Use this geological calculation for a transparent first-pass interpretation of measured rock, soil, fluid, well, stratigraphic, isotopic, geophysical, or seismic data under an explicitly selected model.

Sediment thickness (m)

Preserved (compacted) sediment thickness in metres.

Duration (Myr)

Duration of deposition in millions of years.

Average sedimentation (accumulation) rate from compacted sediment thickness divided by deposition time; reported in m/Myr and cm/kyr. The tool evaluates the supplied inputs together and returns the named outputs below; it does not infer omitted operating conditions or change the units shown.^[1]

Rate (m/Myr)

Mean accumulation rate in metres per million years.

Rate (cm/kyr)

Mean accumulation rate in centimetres per thousand years.

• Stratal terminations and systems tracts are interpretations sensitive to seismic resolution, datum, compaction, subsidence, sediment supply, chronology, and depositional model. A geometric angle or thickness alone does not identify sequence boundaries.
• Use finite inputs in the displayed units and preserve more precision than the final presentation requires. Independently verify safety-critical, financial, compliance, or production decisions.

Compare independent measurements and models, retain units and analytical metadata, propagate uncertainty, and validate interpretations against logs, cores, maps, laboratory data, or field observations.

• Subsidence Rate Calculator

  Average tectonic-plus-loaded subsidence rate over an interval: amount divided by duration.

• Decompacted Thickness Calculator

  Grain-volume-conserving decompaction of a compacted unit: t' = t * (1 - porosity) / (1 - target porosity). Porosities are fractions.

• Fold Wavelength Calculator

  Estimate the Biot–Ramberg dominant wavelength of a competent viscous layer as 2π times thickness times the cube root of the viscosity contrast divided by six.