Sedimentology and Sedimentary Basins: From Turbulence to Tectonics

by Mike Leeder (University of East Anglia)

• ISBN13: 9780632049769
• ISBN10: 0632049766
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-09-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Sedimentology is a core discipline of earth and environmental sciences. It enquires the origins, transport and deposition of mineral sediment on the Earth's surface. The subject is a link between positive effects arising from the building of relief by tectonics and the negative action of denudation in drainage catchments and tectonic subsidence in sedimentary basins.The author addresses the principles of the subject, emphasising the advantages of a general science approach and the importance of understanding modern processes. Sedimentology and Sedimentary Basins is not an encyclopaedia, but attempts to stimulate interdisciplinary thought across the whole subject area and related disciplines. The book has been designed to meet the needs of earth and environmental science undergraduates.Mike Leeder is currently at the School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich. Previously, he was at the School of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds. Mike believes that the first step in sedimentological problem-solving comes from field observations, the second step comes from a grasp of basic physics or chemistry, and the third step comes from the application of simple mathematics. The second edition of a well-established and very successful text. A core course in all earth science degree programmes. Features colour plates and boxed explanations of difficult derivations.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Acknowledgements	xv
Part 1: Introduction
Sedimentology in the earth sciences	3	(12)
Introduction: sedimentology and earth cycling	3	(4)
Erosional drainage basins and depositional sedimentary basins	7	(1)
Global sediment discharge and earth recycling: the rock cycle	7	(2)
Comparative interplanetary sedimentology	9	(1)
Practical sedimentology	10	(1)
A brief history of sedimentology	11	(4)
Part 2: Origin and Types of Sediment Grains
Water--rock interactions: chemical and physical breakdown of catchment bedrock to soil and clastic sediment grains	15	(28)
Introduction	15	(1)
Natural waters as proton donors: pH, acid hydrolysis and limestone weathering	16	(4)
Metallic ions, electron transfer and Eh--pH diagrams	20	(1)
Behaviour of silicate minerals during chemical weathering: breakdown products and newly formed minerals	21	(8)
Acid rain and whole-catchment studies of chemical weathering	29	(1)
The rates and mechanisms of chemical weathering	29	(5)
A simple index of chemical alteration (CIA)	34	(2)
Vegetation, chemical weathering and the Precambrian controversy	36	(2)
Physical weathering	38	(1)
Soils valves and filters for the natural landscape	39	(4)
The inorganic and organic precipitation of sediment: chemical biochemical and biological	43	(34)
Marine and freshwater chemical composition: chemical fluxes to and from the oceans	43	(1)
The carbonate system in the oceans	44	(4)
Advances in understanding carbonate reaction kinetics and their significance	48	(3)
Pre-Recent and future CaCO3 reactions	51	(1)
Ooids	52	(4)
Carbonate grains from plants and animals	56	(3)
Carbonate muds, oozes and chalks	59	(1)
Other carbonate grains of biological origins	60	(1)
Organic productivity, sea-level and atmospheric controls of biogenic CaCO3 deposition rates	61	(1)
CaCO3 dissolution in the deep ocean and the oceanic CaCO3 compensation mechanism	61	(3)
Evaporite salts and their inorganic precipitation	64	(5)
Silica and pelagic plankton	69	(2)
Iron minerals and biomineralizers	71	(2)
Phosphates	73	(4)
Part 3: User's Guide to Sedimentological Fluid Dynamics
Back to basics: fluid flow in general	77	(24)
Introduction	77	(1)
Material properties of fluids	77	(7)
Plastic behaviour	84	(1)
Dimensionless numbers	85	(1)
Reference frames for flows	85	(1)
The concepts of flow steadiness and uniformity	86	(3)
Visualization of flow patterns	89	(1)
Ideal (potential) flow	90	(7)
Dynamics of fluid motion	97	(1)
Strategies for coping with the dynamic equations	97	(4)
Flow in the real world: laminar and turbulent behaviour	101	(22)
Osborne Reynolds and types of flow	101	(4)
The distribution of velocity in viscous flows: the boundary layer	105	(1)
Turbulent flow	106	(4)
The distribution of velocity in turbulent flows	110	(1)
Shear velocity, bed roughness, bed shear stress and flow power	110	(5)
The periodic coherent structures of turbulent shear flows	115	(4)
