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Vegetation-induced sedimentary structures

Vegetation-induced sedimentary structures (VISS) are primary sedimentary structures formed by the interaction of detrital sediment with in situ plants. VISS provide physical evidence of vegetation's fundamental role in mediating sediment accumulation and erosion in clastic depositional environments.[1] VISS can be broken into seven types, five being hydrodynamic and two being decay-related. The simple hydrodynamic VISS are categorized by centroclinal cross strata, scratch semicircles and upturned beds. The complex hydrodynamic VISS are categorized by coalesced scour fills and scour-and-mound beds. The decay-related VISS are categorized by mudstone-filled hollows and downturned beds.[1]

  1. ^ a b Rygel, M.C., Gibling, B.C. and Calder, J.H. (2004) Vegetation-induced sedimentary structures from fossil forests in the Pennsylvanian, Joggins Formation, Nova Scotia; Sedimentology, v. 51, p. 531-552.