International Association Of Sedimentologists Series – serie

This first IAS Special Publication contains the oral presentations from a special symposium on pelagic sediments held in Zurich in 1973. The aim of the symposium was to bring together sea-borne researchers involved with the Deep Sea Drilling Project and land-locked researchers studying ancient sediments. If you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP1

Carbonate cements are very common and abundant in clastic sequences. They profoundly influence the quality of hydrocarbon reservoirs and supply important information on palaeoenvironments and the chemical composition and flow patterns of fluids in sedimentary basins. Despite this importance, their distribution patterns in time and space and their geochemical evolution are not yet deeply explored and elucidated. This Special Publication contains 21 review papers and case studies on carbonate cementation in clastic sequences written by invited specialists on the subject. These papers present a wide and deep coverage that enhance our knowledge about carbonate cementation in various clastic depositional environments, tectonic settings and burial histories. The book will be of special interest to researchers, petroleum geologists and teachers and students at the postgraduate level. If you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP26

This IAS Special Publication #27 contains 17 of the papers presented at the IAS International Workshop on Reefs and Carbonate platforms in the Pacific and Indian oceans held in Sydney (July 1995). This is the first book to summarize the current state of knowledge about reefs and carbonate platforms in these oceans, where there is a great diversity of carbonate systems in various tectonic settings. Papers concern both processes operating in reefs and carbonate platforms and case histories (platform and oceanic reef case histories). Case histories range from the Lower Cretaceous to modern reefs and most fossil carbonate platforms concern outcomes from recent ODP legs in the Pacific. The book covers a broad spectrum of disciplines related to carbonate geology: sedimentology, geochemistry, geophysics, reef ecology and modeling. If you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP25

Understanding of rivers and their sediments, both as modern systems and as ancient counterparts in the geological record, has progressed steadily but markedly over the past several decades, with contributions by practitioners in diverse fields of geosciences and engineering. This book contains 31 papers, with authors from 13 countries, who participated in the Sixth International Conference on Fluvial Sedimentology held in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1977. True to the nature of these quadrennial conferences, the papers in this book discuss a broad range of fluvial subjects that include the character of bedforms and sediment transport in river channels, morphological and sedimentological features of modern fluvial environments, modern and ancient avulsions, internal and external controls on the behaviour of river systems, and the facies and architectural organization of alluvial deposits. A specialist volume detailing the latest advances in fluvial sedimentology. Authorship includes the leaders in the field. If you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP28

This volume presents a unique compendium of papers assessing the effects of volcanism on lakes, as recorded by the volcaniclastic sediments deposited within them. The unifying theme is that the effects of volcanism on lacustrine sedimentation are diverse and distinctive, and that volcaniclastic lacustrine sediments hold the key to understanding a range of processes and events that cannot be readily addressed by the study of any non-volcanic lakes.Thirteen papers, with authors from nine countries, examine both modern and ancient eruption-affected lacustrine deposits. Volcanic eruptions affect lakes and their deposits in many ways, and these papers evaluate processes and products of volcanic eruptions within lakes, of tectonically impounded lakes strongly influenced by volcanism, of eruption-impounded lakes and of general factors controlling sedimentation of vitric ash and pumice. Tephrastratigraphic studies also take advantage of the exceptional preservation of thin laminae in quiet lakes to precisely date episodes in the evolution of long-lived lakes and their catchment areas, and to understand how volcanism affects normal lacustrine processes. The volume as a whole is an unparalleled source of information on all aspects of the physical sedimentary results of volcanism in lacustrine settings, and serves as a complement to other studies concerned primarily with thermal and geochemical characteristics of lakes within volcanic craters. If you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP30

