Facies

In geology, a facies (pronounced variously as /ˈfeɪʃiːz/, /ˈfeɪsiːz/ or /ˈfæʃiːz/ ['faysheez', 'fayseez' or 'fash-eez']; plural also 'facies') is a body of rock with specified characteristics. Ideally, a facies is a distinctive rock unit that forms under certain conditions of sedimentation, reflecting a particular process or environment.

The term facies was introduced by the Swiss geologist Amanz Gressly in 1838 and was part of his significant contribution to the foundations of modern stratigraphy, which replaced the earlier notions of Neptunism.

Types of facies

Sedimentary facies

Sedimentary facies are bodies of sediment recognizably different from adjacent sediment deposited in a different depositional environment. Generally, facies are distinguished by what aspect of the rock or sediment is being studied. Thus, facies based on petrological characters such as grain size and mineralogy are called lithofacies, whereas facies based on fossil content are called biofacies.

These facies types are usually further subdivided, for example, you might refer to a "tan, cross-bedded oolitic limestone facies" or a "shale facies". The characteristics of the rock unit come from the depositional environment and original composition. Sedimentary facies reflect depositional environment, each facies being a distinct kind of sediment for that area or environment.

Facies (disambiguation)

Facies is Latin for "face". It may refer to:

Medicine

Biology

Earth Science

Geology

Landscape studies

Soil science

Facies (medical)

In medical contexts, a facies is a distinctive facial expression or appearance associated with specific medical conditions.

It comes from the Latin word for "face".

As a fifth declension noun, "facies" can be both singular and plural.

Types

Examples include: