Sedimentology and Sedimentary Basins

The sedimentary record on Earth stretches back more than 4.3 billion years and is present in more abbreviated forms on companion planets of the Solar System, like Mars and Venus, and doubtless elsewhere. Reading such planetary archives correctly requires intimate knowledge of modern sedimentary processes acting within the framework provided by tectonics, climate and sea or lake level variations. The subject of sedimentology thus encompasses the origins, transport and deposition of mineral sediment on planetary surfaces. The author addresses the principles of the subject from the viewpoint of modern processes, emphasising a general science narrative approach in the main text, with quantitative background derived in enabling cookie appendices. The book ends with an innovative chapter dealing with how sedimentology is currently informing a variety of cognate disciplines, from the timing and extent tectonic uplift to variations in palaeoclimate. Each chapter concludes with a detailed guide to key further reading leading to a large bibliography of over 2500 entries. The book is designed to reach an audience of senior undergraduate and graduate students and interested academic and industry professionals.

The sedimentary record on Earth stretches back more than 4.3billion years and is present in more abbreviated forms on companionplanets of the Solar System, like Mars and Venus, and doubtlesselsewhere. Reading such planetary archives correctly requiresintimate knowledge of modern sedimentary processes acting withinthe framework provided by tectonics, climate and sea or lake levelvariations. The subject of sedimentology thus encompasses theorigins, transport and deposition of mineral sediment on planetarysurfaces.The author addresses the principles of the subject from theviewpoint of modern processes, emphasising a general sciencenarrative approach in the main text, with quantitative backgroundderived in enabling 'cookie' appendices. The book endswith an innovative chapter dealing with how sedimentology iscurrently informing a variety of cognate disciplines, from thetiming and extent tectonic uplift to variations in palaeoclimate.Each chapter concludes with a detailed guide to key further readingleading to a large bibliography of over 2500 entries. The book isdesigned to reach an audience of senior undergraduate and graduatestudents and interested academic and industry professionals.

Preface, xiAcknowledgements, xiiiPart 1: Making SedimentIntroduction, 11 Clastic sediment as a chemical and physical breakdown product,32 Carbonate, siliceous, iron-rich and evaporate sediments,273 Sediment grain properties, 57Part 2: Moving Fluid4 Fluid basics, 695 Types of fluid motion, 84Part 3: Transporting Sediment6 Sediment in fluid and fluid flow--general, 1137 Bedforms and sedimentary structures in flows and under waves,1328 Sediment gravity flows and their deposits, 1719 Liquefaction, fluidization and sliding sediment deformation,198Part 4: Major External Controls on Sedimentation andSedimentary Environments10 Major external controls on sedimentation, 213Part 5: Continental Sedimentary Environments11 Rivers, 24512 Subaerial Fans: Alluvial and Colluvial, 28213 Aeolian Sediments in Low-Latitude Deserts, 29514 Lakes, 31915 Ice, 344Part 6: Marine Sedimentary Environments16 Estuaries, 37117 River and Fan Deltas, 38618 Linear Siliciclastic Shorelines, 41719 Siliciclastic Shelves20 Calcium-carbonate-evaporite Shorelines21 Deep Ocean, 514Part 7: Architecture of Sedimentary Basins22 Sediment in Sedimentary Basins: A User's Guide, 563Part 8: Topics: Sediment Solutions to InterdisciplinaryProblems23 Sediments Solve Wider InterdisciplinaryCookies, 646Maths Appendix, 697References, 702Index, 753Colour plates fall between pp. 402 and 403