The motivation for this volume came from the idea that the Precambrian is the key, both to the present, and to the understanding of the Earth as a whole. The Precambrian constitutes about 85% of Earth's history, and of that, about 3.75 billion years of Precambrian time, represented by rocks, are accessible to geoscientists. Ancient atmospheric and environmental conditions can be traced back to the time when the Earth was only about 250 million years old. Precambrian rocks supply almost 75% of important mineral resources such as Fe, Mn, Au, Pt and Cr. Many of these elements are associated with sedimentary rocks and some important hydrocarbon, coal and graphite deposits are also hosted by Precambrian rocks.This volume is aimed at geoscientists interested in Precambrian sedimentary rocks and at students of Earth history. It contains review articles discussing Precambrian conditions and case studies from Precambrian shields and successions of North and South America, Australia, Africa, Europe, Asia and India. The introductory papers, written by experts on Precambrian environments, treat comprehensively the application of actualism to the Precambrian, the evolution and influence of life on the sedimentary rock record, the genesis of Banded Iron Formations, the Precambrian sulphur cycle and the significance of Precambrian chemical carbonate precipitates. The case studies include depositional settings and processes in Archean terranes, in Paleoproterozoic sequences, with some emphasis on the lack of vegetation and weathering, and in late Proterozoic sequences, with some emphasis on glacial deposits. The contributions demonstrate that Precambrian sedimentary deposits are commonly similar to their Phanerozoic counterparts in terms of composition, sedimentary processes, and depositional setting, but may differ significantly as a result of lack of vegetation, climatic and biological constraints, composition and circulation of seawater, and the secular involvement of continental crust. Contains review articles discussing Precambrian conditions and case studies from Precambrian shields and successions of North and South America, Australia, Africa, Europe, Asia and India.The introductory papers, written by experts on Precambrian environments, treat comprehensively the application of actualism to the Precambrian, the evolution and influence of life on the sedimentary rock record, the genesis of Banded Iron Formations, the Precambrian sulphur cycle and the significance of Precambrian chemical carbonate precipitates.Detailed case studies include depositional settings and processes in Archean terranes, in Paleoproterozoic sequences, with some emphasis on the lack of vegetation and weathering, and in late Proterozoic sequences, with some emphasis on glacial deposits.Written for geoscientists interested in Precambrian sedimentary rocks and students of Earth history.If you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS), for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP33

This is the first book to investigate the structure, origin and evolution of carbonate mud-mounds. Mud-mounds are accumulations of biogenic carbonate sediment that are common in the geological record, and economically important as they host lead zinc mineralization and oil and gas. The book reviews, for the first time, the different mechanisms of mud-mound formation and examines in detail the major changes in mud-mound type and occurrence through geological time. The major part of the book contains case studies of mud-mounds from the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The coverage is global and truly international, with 32 authors from 10 countries. The first volume to deal with the structure, formation and evolution of mud-mounds. Copiously illustrated, with nine colour plates. If you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP23

From Depositional Systems to Sedimentary Successions on the Norwegian Continental MarginThe Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), focus of this special publication, is a prolific hydrocarbon region and both exploration and production activity remains high to this day with a positive production outlook. A key element today and in the future is to couple technological developments to improving our understanding of specific geological situations. The theme of the publication reflects the immense efforts made by all industry operators and their academic partners on the NCS to understand in detail the structural setting, sedimentology and stratigraphy of the hydrocarbon bearing units and their source and seal. The papers cover a wide spectrum of depositional environments ranging from alluvial fans to deepwater fans, in almost every climate type from arid through humid to glacial, and in a variety of tectonic settings. Special attention is given to the integration of both analogue studies and process-based models with the insights gained from extensive subsurface datasets.

Tidal deposits have been a specific research topic for about 40 years, and whilst this has resulted in a proliferation of papers in scientific journals, there have only been a few book-length syntheses. Over the years, tidal sedimentology has been reinforced by fluid mechanics and numerical modelling but has remained rooted in facies and stratigraphic studies. Recent developments in tidal sedimentology lean toward a more quantitative assessment of the imprint of tides in the facies record of intertidal and shallow subtidal areas. They highlight the increasing relevance of tidal deposits studies, from high resolution subsurface reservoir geology to climate change and sea-level rise. This volume gathers 17 contributions to the Tidalites 2012 congress held in Caen, France. It reflects current advances in the sedimentology and stratigraphy of tidal deposits, in both ancient and modern environments. It shows the current diversity of this field of research, through a wide spectrum of methods including remote sensing, in-situ hydrodynamical measurements, and ichnology, in addition to classic field studies and petrography.

The Carboniferous Shannon Basin of Western Ireland has become one of the most visited field areas in the world. It provides an ideal opportunity for examining a wide range of ancient sedimentary environments, including carbonate shelf, reefs and mud mounds, black shales and phosphates, and a spectrum of deep sea, shallow marine, fluvio-deltaic and alluvial siliciclastic sediments. The area boasts extensive outcrops and some of the most renowned sections through turbidites, large-scale soft sediment deformation features and sediments that display a response to tectonic and sea-level controls.This field guide provides the first synthesis of the principal localities in this area of Western Ireland, and presents an easily accessible handbook that will guide the reader to, and within, a wide range of sedimentary facies, allowing an understanding of the evolving nature of the fill of this Carboniferous basin and the context of its sedimentary and tectonic evolution. The guide summarizes recent and new work in the area by a range of authors and outlines issues of current debate concerning the Shannon Basin and its palaeoenvironmental interpretation. The field guide will find extensive use in teaching and research by academic researchers, professional and amateur geologists, as well as by applied geologists, geophysicists and reservoir engineers who use these outcrops as analogues for subsurface reservoirs in many areas of the world.

