FROM SEDIMENT INTO SEDIMENTARY ROCK Objectives

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

FROM SEDIMENT INTO SEDIMENTARY ROCK Objectives FROM SEDIMENT INTO SEDIMENTARY ROCK Objectives • Identify three types of sediments. • Explain where and how chemical and biogenic sediments form. • Explain three processes that lead to the lithification of sediments. • Explain how features such as ripples, cracks, and fossils tell geologists about the environment in which a rock originated. • Identify plate tectonics that are favorable for the accumulation of sediments. Sediments and Sedimentation • Deposition – The laying down of sediment • Sediment separated into three broad categories – Clastic – Chemical – Biogenic 1 Sediments and Sedimentation Sediments and Sedimentation • Clastic sediment – Sediment formed from fragmented rock and mineral debris – Produced by weathering and erosion – Described by particle shape, angularity, and size • Clastic sediment – Volcaniclastic sediments • Volcanic in origin • Pyroclasts – Distinguished by size » Bombs » Lapilli » Ash 2 Clastic sediment Clastic sediment Clastic sediment Glacial till: poorly sorted Well sorted, well rounded, quartz sand 3 Sediments and Sedimentation • Chemical sediment – Sediment formed by the precipitation of minerals dissolved in lake water, river water, or sea water – Plants and animals alter chemical balance • Limestone – Shallow sea water evaporation causes dissolved salts to precipitate Sediments and Sedimentation • Biogenic sediment – Sediment that is primarily composed of plant or animal remains • Shells, bones, teeth • Wood, roots, leaves – Or, precipitates as a result of biologic processes: foraminifer in the head of a pin Sedimentary Rocks • Lithification – The processes by which loose sediment is transformed into sedimentary rock • Bedding – The layered arrangement of strata in sediment/sedimentary rock • Bedding surface – The top or bottom surface of a rock stratum or bed 4 Lithification Processes Lithification Processes Lithification Processes • Compaction – Reduction of pore space in a sediment as a result of the weight of overlying sediments • Cementation – Substances dissolved in pore water precipitate out and form a matrix in which grains of sediments are joined together 5 Lithification Processes • Recrystallization – The formation of new crystalline mineral grains What kind of sediment? • How do you know? • How do you know? Compare textures of a sedimentary rock with an igneous rock (granite) 6 Types of Sedimentary Rocks • Clastic sedimentary rock – Conglomerate • Has large fragments in a finer grained matrix – Sandstone • Medium grained, where clasts are typically, but not necessarily, dominated by quartz grains – Mudstone • A very fine grained sedimentary rock of the same composition as shale but without fissility – Shale • A very fine grained fissile or laminated sedimentary rock, consisting primarily of clay sized particles Conglomerate Figure 7.6 Quartz sandstone Figure 7.4 7 Breccia Figure 7.7 Shale with plant remains Figure 7.2 Types of Sedimentary Rocks • Chemical sedimentary rocks – Evaporite • Formed by the evaporation of lake water or sea water, followed by lithification of the resulting salt deposit – Banded iron formation • A type of chemical sedimentary rock rich in iron minerals or silica 8 Evaporites Bedrock geology of Lower Michigan http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-glm-rcim-geology- 1987_Bedrock_Geology_Map.Pdf 9 Travertine-Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone NP Banded Iron Formation (BIF) Types of Sedimentary Rocks • Biogenic sedimentary rocks – Limestone • A sedimentary rock that consists primarily of the mineral calcite – Peat • Formed from the accumulation and compaction of plant remains – Coal • A combustible rock formed from the lithification of plant-rich sediment 10 Coquina Figure 7.9 Chalk White Cliffs of Dover 11 Depositional Environments • Interpreting environmental clues – Patterns formed by air and water moving over sediments Ripple marks • Preserved and later exposed – Ripple marks – Fossils – Mud cracks Characteristics-fossils Fossiliferous limestone 12 Mud cracks Depositional Environments on Land Depositional Environments on Land • Streams • Lakes – Delta • A sedimentary deposit, commonly triangle shaped, that forms where a stream enters a standing body of water – Glacier – Wind • Eolian sediment – Sediments that are carried and deposited by the wind 13 Depositional Environments on Land Delta Old Lake bed Lacustrine sediments-Lake Michigan Bluffs Depositional environments in and near the ocean • Delta • Estuary – Semi-enclosed body of coastal water, in which fresh water mixes with sea water • Beaches • Shelves • Carbonate platforms and reefs Green beach due to olivine 14 Chesapeake Bay: An Estuary 15 Great Barrier Reef Depositional environments in and near the ocean Carbonate platform in the Bahamas 16 Depositional environments in and near the ocean • Turbidites – A turbulent, gravity driven flow consisting of a mixture of sediment and water, – Conveys sediment from the continental shelf to the deep sea • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfNLI2JW7mg&NR=1 • Seafloor – Rich in nutrients • Calcareous ooze • Siliceous ooze Deep sea sediments deposited by turbidity current (turbidite) How Plate Tectonics Affect Sedimentation • Divergent plate boundaries – Rift valleys • A linear, fault-bounded valley along a divergent plate boundary or spreading center • Convergent plate boundaries – Collisional type – Subduction type • Back-arc basin • Accretionary wedges • Ophiolites (slabs of oceanic lithosphere) 17.
Recommended publications
  • Sediment Transport in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System: an Overview
    Marine Geology 345 (2013) 3–17 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Marine Geology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/margeo Sediment transport in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System: An overview Patrick L. Barnard a,⁎, David H. Schoellhamer b,c, Bruce E. Jaffe a, Lester J. McKee d a U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA, USA b U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, Sacramento, CA, USA c University of California, Davis, USA d San Francisco Estuary Institute, Richmond, CA, USA article info abstract Article history: The papers in this special issue feature state-of-the-art approaches to understanding the physical processes Received 29 March 2012 related to sediment transport and geomorphology of complex coastal–estuarine systems. Here we focus on Received in revised form 9 April 2013 the San Francisco Bay Coastal System, extending from the lower San Joaquin–Sacramento Delta, through the Accepted 13 April 2013 Bay, and along the adjacent outer Pacific Coast. San Francisco Bay is an urbanized estuary that is impacted by Available online 20 April 2013 numerous anthropogenic activities common to many large estuaries, including a mining legacy, channel dredging, aggregate mining, reservoirs, freshwater diversion, watershed modifications, urban run-off, ship traffic, exotic Keywords: sediment transport species introductions, land reclamation, and wetland restoration. The Golden Gate strait is the sole inlet 9 3 estuaries connecting the Bay to the Pacific Ocean, and serves as the conduit for a tidal flow of ~8 × 10 m /day, in addition circulation to the transport of mud, sand, biogenic material, nutrients, and pollutants.
    [Show full text]
  • Sedimentation and Clarification Sedimentation Is the Next Step in Conventional Filtration Plants
    Sedimentation and Clarification Sedimentation is the next step in conventional filtration plants. (Direct filtration plants omit this step.) The purpose of sedimentation is to enhance the filtration process by removing particulates. Sedimentation is the process by which suspended particles are removed from the water by means of gravity or separation. In the sedimentation process, the water passes through a relatively quiet and still basin. In these conditions, the floc particles settle to the bottom of the basin, while “clear” water passes out of the basin over an effluent baffle or weir. Figure 7-5 illustrates a typical rectangular sedimentation basin. The solids collect on the basin bottom and are removed by a mechanical “sludge collection” device. As shown in Figure 7-6, the sludge collection device scrapes the solids (sludge) to a collection point within the basin from which it is pumped to disposal or to a sludge treatment process. Sedimentation involves one or more basins, called “clarifiers.” Clarifiers are relatively large open tanks that are either circular or rectangular in shape. In properly designed clarifiers, the velocity of the water is reduced so that gravity is the predominant force acting on the water/solids suspension. The key factor in this process is speed. The rate at which a floc particle drops out of the water has to be faster than the rate at which the water flows from the tank’s inlet or slow mix end to its outlet or filtration end. The difference in specific gravity between the water and the particles causes the particles to settle to the bottom of the basin.
