P. E. Potter – författare

This book is the outgrowth of a week-long conference on sandstone organized by the authors, first held at Banff, Alberta, in 1964 under the auspices of the Alberta Association of Petroleum Geologists and the University of Alberta, and again, in 1965, at Bloomington, Indiana, under the sponsorship of the Indiana Geological Survey and the Department of Geology, Indiana University. A 2- page syllabus was prepared for the second conference and published by the Indiana Geological Survey. Continuing interest in and demand for the syllabus prompted us to update and expand its contents. The result is this book. We hope this work will be useful as a text or supplementary text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in sedimentation, sedimentary petrology, or general petrology and perhaps will be helpful to the teachers of such courses. Though we have focussed on sandstones we have necessarily included much of interest to students of all sediments. We hope also that it will be a useful reference work for the professional geologist, especially those concerned with petroleum, ground-water, and economic geology either in industry or government. Because the subject is so closely tied to surface processes it may also be of interest to geo­ morphologists and engineers who deal with beaches and rivers where sand is in transit.

The study of paleocurrents, since 1963, is now a very routine part of sedimentology, and more and more such studies are finding use in other fields. Thus it seemed appropriate for us to review post-1963 developments and present them in a compact manner for the interested reader. Instead of rewriting a second edition, which thirteen years later we would organize in a completely dif­ ferent way, we have brought each chapter up to date with new material up to 1976. A new update supplement has in this edition been inserted after each one of the original chapters. We have stayed close to the original theme of paleocurrents-how to measure them and how to use them to solve geological problems ranging in scale from the hand specimen to the sedimentary basin and beyond. We have used many annotated references and tables to help pre­ sent this information to the reader. The reader will note that we have cited a few 1962 references - pUblications that appeared too late to be cited in the original 1963 edition. A few times we have also cited a reference which was included in the first edition. These are marked with an asterisk and hence do not appear in the new lists of references. We have been aided by many. In Cincinnati, WANDA OSBORNE and JEAN CARROL did typing and RICHARD SPOHN, the University''s geological librarian, was very helpful in obtaining many references to the literature.

The study of paleocurrents, since 1963, is now a very routine part of sedimentology, and more and more such studies are finding use in other fields. Thus it seemed appropriate for us to review post-1963 developments and present them in a compact manner for the interested reader. Instead of rewriting a second edition, which thirteen years later we would organize in a completely dif­ ferent way, we have brought each chapter up to date with new material up to 1976. A new update supplement has in this edition been inserted after each one of the original chapters. We have stayed close to the original theme of paleocurrents-how to measure them and how to use them to solve geological problems ranging in scale from the hand specimen to the sedimentary basin and beyond. We have used many annotated references and tables to help pre­ sent this information to the reader. The reader will note that we have cited a few 1962 references - pUblications that appeared too late to be cited in the original 1963 edition. A few times we have also cited a reference which was included in the first edition. These are marked with an asterisk and hence do not appear in the new lists of references. We have been aided by many. In Cincinnati, WANDA OSBORNE and JEAN CARROL did typing and RICHARD SPOHN, the University's geological librarian, was very helpful in obtaining many references to the literature.

Inadequate observation of sedimentary TRUSHKovA and KUKHARENKO''S "Atlas of structures has been responsible for incorrect Placer Minerals." The most comprehensive interpretation of the order of superposition atlas is the "Atlas of Textures and Struc­ in deformed beds and this has led, in turn, tures of Sedimentary Rocks" edited by A. to gross errors in stratigraphy and structure. V. KHABAKOV (1962). Failure to recognize and utilize those Our Atlas is an outgrowth of our work on structures which indicate direction of cur­ "Paleocurrents and Basin Analysis," a book rent flow has also led to incorrect, or at in which directional sedimentary structures least incomplete, understanding of basin are described and interpreted with special development. reference to the evolution of sedimentary We believe, therefore, that there is need for basins. That work, however, contains mini­ a work which constitutes a field guide to the mal photographic material - just enough study of these structures - a book in to give the reader some concept of the sedi­ which these structures, so difficult to mentary structures described.

Inadequate observation of sedimentary TRUSHKovA and KUKHARENKO'S "Atlas of structures has been responsible for incorrect Placer Minerals." The most comprehensive interpretation of the order of superposition atlas is the "Atlas of Textures and Struc­ in deformed beds and this has led, in turn, tures of Sedimentary Rocks" edited by A. to gross errors in stratigraphy and structure. V. KHABAKOV (1962). Failure to recognize and utilize those Our Atlas is an outgrowth of our work on structures which indicate direction of cur­ "Paleocurrents and Basin Analysis," a book rent flow has also led to incorrect, or at in which directional sedimentary structures least incomplete, understanding of basin are described and interpreted with special development. reference to the evolution of sedimentary We believe, therefore, that there is need for basins. That work, however, contains mini­ a work which constitutes a field guide to the mal photographic material - just enough study of these structures - a book in to give the reader some concept of the sedi­ which these structures, so difficult to mentary structures described.