Sedimentary Geology and Laboratory

SEDIMENTARY GEOLOGY AND LABORATORY
The course allows the learning of the basic concepts of the Sedimentary Geology purposed for the recognition, description and understanding of the stratigraphic features recorded in the sedimentary successions and for the field analysis.
1) The subsidence, the sea level variations, the preservation of sediments, strata organization, diagenetic modifications. The stratigraphic boundaries, unconformities, lithofacies and the sedimentary events in the geological records. The stratigraphic correlations, and classifications (lithostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, magneto-chemmostratigraphy, UBSU, ciclostratigraphy). Construction and interpretazion of lito and cronostratigraphic schemes, paleogeographic maps
2) Depositional environments and their characteristic facies. Classification of sedimentary basins.
3) Exercises: lithostratigraphic correlations, construction and interpretation of stratigraphic sections, the stratigraphic field work.


This course will provide the basic concepts of petrography of sedimentary rocks. Students will be introduced to the theory (12 hours) of carbonate and siliciclastic rock microfacies and will get practical training (16 hours) of sedimentary rocks microscopy, both of limestones and sandstones and their classifications.
1) The carbonate microfacies components: different types of carbonate grains and bioclasts. Recognition of the main diagenetic features in carbonates: dissolution, cementation, compaction, recrystallization. Folk , Dunham and Emby and Klovan carbonate rock classifications.
2) The sandstone microfacies: recognition of matrix, grain mineralogy, cements; recognition of the main diagenetic features. Dott and Folk classifications of sandstones.
3) Practical activity of sedimentary rock microscopy with a polarized optical microscope: description and classification of carbonate and sandstone microfacies.