Rock Type Approach to the Problem of Correlation by Heavy Mineral Assemblages

Stratigraphic variability of sedimentary sequences is nothing but variation in the magnitude of development of sedimentary systems and their co-existing phases in space and time. An experiment, organized to investigate the differences in the proportion of heavy minerals between two co-existing phases of a system has shown that there are significant differences in the heavy mineral proportions between the two phases. Consequences of this, in accepted sampling plans for correlation by heavy minerals, are discussed.