Editing Sedimentary basin (section)

===Subsurface geologic study===
Much of a sedimentary basin's fill often remains buried below the surface, often submerged in the ocean, and thus cannot be studied directly. Acoustic imaging using [[seismic reflection]] acquired through [[seismic data acquisition]] and studied through the specific sub-discipline of [[seismic stratigraphy]] is the primary means of understanding the three-dimensional architecture of the basin's fill through [[remote sensing]].

Direct sampling of the rocks themselves is accomplished via the drilling of boreholes and the retrieval of rock samples in the form of both [[core sample]]s and [[drill cuttings]]. These allow geologists to study small samples of the rocks directly and also very importantly allow paleontologists to study the [[microfossil]]s they contain ([[micropaleontology]]).

At the time they are being drilled, boreholes are also surveyed by pulling electronic instruments along the length of the borehole in a process known as [[well logging]]. Well logging, which is sometimes appropriately called borehole [[geophysics]], uses electromagnetic and radioactive properties of the rocks surrounding the borehole, as well as their interaction with the fluids used in the process of drilling the borehole, to create a continuous record of the rocks along the length of the borehole, displayed as of a family of curves. Comparison of well log curves between multiple boreholes can be used to understand the stratigraphy of a sedimentary basin, particularly if used in conjunction with seismic stratigraphy.