Contributions to Modern and Ancient Tidal Sedimentology

Tidal deposits have been a specific research topic for about 40 years, and whilst this has resulted in a proliferation of papers in scientific journals, there have only been a few book-length syntheses. Over the years, tidal sedimentology has been reinforced by fluid mechanics and numerical modelling but has remained rooted in facies and stratigraphic studies. Recent developments in tidal sedimentology lean toward a more quantitative assessment of the imprint of tides in the facies record of intertidal and shallow subtidal areas. They highlight the increasing relevance of tidal deposits studies, from high resolution subsurface reservoir geology to climate change and sea-level rise. This volume gathers 17 contributions to the Tidalites 2012 congress held in Caen, France. It reflects current advances in the sedimentology and stratigraphy of tidal deposits, in both ancient and modern environments. It shows the current diversity of this field of research, through a wide spectrum of methods including remote sensing, in-situ hydrodynamical measurements, and ichnology, in addition to classic field studies and petrography.

Bernadette Tessier is currently Senior Researcher at the CNRS in Caen, and has worked on tidal environments and deposits for 30 years. Her main interest is the Holocene evolution and sediment infill of tide-dominated estuaries in north-west France. Her most recent work focuses on the control by climate changes on the behaviour of megatidal systems.

Jean-Yves Reynaud has been working on tidal deposits since 1992. He has authored papers on the offshore tidal ridges of the southern Celtic Sea, and on the tide-dominated bioclastic deposits infilling Miocene incised valleys and straits of south-east France and Corsica. He is currently Professor at the University of Lille.