The evaportation and rainfall play a crucial role in keeping the water salinity in the exact range needed for optimal growth. Since most of the carbonate factories form in shallow water environments the evaporation to rainfall ratio is extremely important.

Typically high energy storms can cause damage to delicate factory organisms and errode sediment away. With a long period cyclicity the factory can restore itself but if major storm events happen rapidly it can quickly do more damage than the factories can overcome.

Index to carbonate shelf sediments below or to link back to USC website on sequence stratigraphy click here