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Geology

Exxon global cycle chart: An event for every occasion?: Comments and Reply
William R. Dickinson, Walter S. Snyder, Claude Spinosa and Andrew D. Miall

Geology 1993;21;282-285
doi: 10.1130/0091-7613(1993)021<0282:EGCCAE>2.3.CO;2

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Exxon global cycle chart: An event for every occasion?: Comments and Reply

COMMENT

William K. Dickinson
10® yrs.
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, /
Arizona 85721 / & TH

The critique of Exxon global cycle correlations by Miall (1992) /

draws attention to an aspect of the cycle chart that has not been
X j
discussed previously: i.e., the average duration of supposed third- /
order eustatic cycles decreases throughout Mesozoic and Cenozoic
time. This peculiarity of the global cycle chart is illustrated by two
LMJ
accompanying plots. . e
EK
Figure 1 shows average durations of cycles for each of seven LK
standard intervals of geologic time of comparable length. A rapid -er EC
LC
decrease in average duration early in Mesozoic time is followed by
a more measured but still consistent decrease during subsequent
time. To avoid potential bias, contrasts in the values cited forthe ages
of key geologic boundaries by Haq et al. (1988) and Harland et al.
(1990) were reconciled on the plot by averaging. Note that the trend LC EC LK EK LMJ TR
—l— i t i .
of increasing cycle frequency is not confined to post-mid-Oligocene 50 100 150 200 250 Ma
time, for which widespread glaciation can be postulated as an influ- Midpoint of Geologic Time Interval
encing factor. (span of each Interval shown along baseline)
Figure 2 shows the average number of cycles present within
Figure 1. Plot showing decrease in average duration of inferred third-order
uniform intervals of 36 m.y. each, selected as sliding windows (n = eustatic cycles (Haq et al., 1988) during Mesozoic and Cenozoic time; age
37) spaced 6 m.y. apart. This plot was devised to test whether the boundaries and resulting age spans of following chronostratigraphic in-
specific boundaries of the time intervals chosen for plotting in Figure tervals (each 30-42 m.y. long) are averages of estimates by Haq et al.
1 influenced the form of the dogleg curve derived, and also to illus- (1988) and Harland et al. (1990): LC—late Cenozoic (post-mid-Oligocene);
EC—early Cenozoic (pre-mid-Oligocene); LK—Late Cretaceous (post-
trate some of the inherent scatter in the data. The sliding window was
Albian); EK—Early Cretaceous (pre-Cenomanian, post-Tithonian); LMJ—
set at 36 m.y. because that is the average length of the seven chron- Middle and Late Jurassic (pre-Berriasian, post-Toarcian); EJ—Early Ju-
ostratigraphic intervals of Figure 1. Linear regressions passed rassic (pre-Aalenian); TR—Triassic (all).

282 GEOLOGY, March 1993

 Downloaded from geology.gsapubs.org on April 22, 2014

25 Miall, A.D., 1992, Exxon global cycle chart: An event for every occasion?:
Geology, v. 20, p. 787-790.
M
>
«
ç 20 • • • COMMENT
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• •
Sk
E Walter S. Snyder
\
CD Claude Spinosa
« 15 Permian Research Institute, Department of Geosciences, Boise
o State University, Boise, Idaho 83725
a.
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a>
\
Miall (1992) stated that the Exxon sea level curves are: "Too
"5 10
• \ flawed to be fixed," and that the study of stratotype sections is the
a \ . best way to begin réévaluation of the timing of eustatic cycles.
Assuming that the reader agrees with this assessment of the Exxon
® curves, one is left with the impression that the evaluation of strat-
n
E otype sections will be a straightforward, if not simple, task. We and
Z many of our colleagues concerned with the proposed Carboniferous-
Permian boundary stratotype and the Lower Permian body strato-
types in the southern Ural Mountains are confronted with many
0 50 100 150 200 250 Ma issues raised by Miall, and we concur with his conclusions. Strato-
Midpoints of Arbitrary 36 m.y. Intervals
type sections—body stratotypes and boundary stratotypes—are the
standards for time calibration and correlation. Therefore, as Miall
Figure 2. Plot showing numbers of cycles per 36 m.y. sliding time windows
stressed, stratotypes are the initial places to reevaluate the validity
(spaced 6 m.y. apart) through Mesozoic and Cenozoic time; because two
different time scales were reconciled in detail by averaging (see caption of global third-order eustasy cycles. Nevertheless, it is important to
for Fig. 1), other operators might derive slightly different but closely emphasize that the difficulty of the task is perhaps understated.
similar results; dashed lines are linear regressions for points before and
Major problems in the study of stratotype sections include the
after 150-155 Ma.
following. (1) Stratotypes for all portions of the time scale have not
been selected by consensus of international committees. (2) The
criteria with which to select suitable boundary stratotypes are still
through subsets of the points in Figure 2 reproduce an inverse dogleg debated. (3) Many existing or proposed stratotypes occur in what
coordinate with the dogleg of Figure 1. were tectonically active settings. (4) Unresolved biostratigraphic
An apparent decrease in the average duration of supposed third- questions impede the documentation of many (most?) stratotype
order eustatic cycles over the past 250 m.y. seems a robust property sections.
or artifact of the Exxon global cycle chart. Alternate interpretations Some accepted and proposed stratotype boundaries are at un-
can be invoked to explain the secular trend in cycle frequency. conformities, the argument being that these unconformities are
If the cycle chart is valid, the decrease implies a persistent driven by eustasy and can therefore be globally correlated. Precisely
secular change, of some nature not yet understood, in the geody- for the reasons outlined by Miall, stratotype boundaries must be
namic processes controlling global eustasy. selected within uninterrupted sedimentary successions, and should
If the cycle chart is invalid (Miall, 1992), several factors might not coincide with unconformities or surfaces of nondeposition. Body
account for the observed secular trend: (1) the tendency for younger stratotypes should be chosen because they reflect essentially con-
events to be more readily detected than older events in the geologic tinuous deposition and because they are rich in a variety of fossils of
record; (2) the loss of resolution with depth on seismic reflection lines organisms that evolved rapidly and that lived in many habitats;
as seismic velocities increase owing to loss of sediment porosity by reasonable access to all scientists is a further consideration.
compaction and cementation; (3) the degradation of seismic signal Furthermore, we underscore that tectonism complicates this
with depth owing to progressive scatter and attenuation; and (4) the evaluation by obscuring the origin of stratigraphie surfaces, even in
incorporation of more younger stratal sections than older sections in well-studied stratotype sections. Although a stratotype (or any) sec-
the data set used to construct the chart. All these factors might tion may display apparently continuous sedimentation, it cannot be
promote recognition of more presumed cycles in younger strata, assumed that sedimentation was not affected by tectonism. Rather,
lying generally at shallower depths in sedimentary basins, than in it is more a question of the degree and duration of the tectonic
older strata lying generally at greater depths. influence. For sections along plate margins and adjacent to orogenic
In the absence of independent arguments for an increasing zones, the long-term effects of tectonism are usually, but not always,
tempo of eustasy through time, an interpretation of the latter type recognized; many established and proposed stratotype sections are
seems preferable, and implies that the reported secular variation in within such paleogeographic settings and were affected by tectonism
cycle frequency is artifactual. If so, the potential for miscorrelations (such as the Carboniferous-Permian of the southern Urals). Plate-
noted by Miall (1992) is further underscored. margin tectonic activity may extend hundreds or thousands of ki-
lometres inboard and may last for millions, and commonly a few tens
REFERENCES CITED
of millions, of years. Therefore, mere distance from the site of the
Harland, W.B., Armstrong, R.L., Cox, A.V., Craig, L.E., Smith, A.G., and
Smith, D.G., 1990, A geologic time scale 1989: Cambridge, England, main tectonic activity may be insufficient to have isolated a strato-
Cambridge University Press, 263 p. type section from the effects of tectonism. However, the impact of
Haq, B.U., Hardenbol, J., and Vail, P.R., 1988, Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonism on the sedimentary record of cratonic sections is less well
chronostratigraphy and cycles of sea-level change, in Wilgus, C.K., et recognized.
al., eds., Sea-level research: An integrated approach: Society of Eco-
nomic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication 42, Can stratigraphie sections located on the craton, such as the
p. 71-108. upper Paleozoic of the United States mid-continent (apart from ques-

