Gary Nichols has taught sedimentology and stratigraphy at universities in the UK and Norway. His research interests in the analysis of facies and sedimentary basins have taken him to every continent, providing experience of a wide range of sedimentary rock types of different ages in a variety of depositional settings. He currently designs training programmes for geoscientists working in the energy industry.

Select Guide Rating

• Preface xiAcknowledgements xiiiAbout the Companion Website xvPart A Sedimentary Materials, Processes and Products 11 Introduction to Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 31.1 Overview 41.2 Sedimentology 51.3 Stratigraphy 61.4 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 7Further Reading 82 Clastic Sediments: Gravel, Sand and Mud 92.1 Classification of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks 102.2 Gravel and Conglomerate 122.3 Sand and Sandstone 152.4 Clay, Silt and Mudrock 262.5 Textures and Analysis of Clastic Sedimentary Rocks 292.6 Clastic Sediments: Summary 34Further Reading 343 Biogenic, Chemical and Volcanogenic Sediments 353.1 Limestone 363.2 Evaporite Minerals 443.3 Cherts 463.4 Sedimentary Phosphates 473.5 Sedimentary Ironstone 473.6 Carbonaceous (Organic) Deposits 493.7 Volcaniclastic Sedimentary Rocks 51Further Reading 524 Processes of Transport and Sedimentary Structures 534.1 Transport Media 544.2 The Behaviour of Fluids and Particles in Fluids 554.3 Flows, Sediment and Bedforms 604.4 Waves 704.5 Sediment Gravity Flows 734.6 Mudcracks 774.7 Erosional Sedimentary Structures 784.8 Terminology for Sedimentary Structures and Beds 794.9 Sedimentary Structures and Sedimentary Environments 81Further Reading 825 Field Sedimentology, Facies and Environments 835.1 Field Sedimentology 845.2 Graphic Sedimentary Logs 855.3 Palaeocurrents 915.4 Sampling Sedimentary Rocks 945.5 Description of Core 965.6 Interpreting Past Depositional Environments 975.7 Reconstructing Palaeoenvironments 1015.8 Summary: Facies and Environments 105Further Reading 105Part B Continental Environments 1076 Continental Environments and Sources of Sediment 1096.1 From Source of Sediment to Formation of Strata 1106.2 Tectonic Uplift 1106.3 Global Climate 1116.4 Weathering Processes 1126.5 Erosion and Transport 1156.6 Denudation and Landscape Evolution 1186.7 Continental Environments of Deposition 124Further Reading 1267 Glacial Environments 1277.1 Distribution of Glacial Environments 1287.2 Glacial Ice 1297.3 Continental Glacial Environments 1317.4 Continental Glacial Deposition 1367.5 Marine Glacial Environments 1387.6 Glacial Deposits in the Stratigraphic Record 1407.7 Glacial Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 141Further Reading 1428 Aeolian Environments 1438.1 Aeolian Transport 1448.2 Characteristics of Wind- blown Particles 1458.3 Desert Environments 1468.4 Aeolian Bedforms 1488.5 Stratigraphic Record of Aeolian Deposits 1528.6 Aeolian Deposits Outside Deserts 1558.7 Summary 157Further Reading 1589 Rivers and Alluvial Fans 1599.1 Fluvial and Alluvial Systems 1609.2 River Channels 1629.3 Floodplain Deposition 1709.4 Alluvial Fans 1719.5 Fossils in Fluvial and Alluvial Environments 1759.6 Soils and Palaeosols 1769.7 Fluvial and Alluvial Stratigraphy 179Further Reading 18410 Lakes 18510.1 Lakes and Lacustrine Environments 18610.2 Freshwater Lakes 18710.3 Freshwater Lake Clastic Deposits 19010.4 Saline Lakes 19310.5 Ephemeral Lakes 19410.6 Lacustrine Carbonates 19710.7 Lacustrine Stratigraphy 19810.8 Recognition of Lacustrine Facies in the Stratigraphic Record 199Further Reading 20011 Volcanic Rocks and Sediments 20111.1 Volcanic Rocks and Sediment 20211.2 Transport and Deposition of Volcaniclastic Material 20511.3 Eruption Styles 20911.4 Facies Associations in Volcanic Successions 21011.5 Volcanic Material in Other Environments 21311.6 Volcanic Rocks in Earth History 214Further Reading 215Part C Marine Environments 21712 The Marine Realm: Morphology and Processes 21912.1 Oceans and Seas 22012.2 Oceanic Currents 22212.3 Wave and Storm Processes 22212.4 Tides 22312.5 Chemical and Biochemical Sedimentation in Oceans 22812.6 Marine Fossils 23012.7 Trace Fossils 231Further Reading 23513 Deltas 23713.1 Modern Deltas 23813.2 Variations in Delta Morphology 24113.3 Syndepositional