Shear flow instabilities, flow separation and secondary currents	119	(4)
Sediment grains in fluids: settling, transport and feedback	123	(22)
Introduction	123	(1)
Fall of grains through stationary fluids	123	(3)
Natural flows carrying particulate material are complex	126	(1)
Fluids as transporting machines	126	(1)
Initiation of particle motion	127	(4)
Initiation of motion by air flow	131	(1)
Paths of grain motion	131	(4)
Solid transmitted stresses	135	(2)
A dynamic sediment suspension theory	137	(3)
A warning: nonequilibrium effects may dominate natural sediment transport systems	140	(1)
Steady state, deposition or erosion: the sediment continuity equation	140	(5)
Part 4: Sediment Transport and Sedimentary Structures
Bedforms and structures formed by unidirectional water flows over granular sediment	145	(16)
The `trinity' of flow, transport and bedform	145	(1)
Current ripples	145	(5)
Lower-stage plane beds and cluster bedforms	150	(1)
Duniods (bars, 2D dunes)	150	(1)
Dunes	150	(4)
Upper-stage plane beds	154	(1)
Antidunes, transverse ribs, chutes and pools, and related forms	155	(1)
Bedforms and sediment transport in poorly sorted sediment	155	(1)
Bedform phase diagrams	156	(1)
Bedform `lag' effects	157	(1)
Bedform theory	157	(2)
Measurement of palaeocurrents and problems arising from trough-shaped sets of cross-stratification	159	(2)
Bedforms and structures formed by atmospheric flows	161	(15)
Introduction: some contrasts between air and water flows	161	(3)
Aeolian bedforms in general	164	(1)
Ballistic ripples and ridges	165	(3)
Dunes in general	168	(1)
Flow-transverse dunes	168	(3)
Flow-parallel dunes	171	(2)
Complex flow dunes	173	(1)
Vegetated parabolic dunes	173	(3)
Oscillatory water waves, combined flows and tides: their bedforms and structures	176	(18)
Introduction	176	(1)
Simple wave theory	177	(5)
Near-bed flow and bedforms	182	(3)
Combined flows, wave--current ripples and hummocky cross-stratification	185	(3)
Tidal flows	188	(6)
Bedforms and cohesive sediment transport and erosion	194	(7)
The `special' case of clays and cohesive beds	194	(2)
Flow erosion of cohesive beds	196	(4)
Erosion by `tools'	200	(1)
Sediment gravity flows and their deposits	201	(25)
Introduction and static grain aggregates	201	(1)
Static friction and stability of granular masses	202	(2)
Grain flow avalanches: from cross-bedding to megabreccias	204	(4)
Debris flows	208	(7)
Turbidity flows	215	(11)
Liquefaction, liquefaction structures and other `soft' sediment deformation structures	226	(11)
Liquefaction	226	(2)
Sedimentary structures formed by and during liquefaction	228	(4)
Submarine landslides, growth faults and slumps	232	(2)
Desiccation and synaeresis shrinkage structures	234	(3)
Part 5: External Controls on Sediment Derivation, Transport and Deposition
Climate and sedimentary processes	237	(21)
Introduction: climate as a fundamental variable in sedimentology	237	(1)
Solar radiation: ultimate fuel for the climate machine	238	(1)
Earth's reradiation and the `greenhouse' concept	238	(3)
Radiation balance, heat transfer and simple climatic models	241	(2)
Climate and the water cycle	243	(2)
General atmospheric circulations	245	(3)
Global climates: a summary	248	(4)
Climate change	252	(4)
Sedimentological evidence for palaeoclimate	256	(2)
Changing sea level and sedimentary sequences	258	(9)
Introduction: sea level as datum	258	(1)
Sea-level changes	258	(1)
Rates and magnitude of sea-level change	259	(1)
Origins of global sea-level change: slow vs. fast eustasy	260	(3)
Sequence stratigraphy: layers, cheesewires and bandwagons	263	(4)
Tectonics, denudation rates and sediment yields	267	(28)
Basic geodynamics of uplift	267	(1)
Elevation and gradients	267	(4)
Catchment processes	271	(2)
Erosion and denudation	273	(1)
Large-scale studies of denudation rates	274	(4)
Basinal studies of denudation and sediment flux: the inverse approach	278	(3)
Sediment supply, vegetation and climate change: implications for basin stratigraphy	281	(7)
Marine strontium isotope ratio and continental erosion rates	288	(7)
Part 6: Sediment Deposition, Environments and Facies in Continental Environments
Aeolian sediments in low-latitude deserts	295	(12)
Introduction	295	(1)
Physical processes and erg formation	295	(5)
Modern desert bedform associations and facies	300	(1)
Aeolian architecture	301	(1)
Climate change, erg abandonment and desert--lake--river sedimentary cycles	302	(2)
Ancient desert facies	304	(3)
Rivers	307	(23)
Introduction	307	(1)
Channel magnitude and gradient	307	(3)
Channel form	310	(1)
Channel sediment transport processes, bedforms and internal structures	311	(9)