    [Show full text]
  • Estuarine and Coastal Sedimentation Problems1
    ESTUARINE AND COASTAL SEDIMENTATION PROBLEMS1 Leo C. van Rijn Delft Hydraulics and University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. E•mail: [email protected] Abstract: This Keynote Lecture addresses engineering sedimentation problems in estuarine and coastal environments and practical solutions of these problems based on the results of field measurements, laboratory scale models and numerical models. The three most basic design rules are: (1) try to understand the physical system based on available field data; perform new field measurements if the existing field data set is not sufficient (do not reduce on the budget for field measurements); (2) try to estimate the morphological effects of engineering works based on simple methods (rules of thumb, simplified models, analogy models, i.e. comparison with similar cases elsewhere); and (3) use detailed models for fine•tuning and determination of uncertainties (sensitivity study trying to find the most influencial parameters). Engineering works should be designed in a such way that side effects (sand trapping, sand starvation, downdrift erosion) are minimum. Furthermore, engineering works should be designed and constructed or built in harmony rather than in conflict with nature. This ‘building with nature’ approach requires a profound understanding of the sediment transport processes in morphological systems. Keywords: Sedimentation, sediment transport, morphological modelling 1. INTRODUCTION This lecture addresses sedimentation and erosion engineering problems in estuaries and coastal seas and practical solutions of these problems based on the results of field measurements, laboratory scale models and numerical models. Often, the sedimentation problem is a critical element in the economic feasibility of a project, particularly when each year relatively large quantities of sediment material have to be dredged and disposed at far•field locations.
    [Show full text]
  • Coastal and Shelf Sediment Transport: an Introduction
    Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on September 28, 2021 Coastal and shelf sediment transport: an introduction MICHAEL B. COLLINS 1'3 & PETER S. BALSON 2 1School of Ocean & Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton S014 3ZH, UK (e-mail." mbc@noc, soton, ac. uk) 2Marine Research Division, AZTI Tecnalia, Herrera Kaia, Portu aldea z/g, Pasaia 20110, Gipuzkoa, Spain 3British Geological Survey, Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK. Interest in sediment dynamics is generated by the (a) no single method for the determination of need to understand and predict: (i) morphody- sediment transport pathways provides the namic and morphological changes, e.g. beach complete picture; erosion, shifts in navigation channels, changes (b) observational evidence needs to be gathered associated with resource development; (ii) the in a particular study area, in which contem- fate of contaminants in estuarine, coastal and porary and historical data, supported by shelf environment (sediments may act as sources broad-based measurements, is interpreted and sinks for toxic contaminants, depending by an experienced practitioner (Soulsby upon the surrounding physico-chemical condi- 1997); tions); (iii) interactions with biota; and (iv) of (c) the form and internal structure of sedimen- particular relevance to the present Volume, inter- tary sinks can reveal long-term trends in pretations of the stratigraphic record. Within this transport directions, rates and magnitude; context of the latter interest, coastal and shelf (d) complementary short-term measurements sediment may be regarded as a non-renewable and modelling are required, to (b) (above) -- resource; as such, their dynamics are of extreme any model of regional sediment transport importance.
