Fractal, multifractal and sliding window correlation dimension analysis ofsedimentary time series

Multifractal analysis, the box counting technique and sliding window correl ation dimension analysis are methods for the detection and description of n onlinear variations in sedimentary time/depth series measurements such as w ell-log data. Combinations of these methods allow the detection of sediment ary discontinuities and fractal clustering of events such as bentonite laye rs or fossils horizons in sedimentary sections. The methods are used to ana lyze linear, periodic, fractal and random patterns with different sampling intervals and after setting distinctive measurement thresholds. Application of the methods iis illustrated by means of computer simulation models and on the gamma-ray log from a Mid-Cretaceous sedimentary time series. (C) 199 9 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.