Deformation in Deltas 24913.4 Deltaic Successions 24913.5 Deltaic Cycles and Stratigraphy 25413.6 Fossils in Deltaic Deposits 25513.7 Recognition of Deltaic Deposits 255Further Reading 25614 Clastic Coasts and Estuaries 25914.1 Coasts 26014.2 Beaches 26114.3 Wave- dominated Coastlines 26514.4 Tidally Influenced Coastal Systems 26914.5 Estuaries 27114.6 Fossils in Coastal and Estuarine Environments 27514.7 Recognition of Coastal and Estuarine Systems 276Further Reading 27715 Shallow Sandy Seas 27915.1 Shallow Marine Environments 28015.2 Storm and Wave- dominated Shallow Clastic Seas 28215.3 Tide- dominated Clastic Shallow Seas 28615.4 Responses to Change in Sea Level 29015.5 Fossils in Sandy Shelf Successions 29115.6 Criteria for the Recognition of Sandy Shallow Marine Sediments 292Further Reading 29316 Shallow Marine Carbonate and Evaporite Environments 29516.1 Carbonate and Evaporite Depositional Environments 29616.2 Coastal Carbonate and Evaporite Environments 29916.3 Shallow Marine Carbonate Deposits 30316.4 Carbonate Platform Facies and Successions 30916.5 Marine Evaporites 31416.6 Mixed Carbonate- clastic Environments 31716.7 Recognition of Shallow Marine Carbonate and Evaporite Facies 318Further Reading 31917 Deep Marine Environments 32117.1 The Deep Seas 32217.2 Sediment Gravity Flow Processes in Deep Seas 32317.3 Submarine Fans 32517.4 Ancient Submarine Fan Systems 32817.5 Slope Aprons 33217.6 Ocean Current and Pelagic Sedimentation 33317.7 Chemogenic Sediments 33717.8 Fossils in Deep Ocean Sediments 337Further Reading 339Part D Post-depositional Processes 34118 Soft Sediment Deformation 34318.1 Deformation After Deposition 34418.2 Large- scale Post- depositional Features 350Further Reading 35319 Diagenesis 35519.1 Diagenetic Processes 35619.2 Clastic Diagenesis 36319.3 Carbonate Diagenesis 36619.4 Diagenesis of Volcaniclastic Sediments 36919.5 Formation of Coal, Oil and Gas 370Further Reading 375Part E Stratigraphy 37720 Stratigraphy: Concepts and Lithostratigraphy 37920.1 Geologic Time 38020.2 Stratigraphic Units 38520.3 Lithostratigraphy 38520.4 Applications of Lithostratigraphy 391Further Reading 39421 Biostratigraphy 39521.1 Fossils in Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 39621.2 Classification of Organisms 39721.3 Evolutionary Trends 39821.4 Biozones and Zone Fossils 40021.5 Taxa Used in Biostratigraphy 40421.6 Applied Biostratigraphy 40821.7 Biostratigraphy and Other Stratigraphic Techniques 409Further Reading 41022 Dating and Correlation Techniques 41122.1 Techniques for Dating and Correlation 41222.2 Radiometric dating 41222.3 Magnetostrati graphy 41622.4 Chemostrati graphy 41822.5 Dating in the Quaternary 421Further Reading 42323 Subsurface Stratigraphy and Sedimentology 42523.1 Introduction to Subsurface Stratigraphy and Sedimentology 42623.2 Seismic Reflection Data 42623.3 Borehole Stratigraphy and Sedimentology 43223.4 Petrophysical Logging 43523.5 Subsurface Facies and Basin Analysis 440Further Reading 44124 Sequence Stratigraphy and Sea Level Changes 44324.1 Sea- level Changes and Sedimentation 44424.2 Depositional Sequences and Systems Tracts 45224.3 Parasequences: Components of Systems Tracts 45724.4 Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy 46124.5 Applications of Sequence Stratigraphy 46324.6 Causes of Sea Level Fluctuations 46724.7 Sequence Stratigraphy: Summary 473Further Reading 47425 Sedimentary Basins 47525.1 Controls on Sediment Accumulation 47625.2 Basins Related to Lithospheric Extension 47825.3 Basins Related to Subduction 48425.4 Basins Related to Crustal Loading 48625.5 Basins Related to Strike- slip Tectonics 48925.6 Complex and Hybrid Basins 49025.7 The Record of Tectonics in Stratigraphy 49025.8 Sedimentary Basin Analysis 49225.9 Integrating Sedimentology and Stratigraphy: the History of the Earth’s Surface 495Further Reading 496References 497Index 511

Gary Nichols has taught sedimentology and stratigraphy at universities in the UK and Norway. His research interests in the analysis of facies and sedimentary basins have taken him to every continent, providing experience of a wide range of sedimentary rock types of different ages in a variety of depositional settings. He currently designs training programmes for geoscientists working in the energy industry.