    [Show full text]
  • Part 629 – Glossary of Landform and Geologic Terms
    Title 430 – National Soil Survey Handbook Part 629 – Glossary of Landform and Geologic Terms Subpart A – General Information 629.0 Definition and Purpose This glossary provides the NCSS soil survey program, soil scientists, and natural resource specialists with landform, geologic, and related terms and their definitions to— (1) Improve soil landscape description with a standard, single source landform and geologic glossary. (2) Enhance geomorphic content and clarity of soil map unit descriptions by use of accurate, defined terms. (3) Establish consistent geomorphic term usage in soil science and the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS). (4) Provide standard geomorphic definitions for databases and soil survey technical publications. (5) Train soil scientists and related professionals in soils as landscape and geomorphic entities. 629.1 Responsibilities This glossary serves as the official NCSS reference for landform, geologic, and related terms. The staff of the National Soil Survey Center, located in Lincoln, NE, is responsible for maintaining and updating this glossary. Soil Science Division staff and NCSS participants are encouraged to propose additions and changes to the glossary for use in pedon descriptions, soil map unit descriptions, and soil survey publications. The Glossary of Geology (GG, 2005) serves as a major source for many glossary terms. The American Geologic Institute (AGI) granted the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) permission (in letters dated September 11, 1985, and September 22, 1993) to use existing definitions. Sources of, and modifications to, original definitions are explained immediately below. 629.2 Definitions A. Reference Codes Sources from which definitions were taken, whole or in part, are identified by a code (e.g., GG) following each definition.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil Erosion, Runoff, and Sedimentation Construction Site Fact Sheet No
    Soil Erosion, Runoff, and Sedimentation Construction Site Fact Sheet No. 1 What Is Soil Erosion? What Problems Happen On Construction Soil erosion is the detachment and movement of soil Sites? particles by water, wind, ice, or gravity. Safety and Nuisance Issues – Sediment on roadways and in the air can cause safety hazards. Flooding– Excessive sediment accumulation in drainage systems can create blockages that promote flooding. Sediment Build‐Up – Sediment that accumulates in streams, lakes, and bays can only be remediated by costly dredging. Increased Costs – Uncontrolled erosion and sedimentation requires costly maintenance and What Is Sedimentation? repair. It is cheaper and easier to PREVENT Sediment is the result of erosion. Sedimentation is erosion than to fix sedimentation problems. the build‐ up of eroded soil particles that are transported in runoff from their site of origin and Negative Public Perception ‐Observing muddy deposited in drainage systems, on other ground water flowing from construction sites negatively surfaces, or in bodies of water or wetlands. effects public perception. Why Should I Care? It’s the Law– Federal, State and local regulations require construction sites to be compliant with the Clean Water Act. Water Quality‐Erosion from construction projects can be a non‐point source pollutant that deteriorates the health of our lakes, streams and Narragansett Bay. Soil Loss ‐ Much of the total sediment loss that occurs each year is generated by highway construction and land development projects. Quality of Life‐ If you enjoy fishing, eating local Sediment‐filled runoff from a RIDOT construction site shellfish or swimming at one of Rhode Island’s beautiful beaches, this pollution can threaten your quality of life.
    [Show full text]
  • Beachrock, in Schwartz, ML, Ed., Encyclopedia of Coastal Science
    Turner, RJ. 2005. Beachrock, in Schwartz, ML, ed., Encyclopedia of Coastal Science. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands. Pp. 183-186. BEACHROCK Formation and Distribution of Beachrock Beachrock is defined by Scoffin and Stoddart (1987, 401) as "the consolidated deposit that results from lithification by calcium carbonate of sediment in the intertidal and spray zones of mainly tropical coasts." Beachrock units form under a thin cover of sediment and generally overlie unconsolidated sand, although they may rest on any type of foundation. Maximum rates of subsurface beachrock cementation are thought to occur in the area of the beach that experiences the most wetting and drying - below the foreshore in the area of water table excursion between the neap low and high tide levels (Amieux et al, 1989; Higgins, 1994). Figure B49 shows a beachrock formation displaying typical attributes. Figure B49 Multiple unit beachrock exposure at barrio Rio Grande de Aguada, Puerto Rico. The sculpted morphology, development of a nearly vertical landward edge, and dark staining of outer surface by cyanobacteria indicate that this beachrock has experience extended exposure. Landward relief and imbricate morphology of beachrock units define shore- parallel runnels that impound seawater (photo R. Turner). There are a number of theories regarding the process of beach sand cementation. Different mechanisms of cementation appear to be responsible at different localities. The primary mechanisms proposed for the origin of beachrock cements are as follows: 1)
    [Show full text]
  • Sedimentary Rock Formation Models
