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NATS 1003
Syllabus
Topic Outlines

Topic 5  Sedimentary Rocks

Primary goals

• Describe how sedimentary rocks form.
• Describe how sedimentary rocks tell a story about past environments and conditions of deposition.

Topics

5.1  Making sedimentary rocks  

• Process: Lithification

          Terms: compaction; cementation

5.2  Clastic sedimentary rocks 

• Terms: conglomerate; breccia; quartz sandstone; arkose; shale

5.3  What do the pieces of clastic sedimentary rocks tell us about their history?

• Compare: pieces that have been transported more and pieces that have been transported less

• Compare: conglomerate and breccia

• Compare: quartz sandstone and arkose

5.4  Chemical sedimentary rocks  

• Process: how does limestone form?

            Terms: chalk; dolostone

• Process: how do chert and flint form?

            Term: agate

• Process: how do evaporites form?

• Process: how does coal form?

5.5  Depositional Environments  

• 5.5.A  Analytical: How size of the particles tells us about speed of flow in the depositional environment.

• 5.5.B  Analytical: Particles deposited when flow slows down.

• 5.5.C  Analytical: How particles deposit in the ocean

• 5.5.D  Analytical: How rocks in different areas tell us there was an ocean at the time of deposition 
  [same time--different places]

• 5.5.E  Analytical: How different rocks in the same place tell us about sea level changes over time
  [same place--different times]

• 5.5.F  Process: Graded bed

           Term: bed; turbidity current  

• 5.5.G  Process: Cross-bedding

• 5.5.H  Process: Mud cracks

• 5.5.I  Process: Ripple marks

Topic resources for students

Entire course

• Course notes from Prof. Nelson

5.4  Chemical sedimentary rocks

•  Chalk--good description from the UK

Links for further interest

 Entire course

• rock images

• Photomicrographs of rocks

5.1  Making sedimentary rocks

• videos of precipitation--short example and longer

• video  making banded layers in Australia   1 min

• video of Grand Canyon    1 min   another

5.2  Clastic sedimentary rocks

• Video of clasts   1 min

• Sandstone images at Canyonlands National Park
  --video of sandstone    1 min
  --another 1  min video

• video of shale  1 min

• Breccia image at Angle Mountain

• Sed rocks on Mars

5.4  Chemical sedimentary rocks

• Sandstone images at Canyonlands National Park

• Limestone
       --nice description
       --photos and description of Solnhofen Limestone of Germany
       --video from Arizona    2 min

• Halite--description from DesertUSA

• Dolostone--photos and description

• Agate--How Lake Superior agates form (from the DNR)

• Chert--Ramah Chert projectile points
  --How did chert form?
  --Why don't we see modern chert deposits?  video  1 min

5.5  Depositional environments

• Video about making layers    2 min

• Video about rock layers and changing sea level   1 min

• Very good images from UW-Green Bay

• Turbidity currents--laboratory experiments and photos
  --nice video
  --video of simulation of continental shelf

• Cross-bedding
  --video of dune migration
  --good video from Arizona fluvial   1 min
  --good video aeolian   1 min

• Ripple marks--Enc Brit
  --nice video of formation in lab
  --and another
  --video from Arizona    1 min

• Huge ripples in Washington  3 min

• Secondary structures video    9 min

• Fossils
  --How fossils form from Enchanted Learning
  --Petrified tree video  3 min
  --Oldest fossils video   1 min