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Walther's Law of Facies

Chapter · June 2015

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-6304-3_30

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 WALTHER'S LAW OF FACIES

(Original Article; Accepted Final Proof; Allowed for upload as self-repository - not the original Springer typeset - )
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WALTHER'S LAW OF FACIES
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pp. 957-958
Encyclopedia of Earth Science Series
Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods
W. Jack Rink and Jeroen W. Thompson (Volume Eds.)
Springer
2015

Print publication under ISBN: 978-94-007-6303-6

Electronic publication under ISBN 978-94-007-6304-3
Print and electronic bundle under ISBN 978-94-007-6306-7

Gloria I. López
Luminescence Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana CENIEH, Burgos,
09002, Spain
Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies RIMS, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

Synonyms
Law of Facies; Walther's Law

Definition
The Walther's Law of Facies was introduced by the German geologist Johannes Walther (1860-1937) as
an important geological principle, after the establishment of the concept of "facies", one of the
foundations of modern stratigraphy. Walther's Law states that any vertical progression of facies is the
result of a succession of depositional environments that are laterally juxtaposed to each other.

The original definition (Walther, 1894) reads as follows and was translated from the original German
language by G. Middleton in 1973:

The various deposits of the same facies-area and similarly the sum of the rocks of different
facies-areas are formed beside each other in space, though in a cross section we see them
lying on top of each other. As with biotypes, it is a basic statement of far reaching
significance that only those facies and facies-areas can be superimposed primarily which
can be observed beside each other at the present time.
- Walther's Law of Correlation of Facies (1894)

Contextual Background
A "sedimentary facies", or simply "facies" is a term assigned to a sedimentary rock unit referring
to its distinct and specific identifiable (i.e. descriptive) characteristics, produced by physical,
biological and/or chemical processes, during formation and from which an interpretation of its
origin may be made (Middleton 1973; Reading, 1996). Hence, a facies is generated during
specific sedimentological conditions, reflecting a distinct depositional environment and
associated processes. They can be single layers (few millimetres-thick) or a series of thick beds
(tens to hundreds of metres-thick).

Sedimentary facies can be grouped spatially by associating genetically-related lithologies that 1

reflect linked environments in the stratigraphic record. This is known as a lateral association or
assemblage of sedimentary facies (also called a facies tract), and is usually a lithofacies (rather

pp. 957-958 | Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6304-3, 2015

 WALTHER'S LAW OF FACIES

than biofacies). Another type of association is the "facies sequence" which is a term assigned to
distinct vertical stacking, succession or sequence of facies that reflects a particular depositional
environment or linked environments in the stratigraphic record (Middleton, 1973).

Walther's Law simply states that both vertical and lateral facies match. A depositional system
may contain several environments. Deltas contain channels, mouth bars, and prodelta muds and
consequently the sedimentary rock types (i.e. facies) in a depositional system may be variable,
recording the specific characteristics of their component depositional conditions (e.g. sandy
channels and mouth bars, muddy prodeltas). However, these environments can shift laterally
causing sediment to stack vertically. As a depositional environment shifts, so too must the
sedimentary facies in any one location change. As time progresses, the positions of facies also
progresses laterally in space and time, hence the laterally-related environments become
superimposed forming vertical successions. This process results in deposition of time-
transgressive sedimentary formations, in which the vertical stacking of facies records the
originally laterally continuous environments (Middleton, 1973; Reading, 1996). Sedimentary
environments that were once laying down side-by-side (facies tracts) will eventually end up
overlapping one another over time, forming vertical facies successions, reflecting successive
changes in the environment such as marine transgressions and regressions.

Facies associations (vertical and lateral) allow the study of sedimentary facies in space and time,
and their relationship with longer-term cycles, such as relative sea-level changes or tectonic
phases, and subsequent accumulation in sedimentary basins (Friedman et al., 1992). The
combination of both lateral facies tracts and vertical facies successions can be used to map
broader three-dimensional depositional systems tracts that migrate through time and space as a
function of cyclic forcing, such as eustasy. Identifying and mapping these depositional systems
tracts and how they change through time are a fundamental component of Sequence Stratigraphy
and an important strategy in the interpretation of the origin of sedimentary rocks and
paleogeographic reconstructions (Friedman et al., 1992).

Geography, eustasy, isostasy, tectonism and sediment supply are major controls on the
relationships between stratigraphic facies. A classic example of the Law of Facies is the vertical
stratigraphic sequence depicting marine transgressions and regressions.

Walther's Law of Facies is applicable only when the sedimentary sequence is continuous, with
no hiatuses or breaks.

Bibliography
Friedman, G.M., Sanders, J.E., and Kopaska-Merkel, D.C., 1992. Principles of Sedimentary Deposits:
Stratigraphy and Sedimentology. New York: Macmillan.
Middleton, G., 1973. Johannes Walther's Law of Correlation of Facies: Geological Society of America
Bulletin, 38: 979-988.
Reading, H.G., 1996. Sedimentary Environments and Facies. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications.
Walther, J., 1894, Einleitung in die Geologie als historische Wissenschaft. In Lithogenesis der
Gegenwart. Jena: G. Fischer, Bd. 3, pp. 535-1055.
2
Cross-references
Biostratigraphy

pp. 957-958 | Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6304-3, 2015

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