Thermodynamics makes sedimentology obsolete (just kidding)

I have re-read some of the Exxon papers on the shapes and evolution of sedimentary bodies (e.g., Energy Dissipation and the Fundamental Shape of Siliciclastic Sedimentary Bodies). This is one of the main conclusions:

"We believe that the sedimentary rock record is built of scale-invariant hierarchies of sedimentary bodies. These bodies are similar in shape and property distribution. Furthermore, sedimentary bodies evolve along a well-defined pathway governed by principles of nonequilibrium thermodynamics and energy dissipation. This pathway is scale-invariant and independent of depositional environment."

In other words, forget about hydrodynamics and process sedimentology, forget about all the work done by Allen, Middleton, Kuenen, and so on, because all you need is nonequilibrium thermodynamics to explain and model sediment bodies of all kinds and shapes, from the smallest to the largest and from an alluvial fan to the abyssal plain. Well, that just does not sound right. To me, there IS a difference between a wave ripple and a sand wave; between the fill of an oxbow lake and the fill of a submarine canyon; and I do not see how on earth debris flows or fine-grained turbidites can be described and modeled as jet deposits. Yes, deltas look like trees or leaves from above - so what? That does not mean I don't have to dig deeper to understand what is exactly going on in deltas and in leaves; nonequilibrium thermodynamics just won't do it.