    Sedimentary Rock Formation Models 5.7 A Explore the processes that led to the formation of sedimentary rock and fossil fuels. The Formation Process Explained • Formation of these rocks is one of the important parts of the rock cycle. For millions of years, the process of deposition and formation of these rocks has been operational in changing the geological structure of earth and enriching it. Let us now see how sedimentary rocks are formed. Weathering The formation process begins with weathering of existent rock exposed to the elements of nature. Wind and water are the chisels and hammers that carve and sculpt the face of the Earth through the process of weathering. The igneous and metamorphic rocks are subjected to constant weathering by wind and water. These two elements of nature wear out rocks over a period of millions of years creating sediments and soil from weathered rocks. Other than this, sedimentation material is generated from the remnants of dying organisms. Transport of Sediments and Deposition These sediments generated through weathering are transported by the wind, rivers, glaciers and seas (in suspended form) to other places in the course of flow. They are finally deposited, layer over layer by these elements in some other place. Gravity, topographical structure and fluid forces decide the resting place of these sediments. Many layers of mineral, organics and chemical deposits accumulate together for years. Layers of different deposits called bedding features are created from them. Crystal formation may also occur in these conditions. Lithification (Compaction and Cementation) Over a period of time, as more and more layers are deposited, the process of lithification begins.
    [Show full text]
  • Weathering Transportation Deposition Sediments Sedimantary Rocks
    Weathering Transportation Deposition Uplift & exposure Sediments Igneous rocks (extrusive) Lithification Pyroclastic (Compaction and material Cementation) Consolidation Sedimantary rocks Igneous rocks (ıntrusion) Metamorphic Crystallization rocks Melting Prof.Dr.Kadir Dirik Lecture Notes Prof.Dr.Kadir Dirik Lecture Notes Sediment and Sedimentary Rocks The term sediment refers to (1) all solid particles of preexisting rocks yielded by mechanical and chemical weathering, (2) minerals derived from solutions containing materials dissolved during chemical weathering and (3) minerals extracted from sea water by organisms to build their shell. Sedimentary rock is simply any rock composed of sediments. 2 Prof.Dr.Kadir Dirik Lecture Notes Sedimentary rocks cover about two thirds of the continents and most of the seafloor, except spreading ridges. All rocks are important to understand the Earth history, but sedimentary rocks play a special role because they preserve evidence of surface processes responsible for them.By studying sedimentary rocks we can determine past distribution of streams, lakes, deserts, glaciers, and shorelines. They also make interferences about ancient climates and biosphere. In adition, some sediments and sedimentary rocks are themselves natural resources, or they are the host for resources such as petroleum and natural gas. Depositional Processes (Çökelme Süreçleri) Weathering & Erosion, Transportation, Deposition / Sedimentation and Diagenesis. Weathering & Erosion Weathering and erosion are the fundamental processes in the origin of sediment. During this process two types of sediments are produced: detrital sediments and chemical sediments. 3 Prof.Dr.Kadir Dirik Lecture Notes Ayrışma/bozunma erozyon Taşınma ve Çökelme/depolanma Gömülme ve taşlaşma 4 Prof.Dr.Kadir Dirik Lecture Notes Detrital Sediments. are all particles derived from any type of weathering.
    [Show full text]
  • Concretions, Nodules and Weathering Features of the Carmelo Formation
    Concretions, nodules and weathering features of the Carmelo Formation The features that characterize a sedimentary rock can form at chemical origin and include nodules and concretions. diverse times and under very different conditions. Geologists Deformational features result from the bending, buckling, or divide these features into four classes. Depositional features breaking of sedimentary strata by external forces. Surficial form while the sediment is accumulating. They can tell a much (weathering) features develop in a rock at or near the about the ancient environment of deposition and include many surface where it is subject to groundwater percolation. These examples in the Carmelo Formation. Diagenetic features features can reflect both physical and chemical processes. a develop after the sediment has accumulated and can include number of examples exist in the rocks of Point Lobos. (See link the transition from sediment to rock. They typically have a to The Rocks of Point Lobos for further descriptions). Depositional Diagenetic Deformational Surficial Features that form as Features that form after Features that develop Features that form while the the sediment the sediment was anytime after deposition rock is exposed at or near accumulates deposited until it becomes and reflect the bending, the present-day land surface a rock swirling, or breaking of the stratification Examples: Examples: Examples: Examples: Bedding (layering, Nodules “Convolute lamination” Iron banding stratification) Concretions Slump structure Honeycomb Grain size Lithification (rock Tilting weathering Grain organization formation) Folds Color change (grading, pebble Faults orientation, imbrication) Ripple marks Ripple lamination Trace fossils Erosional scours Channels Features of a sedimentary rock sorted according to their origin.
