LEARNING OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCES

Successful students will acquire a sound knowledge of physical, chemical and biological sedimentary processes, from their identification through to interpretation (sedimentary facies). Additionally, students will acquire an understanding of the abovementioned sedimentary processes and products in the context of terrestrial, transitional and marine environments (i.e., facies associations and sequences).

CORE COMPETENCES:

MO4.GM4.1. To have an understanding of the main sedimentary processes and environments, and to be able to identify their sedimentary products.

MO4.GM4.6. To have an understanding of sedimentary rocks, their characteristics and their geodynamic context.

MO4.GM4.8. To be able to identify the most common fossils and exogenous rocks in the field, and record the data adequately in a geologist’s notebook.

TRANSVERSAL COMPETENCES:

GO01. Skills of analysis and synthesis.

GO03. Skills of information gathering and managing.

GO04. Ability to put knowledge into practice.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

1. Basic concepts and learning objectives.

2. Erosion and the transport and accumulation of sediment.

3. Current driven bedforms and sedimentary structures: unidirectional water currents, multidirectional water currents (waves and tides), wind currents and second-order currents.

4. Erosion driven sedimentary structures and their relationship with corrasion, obstacles and objects.

5. Soft sediment deformation structures.

6. Sediment gravity flows and their deposits.

7. Bioconstructions, bioerosion and bioturbation.

8. Sedimentary systems: concepts and basic principles.

9. Continental systems.

10. Coastal and shallow marine systems.

11. Deep marine systems.

METHODOLOGY

As students are starting from scratch in sedimentology, its fundamentals will be explained in class. In addition to this foundation, students will be expected to carry out individual study in order to deepen their knowledge and solve specific exercises set during the course. As a complement to theoretical study, both laboratory and field work will be carried out in order to put theory into practice.

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

- Classroom exercises and laboratory assignments: 20%

- Field exercises and assignments: 20% (only the field sessions in which the student has participated will be taken into account; his/her mark for not attended sessions will be 0).

- Final examination: 60%

NOTICE:

An overall minimum score of 5 points out of 10 is required to pass. For the two first items (exercises and field work) to be considered in the continuous assessment program, a minimum of 4 points out of 10 has to be obtained in the third item (exam).

The exam will consist of two parts: theory and practice, each representing 50% of the final result of the exam. However, it is necessary that a minimum of 2 points (out of 5) is obtained in the theory part. The theory exam will include multiple choice tests, in which the negative value of the sum of all incorrect answers and the positive value of the only correct answer of each question will correspond to the same absolute number. The practical exam will include exercises similar to those done in the classroom and the laboratory (diagram blocks, sample analysis and measurement, interpretation of photograghs) and the topics covered in field sessions.

If a student cannot participate in the activities to be carried out during the continuous assessment program (exercises, laboratory, field), he/she will have the option to be evaluated only with a final exam which will include all the parts of the subject (theory content, exercises, laboratory work and field work). In order to take advantage of this option, it has to be communicated in writing to the appropriate lecturer in the first two weeks of the academic year.

Basic bibliography

Boggs, S.Jr. (2012). Principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey.

Collinson, J.D. & Thompson, D.B. (1982). Sedimentary structures. Allen & Unwin.

Dabrio, C., y Santiago (2003). Estratigrafía. Colección Geociencias Universidad Complutense Madrid.

Nichols, G. (2009). Sedimentology & Stratigraphy. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.

Ponce, J.J., Carmona, N., Montagna, A.O. (2018). Atlas de estructuras sedimentarias inorgánicas y biogénicas. Fundación YPF, Buenos Aires.

Stow, A.V. (2005). Sedimentary rocks in the field: a color guide. Elsevier.

In-depth bibliography

Allen, J.R.L. (1982). Sedimentary structures: their character and physical basis. Elsevier.
Leeder, M. (2010). Sedimentology and sedimentary basins: from turbulence to tectonics. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
Reading, H.G. (1996). Sedimentary environments and facies. Blackwell science.

Journals

Sedimentology
Sedimentary Geology
Journal of Sedimentary Research
Facies
The Depositional Record
The Sedimentary Record
Basin Research