Select Guide Rating

• Preface xiAcknowledgements xiiiAbout the Companion Website xvPart A Sedimentary Materials, Processes and Products 11 Introduction to Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 31.1 Overview 41.2 Sedimentology 51.3 Stratigraphy 61.4 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 7Further Reading 82 Clastic Sediments: Gravel, Sand and Mud 92.1 Classification of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks 102.2 Gravel and Conglomerate 122.3 Sand and Sandstone 152.4 Clay, Silt and Mudrock 262.5 Textures and Analysis of Clastic Sedimentary Rocks 292.6 Clastic Sediments: Summary 34Further Reading 343 Biogenic, Chemical and Volcanogenic Sediments 353.1 Limestone 363.2 Evaporite Minerals 443.3 Cherts 463.4 Sedimentary Phosphates 473.5 Sedimentary Ironstone 473.6 Carbonaceous (Organic) Deposits 493.7 Volcaniclastic Sedimentary Rocks 51Further Reading 524 Processes of Transport and Sedimentary Structures 534.1 Transport Media 544.2 The Behaviour of Fluids and Particles in Fluids 554.3 Flows, Sediment and Bedforms 604.4 Waves 704.5 Sediment Gravity Flows 734.6 Mudcracks 774.7 Erosional Sedimentary Structures 784.8 Terminology for Sedimentary Structures and Beds 794.9 Sedimentary Structures and Sedimentary Environments 81Further Reading 825 Field Sedimentology, Facies and Environments 835.1 Field Sedimentology 845.2 Graphic Sedimentary Logs 855.3 Palaeocurrents 915.4 Sampling Sedimentary Rocks 945.5 Description of Core 965.6 Interpreting Past Depositional Environments 975.7 Reconstructing Palaeoenvironments 1015.8 Summary: Facies and Environments 105Further Reading 105Part B Continental Environments 1076 Continental Environments and Sources of Sediment 1096.1 From Source of Sediment to Formation of Strata 1106.2 Tectonic Uplift 1106.3 Global Climate 1116.4 Weathering Processes 1126.5 Erosion and Transport 1156.6 Denudation and Landscape Evolution 1186.7 Continental Environments of Deposition 124Further Reading 1267 Glacial Environments 1277.1 Distribution of Glacial Environments 1287.2 Glacial Ice 1297.3 Continental Glacial Environments 1317.4 Continental Glacial Deposition 1367.5 Marine Glacial Environments 1387.6 Glacial Deposits in the Stratigraphic Record 1407.7 Glacial Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 141Further Reading 1428 Aeolian Environments 1438.1 Aeolian Transport 1448.2 Characteristics of Wind- blown Particles 1458.3 Desert Environments 1468.4 Aeolian Bedforms 1488.5 Stratigraphic Record of Aeolian Deposits 1528.6 Aeolian Deposits Outside Deserts 1558.7 Summary 157Further Reading 1589 Rivers and Alluvial Fans 1599.1 Fluvial and Alluvial Systems 1609.2 River Channels 1629.3 Floodplain Deposition 1709.4 Alluvial Fans 1719.5 Fossils in Fluvial and Alluvial Environments 1759.6 Soils and Palaeosols 1769.7 Fluvial and Alluvial Stratigraphy 179Further Reading 18410 Lakes 18510.1 Lakes and Lacustrine Environments 18610.2 Freshwater Lakes 18710.3 Freshwater Lake Clastic Deposits 19010.4 Saline Lakes 19310.5 Ephemeral Lakes 19410.6 Lacustrine Carbonates 19710.7 Lacustrine Stratigraphy 19810.8 Recognition of Lacustrine Facies in the Stratigraphic Record 199Further Reading 20011 Volcanic Rocks and Sediments 20111.1 Volcanic Rocks and Sediment 20211.2 Transport and Deposition of Volcaniclastic Material 20511.3 Eruption Styles 20911.4 Facies Associations in Volcanic Successions 21011.5 Volcanic Material in Other Environments 21311.6 Volcanic Rocks in Earth History 214Further Reading 215Part C Marine Environments 21712 The Marine Realm: Morphology and Processes 21912.1 Oceans and Seas 22012.2 Oceanic Currents 22212.3 Wave and Storm Processes 22212.4 Tides 22312.5 Chemical and Biochemical Sedimentation in Oceans 22812.6 Marine Fossils 23012.7 Trace Fossils 231Further Reading 23513 Deltas 23713.1 Modern Deltas 23813.2 Variations in Delta Morphology 24113.3 Syndepositional