Comparison of modern submarine fans and ancient turbidite sequences is still in its infancy, mainly because of the incompatibility of study approaches. Research on modern fan systems mainly deals with morphologic aspects and surficial sediments, while observations on ancient turbidite formations are mostly directed to vertical sequences. The lack of a common data set also results from different scales of observation. To review the current status of modern and ancient turbidite research, an international group of specialists formed COMFAN (Committee on Fans) and met in September 1982 at the Gulf Research and Development Company research facilities in Pennsylvania. ?? 1984 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.