ABSTRACT Sequence stratigraphy has long provided a framework for deciphering how environmental conditions are recorded in sedimentary basins across a range of tectonic settings. Much of our current understanding of sequence architecture in depression basins, however, comes from studies that focus on individual external forcings such as sediment supply, climate, or lake‐level change. The relative importance of these forcings in shaping key characteristics of stratigraphic patterns remains poorly quantified. Moreover, distinguishing external signals from autogenic variability is particularly challenging at mid‐term (10 5 –10 6 yr) timescales. To address these issues, we conducted nine numerical simulations of continental‐scale sediment‐routing systems, spanning millions of years, to examine how basin sedimentation and sequence stratigraphy respond to variations in lake level, precipitation and tectonic uplift within the source region of a depression basin. Our results show that different external forcings dominate distinct aspects of stratigraphic development: (1) precipitation strongly governs depositional and erosional rates, whereas uplift exerts only a minor influence; (2) uplift determines the overall extent of the basin margin, while autogenic processes introduce local spatial variability in its position; and (3) lake‐level cyclicity controls stratal stacking patterns. A reduction in amplitude results in an earlier development of the initial flooding surface, which in turn extends the duration of transgression and increases the regressive ratio. Across all simulations, enhanced precipitation produces short, thick stratigraphic packages, whereas tectonic uplift generates more elongated, thin successions. These findings highlight the distinct signatures of different external forcings in shaping stratigraphic development and provide a basis for interpreting environmental signals preserved in continental depression basins, particularly over mid‐term timescales.
Yu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.