The sinuous form and peculiar evolution of meandering rivers has long captured the imagination of people. Today, meandering rivers exist in some of the most densely populated areas in the World, where they provide environmental and economic wealth and opportunities, as well as posing hazards. Through geological time, the ancestors of these modern meanders built deposits that are now host to mineral resources, groundwater, and hydrocarbons.This Special Publication illustrates the breadth of current research on meandering rivers and their deposits. The collection of research papers demonstrates the state of science on fluvial process–product relationships. The articles cover fundamental and applied studies of both modern and ancient rivers, are based on state-of-the-art technology, include complementary philosophical approaches, and span a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.This book includes some of the most recent advances in the study of the morphodynamics and sedimentology of meandering rivers, and is an important resource for those who want to investigate fluvial systems and their deposits.

Clay minerals are one of the most important groups of minerals that destroy permeability in sandstones. However, they also react with drilling and completion fluids and induce fines migration during hydrocarbon production. They are a very complex family of minerals that are routinely intergrown with each other, contain a wide range of solid solutions and form by a variety of processes under a wide range temperatures and rock and fluid compositions.In this volume, clay minerals in sandstones are reviewed in terms of their mineralogy and general occurrence, their stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry, XRD quantification, their effects on the petrophysical properties of sandstones and their relationships to sequence stratigraphy and palaeoclimate. The controls on various clay minerals are addressed and a variety of geochemical issues, including the importance of mass flux, links to carbonate mineral diagenesis and linked clay mineral diagenesis in interbedded mudstone-sandstone are explored. A number of case studies are included for kaolin, illite and chlorite cements, and the occurrence of smectite in sandstone is reviewed. Experimental rate data for clay cements in sandstones are reviewed and there are two model-based case studies that address the rates of growth of kaolinite and illite.The readership of this volume will include sedimentologists and petrographers who deal with the occurrence, spatial and temporal distribution patterns and importance of clay mineral cements in sandstones, geochemists involved in unraveling the factors that control clay mineral cement formation in sandstones and petroleum geoscientists involved in predicting clay mineral distribution in sandstones. The book will also be of interest to geologists involved in palaeoclimate studies basin analysis. Latest geochemical data on clays in sandstonesProvides important information for geologists involved in basin analysis, sandstone petrology and petroleum geologyIf you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS), for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP34

This important book brings together eighteen cutting-edge research papers first presented at the Second International Conference on Braided Rivers. It includes the latest research on the dynamics, deposits and ecology of these rivers. Essential reading for geomorphologists, earth scientists, engineers and ecologists with a pure and applied interest in the study, modelling and management of braided rivers.

Understanding basin-fill evolution and the origin of stratal architectures has traditionally been based on studies of outcrops, well and seismic data, studies of and inferences on qualitative geological processes, and to a lesser extent based on quantitative observations of modern and ancient sedimentary environments. Insight gained on the basis of these studies can increasingly be tested and extended through the application of numerical and analogue forward models. Present-day stratigraphic forward modelling follows two principle lines: 1) the deterministic process-based approach, ideally with resolution of the fundamental equations of fluid and sediment motion at all scales, and 2) the stochastic approach. The process-based approach leads to improved understanding of the dynamics (physics) of the system, increasing our predictive power of how systems evolve under various forcing conditions unless the system is highly non-linear and hence difficult or perhaps even impossible to predict. The stochastic approach is more direct, relatively simple, and useful for study of more complicated or less-well understood systems. Process-based models, more than stochastic ones, are directly limited by the diversity of temporal and spatial scales and the very incomplete knowledge of how processes operate and interact on the various scales.The papers included in this book demonstrate how cross-fertilization between traditional field studies and analogue and numerical forward modelling expands our understanding of Earth-surface systems.