    [Show full text]
  • Sedimentary Rocks
    Sedimentary Rocks • a rock resulting from the consolidation of loose sediment that has been derived from previously existing rocks • a rock formed by the precipitation of minerals from solution Sedimentary Stages of the Rock Cycle Weathering Erosion Transportation Deposition (sedimentation) Burial Diagenesis Fig. 5.1 1 Table 5.1 Sorting Fig 5.2 Transport will effect the sediment in several ways Sorting:Sorting a measure of the variation in the range of grain sizes in a rock or sediment • Well-sorted sediments have been subjected to prolonged water or wind action. • Poorly-sorted sediments are either not far- removed from their source or deposited by glaciers. 2 Fig. 5.3 Sedimentary Environments Fig. Story 5.5 Table 5.2 3 Sedimentary Structures Stratification = Bedding = Layering This layering that produces sedimentary structures is due to: • Particle size • Types (s) of particles Sedimentary Layering Other Examples of Sedimentary Structures • Cross-beds • Ripple marks • Mudcracks • Raindrop impressions • Fossils 4 Cross-bedded sandstone Fig. 5.6 Fig. 5.7 Ripples on a beach Fig. 5.8 5 Ripples Preserved in Sandstone Fig. 5.9 Fig. 5.9 6 Fig. 5.10 Turbidity Currents Suspension of water sand, and mud that moves downslope (often very rapidly) due to its greater density that the surrounding water (often triggered by earthquakes). The speed of turbidity currents was first appreciated in 1920 when a current broke lines in the Atlantic. This event also demonstrated just how far a single deposit could travel. From Sediment to Sedimentary Sock (lithification) • Compaction:Compaction reduces pore space. clays and muds are up to 60 % water; 10% after compaction • Cementation:Cementation chemical precipitation of mineral material between grains (SiO2, CaCO3, Fe2O3) binds sediment into hard rock.
    [Show full text]
  • Erosion and Sediment Control for Agriculture
    Chapter 4C: Erosion and Sediment Control 4C: Erosion and Sediment Control Management Measure for Erosion and Sediment Apply the erosion component of a Resource Management System (RMS) as defined in the Field Office Technical Guide of the U.S. Department of Agriculture–Natural Resources Conservation Service (see Appendix B) to minimize the delivery of sediment from agricultural lands to surface waters, or Design and install a combination of management and physical practices to settle the settleable solids and associated pollutants in runoff delivered from the contributing area for storms of up to and including a 10-year, 24-hour frequency. Management Measure for Erosion and Sediment: Description Application of this management measure will preserve soil and reduce the mass of sediment reaching a water body, protecting both agricultural land and water quality. This management measure can be implemented by using one of two general strategies, or a combination of both. The first, and most desirable, strategy is to implement practices on the field to minimize soil detachment, erosion, and transport of sediment from the field. Effective practices include those that maintain crop residue or vegetative cover on the soil; improve soil properties; Sedimentation reduce slope length, steepness, or unsheltered distance; and reduce effective causes widespread water and/or wind velocities. The second strategy is to route field runoff through damage to our practices that filter, trap, or settle soil particles. Examples of effective manage- waterways. Water ment strategies include vegetated filter strips, field borders, sediment retention supplies and wildlife ponds, and terraces. Site conditions will dictate the appropriate combination of resources can be practices for any given situation.
    [Show full text]