline position and progradation. The inferred Mid- to Late-Holocene stabilization and progradational trends are consistent with other Italian and wider Mediterranean coastal plains. Additional dating and quantitative paleoecological proxies (e.g., foraminifera/ostracods/molluscs) are key to independently constrain salinity and water-depth changes and to refine the partitioning between subsidence and compaction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Sedimentology and Stratigraphy”)

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24 pages, 3740 KB

Open AccessArticle

Pilot Study on Fingerprinting the Isotopic Signatures of Fossiliferous Limestones as a Tool for Forensic Investigation of Fossil Trafficking (Cretaceous Crato Formation, Brazil)

by Marcos Antônio Pimentel de Sousa, Daniel Rodrigues do Nascimento Junior, Anelize Manuela Bahniuk and Giovanna Della Porta

Geosciences 2025, 15(10), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15100403 - 16 Oct 2025

Viewed by 1060

Abstract

Unauthorized fossil trafficking violates national legislation and deprives cultural and natural heritage. This study proposes a pilot method to fingerprint the origin of fossils by characterizing the carbon and oxygen stable isotope signatures of fossil-bearing limestones to provide a non-destructive quantitative tool against illegal fossil trade. This promising approach has been applied to the Crato Formation (NE Brazil), which is a renowned Lower Cretaceous fossiliferous lacustrine limestone. This study aims at establishing the range of isotopic oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and carbon (δ¹³C) values of the Crato Formation’s laminated calci-mudstone by compiling isotopic data from previous studies, conducting new analyses, and comparing with other fossiliferous lacustrine limestones from Brazil (Cretaceous Codó Formation) and the USA (Eocene Green River Formation). This preliminary evaluation determined a distinctive isotopic signature of the Crato Formation fossil-bearing “sete cortes” (“seven cuts”) ethnostratum, with VPDB δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C arithmetic means of −5.94‰ and +0.90‰, standard deviations 0.76‰ and 0.61‰, medians of −5.89‰ and +0.73‰, and interquartile ranges of 1.47‰ and 1.24‰, respectively. This pilot investigation establishes a methodological groundwork for the development of a global database integrating lithofacies and geochemical parameters of fossil-bearing limestones to expedite the identification and restitution of illegally extracted paleontological heritage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Sedimentology and Stratigraphy”)

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36 pages, 12719 KB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Petrogenesis and Provenance of the Triassic Metasedimentary Succession in the Sakar Unit, Bulgaria: Constraints from Petrology, Geochemistry, and U-Pb Detrital Geochronology

by Tzvetomila Filipova Vladinova and Milena Georgieva Georgieva

Geosciences 2025, 15(9), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15090343 - 2 Sep 2025

Viewed by 2039

Abstract

This study investigates the metasedimentary sequences of terrigenous–carbonate Sakar-type Triassic (TCSTT) and Sakar-type Triassic (STT) in the Sakar Unit, southeastern Bulgaria. Both share lithological similarities (alternation of carbonate–silicate schists, mica schists, marbles, and impure marbles) and are affected by post-Triassic metamorphism, but with differences in metamorphic grade and partly in the variation of potential sources of the sedimentary material. STT shows a higher metamorphic grade (lower amphibolite facies) when compared to TCSTT (lower greenschist facies). Petrographic observations and geochemical analyses indicate protoliths composed of arkosic sandstones, shales, and limestones derived from a quartz-dominated source with minor contributions from intermediate magmatic sources. The U-Pb geochronology of the detrital zircons reveals a dominant Carboniferous age complemented by an Early Ordovician age, which is consistent with the presence of Carboniferous–Permian igneous rocks in the basement. The presence of Early Paleozoic and Cambrian–Neoproterozoic zircons in the detrital zircon populations suggests that older rocks of the basement of the Sakar Unit and the Srednogorie Zone are also sources of the sedimentary material. Based on the immobile trace element content and discrimination diagrams, the siliciclastic component originates from rocks formed in a continental-arc setting. REE patterns indicate a negative Eu anomaly inherited from granitic-source rocks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Sedimentology and Stratigraphy”)

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38 pages, 13807 KB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Sediment Provenance Study of Middle Jurassic to Cretaceous Strata in the Eastern Sverdrup Basin: Implications for the Exhumation of the Northeastern Canadian-Greenlandic Shield

by Michael A. Pointon, Helen Smyth, Jenny E. Omma, Andrew C. Morton, Simon Schneider, Stephen J. Rippington, Berta Lopez-Mir, Quentin G. Crowley, Dirk Frei and Michael J. Flowerdew

Geosciences 2025, 15(8), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15080313 - 12 Aug 2025

Viewed by 2790

Abstract

The Sverdrup Basin, Arctic Canada, is ideally situated to contain an archive of tectono-magmatic and climatic events that occurred within the wider Arctic region, including the exhumation of the adjacent (northeastern) part of the Canadian-Greenlandic Shield. To test this, a multi-analytical provenance study of Middle Jurassic to Cretaceous sandstones from the eastern Sverdrup Basin was undertaken. Most of the samples analysed were recycled from sedimentary rocks of the Franklinian Basin, with possible additional contributions from the Mesoproterozoic Bylot basins and metasedimentary shield rocks. The amount of high-grade metamorphic detritus in samples from central Ellesmere Island increased from Middle Jurassic times. This is interpreted to reflect exhumation of the area to the southeast/east of the Sverdrup Basin. Exhumation may have its origins in Middle Jurassic extension and uplift along the northwest Sverdrup Basin margin. Rift-flank uplift along the Canadian–West Greenland conjugate margin and lithospheric doming linked with the proximity of the Iceland hotspot and/or the emplacement of the Cretaceous High Arctic Large Igneous Province may have contributed to exhumation subsequently. The southeast-to-northwest thickening of Jurassic to Early Cretaceous strata across the Sverdrup Basin may be a distal effect of exhumation rather than rifting in the Sverdrup or Amerasia basins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: “Sedimentology and Stratigraphy”)

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