| Unit name | Sedimentology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASC20007 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2C (weeks 13 - 18) |
| Unit director | Professor. Phillips |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Successful completion of year 1 of either the Environmental Geoscience or the Geology degree programme curriculum |
| Co-requisites |
n/a |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The unit builds and expands upon the Level I Dynamic Surface and Surface Materials courses, taking a process-based approach to sedimentology. The study and interpretation of sedimentary sequences is fundamental to many other branches of Earth Science, and to our understanding of the history of the Earth. This unit will develop an understanding of the processes by which sedimentary particles are transported and deposited, how these deposits are stacked to form sedimentary sequences, and what transformations occur after deposition to form sedimentary rocks. We will investigate many of the processes occurring at the surface of the planet as a result of the interaction of rocks and loose sediment with water and air, and will examine the way in which relative sea-level, climate and tectonics control the accumulation of sedimentary sequences. The chemical and physical processes by which loose sediment is turned into rock and rock properties are altered during burial, collectively termed diagenesis, are explored,. The subject areas covered will take you from eroding mountain belts, down rivers, via estuaries and deltas to the deep oceans, through arid deserts and tropical seas. By building on your understanding of modern environments, you will be able to unfold the evolution of sedimentary sequences and hence the history of sedimentary basins. The difficulties and uncertainties involved in such interpretations will become apparent as the course proceeds.
Aims:
The unit builds and expands upon the Level I Dynamic Surface and Surface Materials courses, taking a process-based approach to sedimentology. The study and interpretation of sedimentary sequences is fundamental to many other branches of Earth Science, and to our understanding of the history of the Earth. This unit will develop an understanding of the processes by which sedimentary particles are transported and deposited, how these deposits are stacked to form sedimentary sequences, and what transformations occur after deposition to form sedimentary rocks. We will investigate many of the processes occurring at the surface of the planet as a result of the interaction of rocks and loose sediment with water and air, and will examine the way in which relative sea-level, climate and tectonics control the accumulation of sedimentary sequences. The chemical and physical processes by which loose sediment is turned into rock and rock properties are altered during burial, collectively termed diagenesis, are explored,. The subject areas covered will take you from eroding mountain belts, down rivers, via estuaries and deltas to the deep oceans, through arid deserts and tropical seas. By building on your understanding of modern environments, you will be able to unfold the evolution of sedimentary sequences and hence the history of sedimentary basins. The difficulties and uncertainties involved in such interpretations will become apparent as the course proceeds.
On successful completion of the unit you will be able to:
15 lectures, 4 x 3 hour practicals, 1 day field trip
This unit carries 10 credit points. Practical work must be handed in at 4:40 pm in each practical class. Some practicals will be passed or failed, and verbal feedback will be given at the end of the practical. 20% of the total mark for the unit will come from the field day and the subsequent analytical practical. Quantitative assessment of the unit will be done through a mixture of coursework and an unseen theory exam in May- June, which may cover any topic, theoretical or practical, covered in the unit. A series of problem sets will be available for you to work through each week. You are reminded that failure to attend practicals or to hand in work could bar you from sitting the theory exam.
Recommended Textbook: Leeder, M.R. (1999) Sedimentology and Sedimentary Basins - From Turbulence to Tectonics (Blackwell Science); Useful for Physical Aspects: Allen, J.R.L., (2001) Principles of Physical Sedimentology (Blackburn Press). This is updated version of 1st Edition 1985 George Allen and Unwin, which was reprinted with corrections 1992 (Chapman & Hall); Useful for Deposits and Processes: Leeder, M.R. (1982) Sedimentology - Process and Product (George Unwin and Allen)