GEOLOGY, March 1993 283

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tions regarding suitable biotic composition), provide better stan- reliable chronostratigraphic framework (a problem also discussed in
dards? Did plate-margin tectonism produce sequence boundaries in Miall, 1990, chapter 3). After more than 200 years of intensive re-
these sections? How important are intraplate stresses for disrupting search since William Smith first developed the idea of using fossils
"cratonic stability" and hence cratonic sections? The old concept of to determine the depositional order and relative age of sedimentary
epeirogeny can be viewed as synonymous with intraplate tectonic strata, biostratigraphers and geochronologists are still a very long
activity. Crustal warping of relatively small magnitude may have way from perfecting the geologic time scale (e.g., see Harland et al.,
produced surfaces of erosion or nondeposition that changed depo- 1990). For seismic stratigraphers to sidestep this work in favor of an
sitional patterns. Seismically visible surfaces that extend over large imprecise and largely unpublished data base and an unproven par-
regions can be created by such tectonic activity. These surfaces are adigm (the supremacy of sequences as chronostratigraphic indica-
not necessarily synchronous with other tectonically induced surfaces tors) would be laughable had the results not been taken so seriously
on other plates, although they may be approximately the same age by the geological community.
and, without adequate biostratigraphic control, could be misinter- Examination of any detailed biostratigraphic study dealing with
preted as a single eustatic surface. Therefore, the use of cratonic the ages of stratigraphic boundaries, any study, that is, that does not
stratigraphic sections does not provide the answer to distinguishing set out to " p r o v e " the validity of the Vail curves, will quickly reveal
tectonic from eustatic event stratigraphic boundaries. the ambiguity of the evidence relating to any of the sequence bound-
The geologic community does not generally appreciate the im- aries proposed by Haq et al. (1987, 1988). An excellent example is
portance and difficulties of paleontologic studies of stratotype sec- the study by Aubry (1991) of unconformities close to the lower-
tions, including unresolved taxonomic problems, the influence of middle Eocene boundary: Aubry pointed out that for unconformities
faunal provincialism (as pointed out by Miall), and the time signif- in different sections to be interpreted to have had a common cause,
icance of reworked bioclastic material. These and other problems it is necessary to show that the unconformities encompass the same
make biostratigraphy difficult and underscore the fundamental im- time range in different locations. However, whereas this is a nec-
portance of rigorous taxonomy—one of today's least glamorous and essary condition, it is not sufficient to prove a common cause. An
least funded disciplines—to the development of reliable global unconformity spanning a given time period in one section may cor-
correlations. respond in total age range to shorter breaks formed at different time
What is the answer? Miall (1992) offered a viable approach. Use periods by other mechanisms in other locations; whether any of the
existing or new stratotype sections, thoroughly evaluate them within breaks have the same cause is unknown. Even where unconformities
their local and regional settings, and then attempt global correla- can be demonstrated to have the same age span in different basins,
tions—no easy task. Unconformities and surfaces of nondeposition this does not prove that they reflect a single cause, such as eustasy.
must be determined independently at each stratotype section by Several cyclic mechanisms of different origins and different time
using physical stratigraphy. The dating of these surfaces and their periodicities (eustasy, regional tectonism, Milankovitch mecha-
influence on the biostratigraphy must be determined by detailed nisms) are commonly operating at any one time in most basins, and
