Sequence stratigraphy is branch of stratigraphy that is based upon using stratal patterns and stratal termination patterns to identify groups of strata that were deposited within the same interval and therefore genetically related. Its wide application in the 1980s and 1990s has provided new insight into the history and architecture of basin fill.In this book, H.W. Posamentier and G.P. Allen take sequence stratigraphic models developed in the 1970s and modified in the 1980s to a higher level. The authors state that their goal is to focus on remaining flexible and pragmatic in their presentation of how to conduct sequence stratigraphic analyses and to operate using the premise that any geologic interpretation that does not violate stratigraphic first principles is a reasonable solution. They emphasize that the nature of sequence development is controlled by a combination of variation in accommodation, sediment supply, and physiography, and that each can have a significant impact on sequence architecture. This is a departure from earlier work, where eustasy was assumed to be the dominant force in sequence development.