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Sedimentary Geology
Geos 240 Camosun College
Dr. Tark Hamilton
Text: Sediments & Basins: Andrew D. Miall, 2006
Lab: Ancient Environments & the Interpretation of
Geologic History , Lynn S. Fichter & David J. Poche,
3rd ed. 2001
Additional Lab support: American Geological
Institute Laboratory manual in Physical Geology,
10th Ed. Richard M. Busch and Dennis Tasa
Sedimentary
Products &
Processes: Fraser
Delta
Aerial view of tidal creeks
on the tidal flats of the
Fraser River Delta at low
tide. The creeks extend
across approximately 100
m. Roberts Bank, Delta
BC, Alexandra Shaw 2004.
What is the drop in
elevation if the slope is
0.25°?
Sedimentary
Products &
Processes: Paleosols
& Tephra
Oblique view gully
exposing paleosols and
tephra from Mt. Hudson.
Patagonia, Lago Buenos
Aires Region, Argentina.
Dr. Rene Barendregt, 2016.
Sedimentary
Products &
Processes: VolcanoSedimentary Facies
Eroded outcrop of cross bedded
unconsolidated gravels and sands made
of VRF’s. Chilled basalt flow margin
intrudes and caps sequence. Argentina.
Dr. Rene Barendregt, 2016.
Sedimentary Geology
Geos 240 – Introduction
Chapter 1
Dr. Tark Hamilton
Camosun College
SEDIMENTS = CSI EARTH!
Sedimentary Geology
Geos 240:
Dr. Tark Hamilton
Sediments & Basins: Andrew D. Miall, 2006
Introduction: Why Study Sediments?
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Record of Earth History: environments, orbits,
climate, atmosphere, sea level, physical processes
Natural Resources: Building Stone; Aggregate;
Hydrocarbons: Coal, Oil, Gas; Salts: Halite, Gypsum,
Nitrates; SMS: Pb-Zn, Ground Water…
Folded & Faulted Upper Jurassic Coal-bearing Sediments
Foothills, Canadian Rockies: Canmore Alberta
Sedimentary Geology
Geos 240:
Dr. Tark Hamilton
Sediments & Basins: Andrew D. Miall, 2006
Introduction: Where to Sediments Occur?
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Basins: low lying areas for tectonic or erosional causes
Under Water : Seas, Lakes, Rivers
On Land: Deserts, By Glaciers, By Mountains
From Weathering : Chemical, Mechanical
From Transport : By Ice, Water, Wind, Mass Wasting
ISOPACH MAP
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Sediment Thickness in Km:
Covers 60% of Earth > 500m, 13% > 10 km
Sedimentary Basins:
Mackenzie-Beaufort
Western Canada (Alberta - NE BC-Sask)
Williston (Sask – Man – Mont -Dakotas)
Appalachain, Michigan, West Texas, Green River
North Sea
Baltic
Deep Marine: Pacific, Indian, Atlantic…
NORTH
AMERICAN
SEDIMENTARY
BASINS
What can various sediments reveal?
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Earth’s Oldest Rocks are FeCO3 ~ 3.75 Ga from Eastern Hudson’s
Bay/Ungava Peninsula (N. Dauphas, S. Mojzsis & N. Cates 2007.
Oldest Rocks Show How Earth May Have Dodged Frozen Fate of
Mars, E.P.S. L.)
Seasonal Occupation of a Late Middle Woodland Archeological
Site (D.S. Brose 1994. The South Park Village Site and the Late
Prehistoric Whittlesey Tradition of Northeast Ohio (Monogaphs
in World Archaeology, Vol 20. 226p.)
The effects of Site Selection, Sediment Supply, and
Hydrodynamics: A Case Study of Submarine Paleoseismology on
the Northern Cascadia margin, Washington USA Chris
Goldfinger , Steve Galer , Jeffrey Beeson , Tark Hamilton , Bran
Black , Chris Romsos , Jason Patton , C. Hans Nelson , Rachel
Hausmann , Ann Morey., Marine Geology, July 2016.
What can various sediments reveal?
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Proterozoic Orthoquartzites – Rodinia’s Super
Continent Long lasting Desert
Northern Hemisphere Harbour Sediments
Worldwide : 1920’s – 1980’s Pb from gasoline
Short Lived Radionuclides from Atmospheric
Weapons Testing 1956-1964, more in northern
hemisphere plus: metals, dioxins, pharmaceutical
History of fluid motions in Sedimentary Basins
CONCEPTS:
Processes 
Products
 Sedimentolgy,
Stratigraphy,
Diagenesis
 Environments,
Groundwater Flow,
Rock Properties
 Weathering,
Cements,
Concretions
Jurassic Outcrops
N
Jurassic Unit s
REGIONAL SETTING
& FACIES ANALYSIS
Morrison Fm
Lacustrine,
Playa,
Floodplains
Entrada Ss
Eolian
Carmel Fm
Page Ss
Sabkha
Eolian
Eolian
Navajo Ss
Kayenta Fm
Wingate Ss
Unit Containing
Iron Concretions
Fluvial
Eolian
How do we study sediments,
sedimentary rocks and
sedimentary basins?
Stratigraphy : Geophysics, Petrophysics, Boreholes
Lithologies : Rock types, Geometries, Provenance
Environments : Fossils, Sedimentary Structures,
Minerals, Isotopes, Geochemistry, Fluids
Different Kinds of
Stratigraphy
Lithostratigraphy : composition, extent, classificatio
Chronostratigraphy : dating & correlation
Biostratigraphy : fossil content, assemblages
Magnetostratigraphy : magnetic reversals & directions
Stable Isotope Stratigraphy : 18/16O, 13/12C
Sequence Stratigraphy : tectonics, eustasy, cycles
SEDIMENTS = CSI EARTH!