Mineralogical assemblages and depositional dynamics: relationship between the variations of palaeotopography and the clay mineral distribution (continental Rhaetian-Hettangian, southwest of the Paris Basin)

The mineralogical assemblages, particularly clay mineral associations, from the siliciclastic deposits of the Paris Basin are related to the variable detrital input as well as to conditions prevailing in the basin during earl y deposition processes or pedogenetic evolution. During Rhaetian and Hettan gian times, the depositional dynamics as defined by sedimentological and hy drodynamic studies (Geiller, 1997) are specified by successive mineralogica l associations. The clay assemblage analyses are a useful tool for reservoi r facies studies and characterization. ((C) Academie des sciences / Elsevie r, Paris.).