The floodplain	320	(2)
Channel belts, alluvial ridges, combing and avulsion	322	(2)
River channel changes, adjustable variables and equilibrium	324	(2)
The many causes of channel incision--aggradation cycles	326	(2)
Fluvial architecture: scale, controls and time	328	(1)
Fluvial deposits in the geological record	328	(2)
Alluvial fans and fan deltas	330	(10)
Introduction	330	(1)
Controls on the size (area) of fans	330	(3)
Physical processes on alluvial fans	333	(1)
Debris-flow-dominated alluvial fans	334	(1)
Stream-flow-dominated alluvial fans	334	(1)
Recognition of ancient alluvial fans	335	(2)
Fan deltas	337	(3)
Lakes	340	(17)
Introduction	340	(1)
Lake stratification	341	(2)
Clastic input by rivers and the effect of turbidity currents	343	(1)
Wind-forced physical processes	343	(1)
Chemical processes and cycles	344	(3)
Biological processes and cycles	347	(1)
Modern temperate lakes and their sedimentary facies	347	(1)
Lakes in the East African rifts	348	(3)
Lake Baikal	351	(1)
Shallow saline lakes	351	(1)
The succession of facies as lakes evolve	352	(3)
Ancient lake facies	355	(2)
Ice	357	(14)
Introduction	357	(1)
Physical processes of ice flow	358	(1)
Glacier flow and surges	358	(2)
Sediment transport, erosion and deposition by flowing ice	360	(2)
Glacigenic sediment: nomenclature and classification	362	(1)
Quaternary and modern glacial environments and facies	363	(1)
Ice-produced glacigenic facies and the periglacial realm	363	(1)
Glaciofluvial processes at and within the ice front	364	(1)
Glacimarine environments	365	(1)
Glacilacustrine environments	366	(1)
Glacial facies in the pre-Quaternary geological record	366	(5)
Part 7: Sediment Deposition, Environments and Facies in Marine Environments
Estuaries	371	(12)
Introduction	371	(1)
Estuarine dynamics	372	(6)
Modern estuarine facies	378	(3)
Estuaries and sequence stratigraphy	381	(1)
Ancient estuarine facies	381	(2)
River deltas	383	(15)
Introduction	383	(1)
Physical processes	384	(5)
Mass movements and slope failure on the subaqueous delta	389	(1)
Organic deposition in deltas	390	(1)
Delta case histories	390	(8)
`Linear' clastic shorelines	398	(16)
Introduction	398	(2)
Physical processes on linear coasts	400	(4)
Beach dynamics and sedimentation	404	(2)
Barrier--inlet systems and their deposits	406	(5)
Tidal flats and chenier ridges	411	(2)
Ancient clastic shoreline facies	413	(1)
Carbonate-evaporite shorelines shelves and basins	414	(30)
Introduction: carbonate `factories' and their consequences	414	(4)
Arid carbonate tidal flats and evaporite sabkhas	418	(3)
Humid carbonate tidal flats and marshes	421	(4)
Shorefaces, lagoons and bays	425	(2)
Enhanced-salinity bays and embayments	427	(1)
Tidal delta and margin-spillover carbonate tidal sands	427	(1)
Open carbonate shelf ramps	428	(1)
Platform margin reefs and carbonate build-ups generally	429	(7)
Platform margin slopes and basins	436	(3)
Carbonate sediments, cycles, sequences and sea-level changes	439	(1)
Destruction of carbonate environments: siliciclastic input and eutrophication	440	(1)
Subaqueous evaporites	441	(3)
Shelves	444	(21)
Introduction	444	(1)
Shelf water dynamics: general	445	(1)
Shelf tides	446	(4)
Wind drift currents	450	(2)
Storm set-up and wind-forced geostrophic currents	452	(1)
Shelf density currents	453	(2)
Across-shelf transport	455	(1)
Recent shelf facies	455	(8)
Ancient clastic shelf facies	463	(2)
Oceanic processes and sediments	465	(32)
Introduction	465	(1)
Physical oceanic processes: general	465	(2)
Surface oceanic currents and circulation	467	(3)
Oceanic deep currents and circulation	470	(3)
Sculpturing and resedimentation: canyons, slides, slumps and debris flows	473	(4)
Submarine fans	477	(7)
Biological and chemical oceanic processes	484	(2)
Pelagic oceanic sediments	486	(1)
Palaeo-oceanography of modern oceans	487	(4)
Anoxic events of seas and oceans	491	(1)
Hypersaline oceans	492	(5)
Part 8: Sedimentology in Sedimentary Basins
Tectonic subsidence and deposition	497	(10)
Introduction: basins and basin analysis	497	(1)
Preservation of sediment in basins	497	(2)
Tectonic subsidence of sedimentary basins: in a nutshell	499	(8)
Sedimentology in sedimentary basins: a user's guide	507	(24)
Introduction	507	(1)
Continental rifts	507	(4)
Proto-oceanic rifts	511	(2)
Coastal plains, shelf terraces and continental rises	513	(2)
Convergent/destructive margin basins: some general comments	515	(2)
Subduction zones: trenches and trench-slope basins	517	(3)
Fore-arc basins	520	(2)
Intra-arc basins	522	(1)
Back-arc basins	522	(2)
Foreland basins	524	(5)
Strike-slip basins	529	(2)
References	531	(50)
Index	581