Deformation in Deltas 24913.4 Deltaic Successions 24913.5 Deltaic Cycles and Stratigraphy 25413.6 Fossils in Deltaic Deposits 25513.7 Recognition of Deltaic Deposits 255Further Reading 25614 Clastic Coasts and Estuaries 25914.1 Coasts 26014.2 Beaches 26114.3 Wave- dominated Coastlines 26514.4 Tidally Influenced Coastal Systems 26914.5 Estuaries 27114.6 Fossils in Coastal and Estuarine Environments 27514.7 Recognition of Coastal and Estuarine Systems 276Further Reading 27715 Shallow Sandy Seas 27915.1 Shallow Marine Environments 28015.2 Storm and Wave- dominated Shallow Clastic Seas 28215.3 Tide- dominated Clastic Shallow Seas 28615.4 Responses to Change in Sea Level 29015.5 Fossils in Sandy Shelf Successions 29115.6 Criteria for the Recognition of Sandy Shallow Marine Sediments 292Further Reading 29316 Shallow Marine Carbonate and Evaporite Environments 29516.1 Carbonate and Evaporite Depositional Environments 29616.2 Coastal Carbonate and Evaporite Environments 29916.3 Shallow Marine Carbonate Deposits 30316.4 Carbonate Platform Facies and Successions 30916.5 Marine Evaporites 31416.6 Mixed Carbonate- clastic Environments 31716.7 Recognition of Shallow Marine Carbonate and Evaporite Facies 318Further Reading 31917 Deep Marine Environments 32117.1 The Deep Seas 32217.2 Sediment Gravity Flow Processes in Deep Seas 32317.3 Submarine Fans 32517.4 Ancient Submarine Fan Systems 32817.5 Slope Aprons 33217.6 Ocean Current and Pelagic Sedimentation 33317.7 Chemogenic Sediments 33717.8 Fossils in Deep Ocean Sediments 337Further Reading 339Part D Post-depositional Processes 34118 Soft Sediment Deformation 34318.1 Deformation After Deposition 34418.2 Large- scale Post- depositional Features 350Further Reading 35319 Diagenesis 35519.1 Diagenetic Processes 35619.2 Clastic Diagenesis 36319.3 Carbonate Diagenesis 36619.4 Diagenesis of Volcaniclastic Sediments 36919.5 Formation of Coal, Oil and Gas 370Further Reading 375Part E Stratigraphy 37720 Stratigraphy: Concepts and Lithostratigraphy 37920.1 Geologic Time 38020.2 Stratigraphic Units 38520.3 Lithostratigraphy 38520.4 Applications of Lithostratigraphy 391Further Reading 39421 Biostratigraphy 39521.1 Fossils in Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 39621.2 Classification of Organisms 39721.3 Evolutionary Trends 39821.4 Biozones and Zone Fossils 40021.5 Taxa Used in Biostratigraphy 40421.6 Applied Biostratigraphy 40821.7 Biostratigraphy and Other Stratigraphic Techniques 409Further Reading 41022 Dating and Correlation Techniques 41122.1 Techniques for Dating and Correlation 41222.2 Radiometric dating 41222.3 Magnetostrati graphy 41622.4 Chemostrati graphy 41822.5 Dating in the Quaternary 421Further Reading 42323 Subsurface Stratigraphy and Sedimentology 42523.1 Introduction to Subsurface Stratigraphy and Sedimentology 42623.2 Seismic Reflection Data 42623.3 Borehole Stratigraphy and Sedimentology 43223.4 Petrophysical Logging 43523.5 Subsurface Facies and Basin Analysis 440Further Reading 44124 Sequence Stratigraphy and Sea Level Changes 44324.1 Sea- level Changes and Sedimentation 44424.2 Depositional Sequences and Systems Tracts 45224.3 Parasequences: Components of Systems Tracts 45724.4 Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy 46124.5 Applications of Sequence Stratigraphy 46324.6 Causes of Sea Level Fluctuations 46724.7 Sequence Stratigraphy: Summary 473Further Reading 47425 Sedimentary Basins 47525.1 Controls on Sediment Accumulation 47625.2 Basins Related to Lithospheric Extension 47825.3 Basins Related to Subduction 48425.4 Basins Related to Crustal Loading 48625.5 Basins Related to Strike- slip Tectonics 48925.6 Complex and Hybrid Basins 49025.7 The Record of Tectonics in Stratigraphy 49025.8 Sedimentary Basin Analysis 49225.9 Integrating Sedimentology and Stratigraphy: the History of the Earth’s Surface 495Further Reading 496References 497Index 511