Sedimentary Successions and Their Natural Resources for the Energy Transition
A.Y. 2022/2023
Learning objectives
Deepening the concepts of sedimentary basins, types of sediments and sedimentary rocks, their physical properties and the factors controlling them.
Introducing concepts of stratigraphy and chronostratigraphy to correlate sedimentary successions.
Furnishing the skills to interpret the sedimentary record in terms of environments and climates of the past.
Introducing the tools to investigate the sedimentary rock geometries and properties in sub-surface exploration.
Presenting the different types of fluid resources exploitable from (or storable in) sedimentary successions. Discussing their origin, occurrence, environmental impacts and possible remediations
Introducing concepts of stratigraphy and chronostratigraphy to correlate sedimentary successions.
Furnishing the skills to interpret the sedimentary record in terms of environments and climates of the past.
Introducing the tools to investigate the sedimentary rock geometries and properties in sub-surface exploration.
Presenting the different types of fluid resources exploitable from (or storable in) sedimentary successions. Discussing their origin, occurrence, environmental impacts and possible remediations
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the students will have acquired the background knowledge on sedimentary rock successions (sedimentology, stratigraphy, chronostratigraphy) and how this knowledge may be applied to assess: 1) depositional environments and climates of the past; 2) physical properties of sedimentary rocks via direct and indirect methods; 3) their economically valuable resources and their storage potential to mitigate global warming.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
A) Sediments, sedimentary rocks and sedimentary basins: basic rules that control the nature, composition and architecture of sedimentary successions, dominant types of sedimentary basins in different geodynamic settings and depositional systems. Indirect methods for subsurface geology investigations: basic principles of seismic interpretation of rock bodies.
B) Chronostratigraphy: the use of polarity reversals of the Earth's magnetic field for correlating and dating stratigraphic sequences. How to construct meaningful (deterministic) age models of deposition by integrating magnetochronology, cyclostrstigraphy, and numerical dating.
C) Climate of the past: paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental proxies recorded in sedimentary rocks, analyses of the processes controlling climate changes in Earth history.
D) Physical properties of sediments and sedimentary rocks: concepts of porosity and permeability, and identification of the major governing factors.
Resources exploration, assessment, and exploitation in sedimentary successions: processes that control the distribution of socially and economically valuable fluids in sediments and sedimentary rocks. Water systems in the shallow subsurface. Deep and shallow geothermal reservoirs in sedimentary basins. Hydrocarbon systems (source, reservoir, cap, trap rocks).
E) Sustainability of resources exploitation in sedimentary basins and energy transition. CO2, methane, and waste storage in sedimentary successions.
B) Chronostratigraphy: the use of polarity reversals of the Earth's magnetic field for correlating and dating stratigraphic sequences. How to construct meaningful (deterministic) age models of deposition by integrating magnetochronology, cyclostrstigraphy, and numerical dating.
C) Climate of the past: paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental proxies recorded in sedimentary rocks, analyses of the processes controlling climate changes in Earth history.
D) Physical properties of sediments and sedimentary rocks: concepts of porosity and permeability, and identification of the major governing factors.
Resources exploration, assessment, and exploitation in sedimentary successions: processes that control the distribution of socially and economically valuable fluids in sediments and sedimentary rocks. Water systems in the shallow subsurface. Deep and shallow geothermal reservoirs in sedimentary basins. Hydrocarbon systems (source, reservoir, cap, trap rocks).
E) Sustainability of resources exploitation in sedimentary basins and energy transition. CO2, methane, and waste storage in sedimentary successions.
Prerequisites for admission
See Programme description 22/23
Teaching methods
Frontal (teacher-student) lectures (8 CFU)
Teaching Resources
· Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (2009). Nichols, G. Second Edition. Wiley-Blackwell. Available in the library.
· Sedimentary basins, evolution, facies and sediment budget (2000). Einsele, G. Second Edition, Springer. Available in the library.
· Paleoclimatology (2021). Ramstein, G., Landais, A., Bouttes, N., Sepulchre, P., Govin, A. Frontiers in Earth Sciences, Springer
· Elements of Petroleum Geology (2015). Selley, R.C., Sonnenberg, S.A. Third Edition. Elsevier. Available in the library.
· Teaching material provided during the course. Avaliable on Ariel.
· Sedimentary basins, evolution, facies and sediment budget (2000). Einsele, G. Second Edition, Springer. Available in the library.
· Paleoclimatology (2021). Ramstein, G., Landais, A., Bouttes, N., Sepulchre, P., Govin, A. Frontiers in Earth Sciences, Springer
· Elements of Petroleum Geology (2015). Selley, R.C., Sonnenberg, S.A. Third Edition. Elsevier. Available in the library.
· Teaching material provided during the course. Avaliable on Ariel.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final exam consists of a written test (2 hours)
GEO/02 - STRATIGRAPHY AND SEDIMENTOLOGY - University credits: 8
Lessons: 64 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
Monday 15:30
Office