Sedimentary Geology

1
Sedimentary Geology

• An Introduction To
• Sedimentology And Stratigraphy

2
Sedimentary Geology

• Sedimentology
• Processes that erode, transport, and deposit
  sediments
• Surface environments of sediment accumulation
• Genesis of sedimentary strata
• Sedimentary Petrology
• Physical and mineralogical properties and origin
  of sediments and sedimentary rocks (SEDS)
• Stratigraphy
• Distribution, origin, and description of
  sedimentary strata in space and time

3
Relevance of Sedimentary Geology

• 75 of the Earth's Surface materials consists
  of SEDS (sedimentary earth materials)
• SEDS contain the majority of Earth Resources
• Oil, Natural gas, fossils fuels
• minerals
• water
• building materials
• Subsurface fluid storage

4
Earth History

• Largely based on the SED Record
• Climate/atmospheric dynamics through time
• Paleoceanography
• Plate tectonics and crustal dynamics
• History of Life

5
Environmental/Natural Hazards

• An understanding of Earth Surface Processes and
  Materials is fundamental to
• Slope Stability Landslide and catastrophic slope
  failure
• Fluvial processes river basin flood hazards
• Coastal Change erosion/flooding hazards coastal
  land loss
• Ground water resources contamination/remediation

6
Sedimentary Geology is Fun!

• We see SEDS and sedimentary environments all
  around us
• We observe and hear about exciting surface
  processes almost every day,
• We are all interested in the past and future
  evolution of the Earth, especially the Earths
  Surface Environments (cuz we are Geoscientists!)

7
Social Relevance of Sedimentary Geology

• Chat with one or 2 other students and list five
  important issues of our time
• Lets see how sedimentary geology might address
  these issues

8
History of Sedimentary Geology
9
Sedimentary Geology is a "synthesis course"

• It depends on other geology courses and other
  science disciplines
• Physics fluid dynamics, petrophysics, plate
  tectonics
• Chemistry weathering, chemical sediments,
  diagenesis, sedimentary petrology
• Biology paleoecology, sedimentary environments,
  the fossil record

10
Sedimentary Geology provides the framework for
most other Geosciences disciplines

• Structural Analysis Studies requires an
  understanding of initial sedimentary and
  stratigraphic context prior to deformation, etc.
• Geochemical Studies require a stratigraphic and
  petrological context
• Hydrogeological Studies depend on an
  understanding of the hydrogeological matrix"
  both macro- and micro-scale
• Geophysical Studies built on a stratigraphic
  context and requires "ground truth" based on a
  reasonable sedimentologic and stratigraphic
  framework.

11
Sedimentary Geology is the Study of

• Sedimentary Processes and Stratigraphic Products
• (Process - Response Models)
• Sedimentary Facies
• A sedimentary facies--gt descriptive aspect of a
  rock stratigraphic unit including
• lithology, sedimentary structures, geometry,
  fossils, etc
• Sedimentary-Depositional Environments
• Limited areas of the Earths surface where
  sediment accumulates, from mountain top to deep
  sea, with distinctive physical, chemical, and
  biological processes.
• Paleogeography
• Determined from the stratigraphic record of
  sedimentary facies and the time/space
  distribution of sedimentary-depositional
  environments

12
Paleogeography and Earth History

• The time and space mosaic of sedimentary-depositio
  nal environments reflecting the evolution of
• Tectonic,
• Climatic,
• Biologic, and
• Eustatic (sea level)
• Dynamics through time,
• either on a relative (geological) or
• absolute (radiometric) time frame

13
Sedimentary Geology

• Provides methodology and a theoretical basis to
  understand
• Stratigraphic relationships
• relative age, geometry, physical/spatial
  relationship of strata
• Provenance
• sediment source, location, type, etc
• Depositional setting, sediment dispersal
  patterns, and transport mechanisms
• sedimentary processes
• Paleogeography
• physical geography during deposition
• Tectonic setting
• Plate tectonic setting during deposition
• Diagenesis
• modifications to sediment during burial and the
  conditions (temperature, timing, fluid flow
  regime) responsible for those changes

14
Using the Principles of Sedimentary Geology

• We can make useful interpretations and
  predictions about
• Relationships that are not available for
  observation (hidden from view)
• Spatial distribution, properties, and geometry of
  stratigraphic units and resources that are not
  exposed/have not been sampled
• Relationships that are not preserved in the
  geological record
• Geological terranes eroded or tectonically
  removed
• Earth processes that have not yet occurred
• Environmental hazards such as coastal change,
  flood hazards, landslides, etc

15
Class Attendance and Engagement

• The emphasis in this class is on application,
  analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of our topic
  material (higher order thinking skills)
• active learning strategies (in the class room)
• move beyond passive participation in the learning
  experience (sitting and listening to me)
• aggressively think about what you are learning
• hard, time consuming work

16
Class Attendance and Engagement

• Active learning strategy in the class room
  requires some prior knowledge and comprehension
  of topic material in preparation for class
  discussions
• mastery of basic facts and vocabulary
• Book and Power Point Presentations
• use class time efficiently and effectively for
  the development of higher level intellectual
  skills

17
Class Attendance and Engagement

• Inquiry-based portion of class meetings
• a collaborative learning format
• Small groups (2-3) of students working together
  to process knowledge and reach conclusions to
  questions through thinking and discussion amongst
  the collaborative group
• In class group accountability

18
Class Attendance and Engagement

• In-class group accountability.
• Each group member is accountable for the
  information/conclusions reached by the group in
  class.
• A group member will be selected by me to present
  group consensus conclusions in class.
• The evaluation of the group is dependant on the
  individuals presentation which will assess the
  effectiveness of group comprehension

19
(No Transcript)