Sedimentology and paleontology of a Carboniferous log jam

A low sinuosity geometry characterizes the overall channel-form belt, exhibiting a general northwesterly trend. Paleocurrent measurements from the cross-bedded sandstone at the margin of the channel belt indicate flow was to the northwest. Log orientations at these sites are subperpendicular to perpendicular to the overall sediment transport direction and are interpreted to represent an ancient log jam. The genesis of the fluvial channel, the introduction and emplacement of the concentrated log assemblage, the effects of this floating log accumulation on sedimentation within the channel, and the relationship between paleocurrent and log orientation are discussed. The Red River, located in the southern United States, is used as a modern analog for comparative purposes.