This is the book you need to improve your interpretations of carbonates. Using a systematic treatment of the entire subject of carbonate depositional environments, this unique book is specifically designed for use by the non-specialist -- the petroleum geologist or field geologist -- who uses carbonate depositional environments in facies reconstructions and environmental interpretations. This classic work, covering settings from non-marine to deep water, focuses on the recognition of depositional environments with extensive use of color diagrams and photographs of sedimentary structures and facies assemblages. Although the ultimate purpose of this text is to improve exploration for oil, gas, and mineral deposits, it also includes environments not normally considered to be particularly prospective for oil and gas in an attempt to provide as complete a framework as possible for recognition of environments. Suitable for use as a textbook, this book is also an invaluable reference for the specialist or advanced graduate student. It provides perspective on large-scale influences on carbonate depositional environments such as tectonic patterns, fluctuations of sea level, variations of climate, and evolutionary patterns of organisms. Companion to Memoir 31, this classic reference volume aids the specialist and non-specialist in interpretation of carbonate depositional environments in facies reconstructions. Illustrated with hundreds of color diagrams and photographs of sedimentary structures and facies assemblages.