1. An Introduction To Sedimentology And Stratigraphy
Sedimentary Geology
An Introduction To
Sedimentology And Stratigraphy

2. Sedimentary Geology Sedimentology: Sedimentary Petrology:
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 Earth’s 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
Let’s see how sedimentary geology might address these issues

8. History of Sedimentary Geology
Nick Steno: 17th century
Original horizontality/Superposition
Jimmy Hutton: 18th century
The geological cycle: including surface erosion and deposition/Uniformitarianism
Billy Smith: 17th/18th century
Faunal Succession
d'Orbigney/Oppel: 18th/19th century
Stages, Zones, Biozones
Hank Sorby: 19th century
Sedimentary Petrology/Petrography
Lot’s o Folks: 1960's - 70's
Plate Tectonics
Al Scott, Bill Galloway (UT Austin);
Harold Reading (Oxford Un); and many others: 1970's - 80's
Depositional Systems Analysis/ Facies Oriented Sedimentology
Exxon Research, Peter Vail: 1970's - 80's
Seismic/Sequence Stratigraphy
Jan VanHinte, and many others: 1970’s-80’s
Quantitative Basin Modeling: 1980's - 90's

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--> descriptive aspect of a rock stratigraphic unit including
lithology, sedimentary structures, geometry, fossils, etc
Sedimentary-Depositional Environments
Limited areas of the Earth’s 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-depositional 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