Course

Introduction to Sedimentology

Important Notice

This course is not active. Please contact Department Chair for more information.

Faculty
Science & Technology
Department
Earth & Environmental Sciences
Course code
GEOL 2321
Credits
4.00
Semester length
15
Max class size
15
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Lab
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course is a brief study of the various processes involved in the formation of sedimentary rocks, and of the characteristics imparted to formations by different depositional environments.
Course content

Lecture Topics

  1. Introduction – Occurrence of sedimentary rocks
  2. Formation of Sediment
  3. Sandstones/Conglomerates/Breccia
  4. Mudrocks
  5. Limestones/Dolomites
  6. Evaporites
  7. Iron-rich rocks
  8. Cherts/Hydrocarbons/Volcanoclastics (one of)

Laboratory Topics

  1. Mineral Lab – review
  2. Sedimentary particles
  3. Textural analysis of sand
  4. Particle size analysis
  5. Detrital rocks
  6. Carbonate staining/peels
  7. Carbonate rocks
  8. Evaporites/cherts/ironstones/phosphates
  9. Acetolysis

Each student will be assigned a field project, generally in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, and will be expected to provide a comprehensive report on the sedimentology of the area assigned.

Learning activities
  1. The primary modes of instruction shall be lectures, laboratories, and field trips.
  2. Readings will be assigned to supplement lectures.
  3. Audio-visual aids will be used where appropriate.
Means of assessment
Mid-term test 30%
Field project 30%
Lab exercises 10%
Final exam 30%

 

Learning outcomes

The student should be able to:

  1. Identify the effects of weathering on rocks in the field.
  2. Identify sedimentary rocks in hand specimens and in the field.
  3. Carry out grain size analysis of loose sediments.
  4. Explain the dynamics of sediment transport and deposition.
  5. Determine the environment of formation of various sedimentary rocks.
  6. Differentiate sedimentary environments in the field.
  7. Work out the geological history of a sedimentary basin from the study of geological maps.
Textbook materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students

Text: Blatt, H., Sedimentary Petrology, W. H. Freeman

Lab Manual: Friedman & Johnson (1982), Exercises in Sedimentology, John Wiley

Requisites

Prerequisites

GEOL 1120

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for GEOL 2321
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.

Course Offerings

There are no course offerings this semester.