paleontologic studies employing a variety of fossil groups. A number it is entirely possible for the resulting local sea-level signals to move
of sections in the same region as the stratotype should be studied and in and out of phase from location to location.
compared to the stratotype. These sections should include a spec- Aubry (1991) demonstrated from a study of Deep Sea Drilling
trum of the regional paleogeographic environments. These studies Project data and sections in Europe, North Africa, and North Amer-
will provide the basis for global correlation and timing of eustatic ica that there are at least two major unconformities of at least regional
cycles. extent that occur at a similar chronostratigraphic position to the 49.5
In summary, we support Miall's views, and emphasize that the Ma sequence boundary in the Haq et al. (1987,1988) chart. The data
ability to correlate global processes with the accuracy of a few million may be interpreted in at least four ways, including one, two, or no
years (much less hundreds of thousands of years) requires the rec- eustatic events, with or without regional tectonic influences. The
ognition of the critical importance of multidisciplinary studies of 49.5 Ma " e v e n t " appears to have been defined on the basis of
body and boundary stratotype sections. miscorrelations with some of the available biostratigraphic data.
Aubry's (1991) paper is a practical application of the method-
ology recommended by Snyder and Spinosa. Its 38 pages of detailed
REFERENCE CITED
analysis deal with only one of the 121 third-order sequence bound-
Miall, A.D., 1992, Exxon global cycle chart: An event for every occasion?:
Geology, v. 20, p. 787-790. aries in the Haq et al. (1987,1988) Mesozoic-Cenozoic charts. How-
ever, despite the use of state-of-the-art chronostratigraphic meth-
odology, the results are ambiguous, and will undoubtedly be the
REPLY subject of further revision. They provide no support for the Exxon
global-sequence concept. In fact, examination of most syntheses
Andrew D. Miall of the type Aubry (1991) provided reveals that the more detailed
the study, the more confused the resulting pattern of correlations,
Department of Geology, University of Toronto, Toronto
and the less support that remains for the so-called global cycle
M5S 3B1, Canada
chart.
Of the two interpretations suggested by Dickinson for his data
on duration of third-order cycles I favor the second—that the cycle
REFERENCES CITED
spacing is in part an artifact of the density of the available data and
Aubry, M.-P., 1991, Sequence stratigraphy: Eustasy or tectonic imprint:
in part a reflection of the methods of documentation and meas- Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 96, p. 6641-6679.
urement, which become progressively more imprecise with strati- Haq, B . U . , Hardenbol, J., and Vail, P.R., 1987, Chronology of fluctuating sea
graphic age. This would seem to support the conclusions I reached levels since the Triassic: Science, v. 235, p. 1156-1167.
(Miall, 1992): that the cycles displayed on the chart prepared by Haq Haq, B.U., Hardenbol, J., and Vail, P.R., 1988, Mesozoic and Cenozoic
chronostratigraphy and cycles of sea-level change, in Wilgus, C.K., et
et al. (1987, 1988) cannot be trusted to tell us anything useful.
al., eds., Sea-level research: An integrated approach: Society of Eco-
The Comment by Snyder and Spinosa helps to emphasize the nomic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Special Publication 42,
difficulty of the task facing geologists in their attempts to develop a p. 71-108.

284 GEOLOGY, March 1993

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Harland, W.B., Armstrong, R.L., Cox, A.V., Craig, L.E., Smith, A.C., and Miall, A.D., 1990, Principles of sedimentary basin analysis (second edition):
Smith, D.G., 1990, A geologic time scale 1989: Cambridge, England, New York, Springer-Verlag, 668 p.
Cambridge University Press, 263 p. Miall, A.D., 1992, The Exxon global cycle chart: An event for every occa-
sion?: Geology, v. 20, p. 787-790.

285 GEOLOGY, March 1993