This special publication Perspectives in Carbonate Geology is a collection of papers most of which were presented at a symposium to honor the 80th birthday of Bob Ginsburg at the meeting of Geological Society of America in Salt Lake City in 2005. The majority of the papers in this publication are connected with the study of modern carbonate sediments. Bob Ginsburg pioneered the concept of comparative sedimentology - that is using the modern to compare to and relate to and understand the ancient. These studies are concerned with Bob's areas of passion: coral reefs and sea-level; submarine cementation and formation of beach rock; surface sediments on Great Bahama Bank and other platforms; origin of ooids; coastal sediments; formation of stromatolites; impact of storms on sediments; and the formation of dolomite. The remainder of the papers apply the study of modern environments and sedimentary processes to ancient sediments.  Recent other publications of the International Association of Sedimentologists  SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS40           Analogue and Numerical Modelling of Sedimentary SystemsFrom Understanding to PredictionEdited by P. de Boer, G. Postma, K. van der Zwan, P. Burgess and P. Kukla2008, 336 pages, 172 illustrations39           Glacial Sedimentary Processes and ProductsEdited by M.J. Hambrey, P. Christoffersen, N.F. Glasser and B. Hubbard2007, 416 pages, 181 illustrations38           Sedimentary Processes, Environments and BasinsA Tribute to Peter FriendEdited by G. Nichols, E. Williams and C. Paola2007, 648 pages, 329 illustrations37           Continental Margin SedimentationFrom Sediment Transport to Sequence StratigraphyEdited by C.A. Nittrouer, J.A. Austin, M.E. Field, J.H. Kravitz, J.P.M. Syvitski and P.L. Wiberg2007, 549 pages, 178 illustrations36           Braided RiversProcess, Deposits, Ecology and ManagementEdited by G.H. Sambrook Smith, J.L. Best, C.S. Bristow and G.E. Petts2006, 390 pages, 197 illustrations35           Fluvial Sedimentology VIIEdited by M.D. Blum, S.B. Marriott and S.F. Leclair2005, 589 pages, 319 illustrationsREPRINT SERIES4              Sandstone Diagenesis: Recent and AncientEdited by S.D. Burley and R.H. Worden2003, 648 pages, 223 illustrationsPlease see inside the book for the full list of IAS publicationsCover design by Code 5 DesignFor information, news, and content about Wiley-Blackwell books and journals in Earth Sciences please visit www.earthpages.com

The Oligocene and Miocene Epochs comprise the most important phases in the Cenozoic global cooling that led from a greenhouse to an icehouse Earth. Recent major advances in the understanding and time-resolution of climate events taking place at this time, as well as the proliferation of studies on Oligocene and Miocene shallow-water/neritic carbonate systems, invite us to re-evaluate the significance of these carbonate systems in the context of changes in climate and Earth surface processes. Carbonate systems, because of a wide dependence on the ecological requirements of organisms producing the sediment, are sensitive recorders of changes in environmental conditions on the Earth surface.The papers included in this Special Publication address the dynamic evolution of carbonate systems deposited during the Oligocene and Miocene in the context on climatic and Earth surfaces processes focusing on  climatic trends and controls over deposition; temporal changes in carbonate producers and palaeoecology; carbonate terminology; facies; processes and environmental parameters (including water temperature and production depth profiles); carbonate producers and their spatial and temporal variability; and tectonic controls over architecture. This book is part of the International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS) Special Publications.The Special Publications from the IAS are a set of thematic volumes edited by specialists on subjects of central interest to sedimentologists. Papers are reviewed and printed to the same high standards as those published in the journal Sedimentology and several of these volumes have become standard works of reference.

This first IAS Special Publication contains the oral presentations from a special symposium on pelagic sediments held in Zurich in 1973. The aim of the symposium was to bring together sea-borne researchers involved with the Deep Sea Drilling Project and land-locked researchers studying ancient sediments. If you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists, for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP3

Associating ice masses with the transport and deposition of sediments has long formed a central theme in glaciology and glacial geomorphology. The reason for this focus is clear, in that ice masses are responsible for much of the physical landscape which characterizes the Earth's glaciated regions. This association also holds at a variety of scales, for example, from the grain-size characteristics of small-scale moraines to the structural architecture of large-scale, glacigenic sedimentary sequences in both surface and subaqueous environments.This volume brings numerous state-of-the-art research contributions together, each relating to a different physical setting, spatial scale, process or investigative technique. The result is a diverse and interesting collection of papers by glaciologists, numerical modellers and glacial geologists, which are all linked by the theme of investigating the relationships between the behaviour of ice masses and their resulting sedimentary sequences.

This book is part of the International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS) Special Publications.The Special Publications from the IAS are a set of thematic volumes edited by specialists on subjects of central interest to sedimentologists. Papers are reviewed and printed to the same high standards as those published in the journal Sedimentology and several of these volumes have become standard works of reference.This volume commemorates the eclectic research of Douglas James Shearman into evaporites, which was initiated by his studies of the prograding UAE coastal sabkhas or salt flats that incorporate evaporite minerals which displace and replace earlier carbonate sediments. His subsequent proselytization of the study of ancient evaporites in sedimentary sections all over the world led to fundamental advances in our understanding of arid zone carbonate sedimentology. The papers presented here are based on presentations made in Abu Dhabi, UAE 12-14th October 2004 and 7th –8th November 2006. They provide a retrospective from the 1960's and 70's of Holocene evaporites and carbonates, recapturing Shearman's contribution by revisiting the Holocene coastal evaporite and carbonate sediments of the Arabian/Persian Gulf from Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Oman. The first set of papers considers these sediments from the perspective of their coastal geomorphology, sedimentary character and their geochemistry. Later papers examine the significance of these settings in the ancient geological section world-wide, including examples from the Mesozoic-Cenozoic of the Moroccan Atlantic margin and the Upper Jurassic Arab Formation of the Arabian Gulf.