Marine Systems Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, U.S.A.

Six sedimentary subenvironments were observed, based on distinct combinations of sediment color and texture, bedforms, physical, and biogenic sedimentary structures, and benthic infaunal communities. The shoreface environment is divided into the upper shoreface, the longshore trough, and the longshore bar. The divisions of the inner shelf environment are the shoreface-inner shelf transition, the offshore, and the coarse-grained deposit. The first five subenvironments are arranged in bands parallel to the shoreline, whereas the coarse-grained deposit occurs in patches across the inner shelf.

The location of fair-weather wave base, coinciding with a reduction in slope (3.0–0.3°) from the shoreface to the inner shelf, is characterized by the cessation of debris surge in the troughs of ripples, the formation of a “rust layer” of microorganisms over the bedform surface, and a sediment color change caused by an increase in organic detritus. The sequence of bedforms and physical sedimentary structures observed in this system fits well with existing wave-generated (oscillatory) flow regime models. These models explain the observed sequences as a response to the degree of asymmetric flow created by shoaling waves. Distribution of biogenic structures and assemblages of infaunal organisms is influenced by the distance landward or seaward of fair-weather wave base.

The overall relationships of this nearshore system can then be summarized as a hypothetical prograding stratigraphic sequence. The entire sequence is underlain by organic-rich, bioturbated, offshore deposits. Overlying the offshore is the planar-laminated sediments of the transition. Grading upward from the transition are the cleaner, planar-laminated, seaward slope deposits of the longshore bar. Above this, is a distinct erosional surface indicating the base of the massive to cross-laminated coarse sediments of the longshore trough. Capping the sequence are the cross- to planar-laminated, clean sands of the upper shoreface and foreshore.