ERSC/GEOG 2P16
Sedimentology
Rick Cheel
Mackenzie Chown D407
Phone: 905-688-5550 ext. 3512
E-mail: rcheel@brocku.ca
All course material, including the course outline, lecture
notes and PowerPoint presentations are available from:
http://www.brocku.ca/sedimentology
Grade Distribution
Assignments
25%
Midterm Test
20%
Wednesday, Feb. 18, in class
Assignment Test
15%
March 29, in lab period
Final Exam
40%
Friday, March 4 is the last date for withdrawal without
academic penalty and last day to change from credit to
audit status for duration 3 courses.
Textbook:
Introduction to Clastic Sedimentology
Downloadable from:
http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/~rcheel/teaching/sedimentology/SedNotes/
Topics to be covered:
1. Grain Texture (fundamental descriptors of granular material)
Grain size
Grain shape
Porosity and permeability
Grain orientation
2. Classification of terrigenous clastic rocks.
Arenite
Rudite
Lutite
3. Unidirectional fluid flow and sediment transport
Characteristics of unidirectional flows
Simple fluid flow
Fluid gravity flows
Sediment transport
Modes of transport
Initiation of transport
4. Bed forms and stratification under unidirectional flows
Bed forms
Terminology
The sequence of bed forms
Bed form stability fields
Cross-stratification formed by bed forms.
Terminology
Origin of cross-stratification
Cross-stratification and bed forms.
5. Flow, bed forms and stratification under oscillatory and
combined flows
Characteristics of gravity waves
Bed forms and stratification under symmetrically
oscillating currents
Bed forms and stratification under combined flows
The enigma of Hummocky Cross-stratification
Assignment Schedule (Winter, 2011)
January 11
No assignment
January 18
No assignment
January 25
1. Analysis of Grain Size Data
February 1
Assignment 1 continued
February 8
2. Analysis of Grain Shape
February 15
3. Analysis of paleocurrent data
February 22
Reading Week
March 1
4. Classification of clastic rocks
March 8
Assignment 4 continued
March 15
5. Paleocurrent problems
March 22
Hand in assignment 5
March 29
Assignment Test
Clastic Sedimentology:
The study of sediment and sedimentary
rocks that are made up of particles that are
the solid products of weathering at or near
the Earth’s surface.
Gravel
Sand
Mud (silt and clay)
Conglomerate
Sandstone
Siltstone and Shale
Purpose of the course:
To introduce terminology and fundamental concepts for
the description and interpretation of clastic sediment and
sedimentary rocks.
Why study clastic sediment?
Sedimentary rocks make up only 7.9% of the Earth’s crust.
66% of the surface of the Earth is covered by sediment or
sedimentary rocks.
Humans interact with the Earth largely at or near its surface.
They…..
Grow food on it.
Build structures on it.
Take resources from it.
At the same time they…..
Hide garbage and other waste
material in it.
Modify its physical and chemical properties so that it is no
longer useable by them.
It is important to understand the various properties of the
sedimentary cover and have systematic methods for describing
these properties.
Sedimentary rocks record the history of changing
environments on Earth.
Based on the recognition of the signature of changing
environments over time, as preserved in the rock record.
Environmental interpretation of rocks
+
Age of rocks
= Earth History
Large scale cross-bedding in 240
million year old rocks in the
Central US.
= windblown sand dunes; the
Central US was a desert at that
time.
Environmental interpretation:
The present is the key to the past.
By examining the characteristics of various environments on Earth
today we can interpret the environments in which ancient sediments
were deposited.
Age of rocks:
Based on relative age (relative to associated rocks)
or
absolute age (radiometric dating).
Earth History:
The history of changing environments on Earth.
ERSC/GEOG 2P16 focuses on:
The description and classification of clastic sediment.
Processes and their products in the sedimentary record
that aid in interpreting ancient sedimentary environments.