Falling System Track (FST)

In Regressive sequences system tracks, sea level drop or the rate of subsidence, is higher than the rate of sedimentation, which as a result, increases sediment influx seaward because the sediments are being deposited further away from shore along margins on the platform.Sediments are being deposited further down along margins on the platform farther up slope reducing the sediment availability.Sea level drops also shifts the type of transport further out onto the slope also decreasing the surface area onto which the sediment may be deposited "a smaller area of the shallow sea floor is in contact with the carbonate factory" resulting in retrograding shelves. Slope failure occurs frequently during the falling systems track, and as a result debris-flows, grain-flows, and deposits of primarily thickened wedges and fans develop. Additionally, the winnowing and erosion of platform corals, sediments and shallow water sediments, exposed during falling systems tracks are deposited seaward along the slope.(Handford and Loucks 1993)