Sedimentary Structures and Preliminary to Sedimentary Environments

Understanding what sedimentary structures mean in terms of physical, biological, and chemical
processes that occurred during, shortly after, and subsequent to deposition is the starting point for the analysis of sedimentary rocks and the environments in which they were deposited. Knowing something about fluid dynamics, ecology, and chemical processes is useful!
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Sedimentary Structures
Features preserved in sedimentary strata that indicate.
Physical, Biological, and. Chemical processes and conditions during and after deposition.

May (in conjunction with other facies characteristics) be indicative of Sedimentary Depositional Environment.
Primary Current Induced structures. Biogenic Structures. Deformational Structures. Secondary Mineralization.

Mud cracks, clear indication of desiccation and

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subaerial exposure prior to lithification

Sedimentary Depositional Environments

Siliciclastic
Short Long

Carbonate
Rimmed margins Ramps Platforms
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Sedimentary Depositional Environments

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Common Siliciclastic Stratigraphic Successions

Vertical successions characterized by lithology, associations and vertical arrangement of sedimentary structures
Indicative of particular sedimentary depositional environments Autocyclicity: stratigraphic

variability inherent to a particular depositional environment

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Common Sedimentary Facies Associations in

Carbonate Dominated Environments
Vertical successions characterized by lithology, associations and vertical arrangement of sedimentary structures
indicative of sedimentary depositional environments typically indicate shoaling or shallowing upwards trends

Rimmed Carbonate Platform 6

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Primary Current-Induced Sedimentary Structures

Accretionary and Erosional
Bedding:
lithologic, textural, structural homogeneity indicating discrete time intervals of essentially constant (or constantly changing) deposition
Vertical accretion: parallel horizontal layers Lateral accretion

Accretionary/Aggradational:
Physical, chemical, biological accumulation

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Primary Current-Induced Sedimentary Structures

Bedding:
lithologic, textural, structural homogeneity indicating discrete time intervals of essentially constant (or constantly changing) deposition

Vertical accretion: parallel, horizontal layers

Typically suspension settling/chemical aggradation

Lateral accretion; Traction transport

Beds > 1cm Laminations < 1cm

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Primary Current-Induced Sedimentary Structures

Erosional (scour):
Bedding contacts:
Sediment removal by currents
Change in depositional regime

Sharp------> gradational-------> amalgamated

Bedding planes:
Non-deposition, erosion, or change in depositional regime

Note the time significance of non-deposited strata Sedimentary record is sparse; More time, with NO deposition, than record.
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Primary Current-Induced Sedimentary Structures

Types of bedding (mechanical aggradation)
Horizontal stratification Regular variation in particle size in an individual bed (constantly changing hydrodynamic conditions)
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Suspension settling: vertical accretion Graded bedding:

 Types of bedding (mechanical aggradation)

Traction: lateral accretion from bed load
Cross stratification Scale Cross laminations; < 3cm amplitude, < 40 cm Cross beds; > 10cm amplitude, > 10cm Planar tabular cross Strat vs trough cross Strat

Primary Current-Induced Sedimentary Structures

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 Types of bedding (mechanical aggradation)

Traction: lateral accretion from bed load
Cross stratification Scale Cross laminations; < 3cm amplitude, < 40 cm Cross beds; > 10cm amplitude, > 10cm Planar tabular cross Strat vs trough cross Strat

Primary Current-Induced Sedimentary Structures

Climbing ripples

Planar-tabular x-beds

trough x-beds

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Deformational Sedimentary Structures

Desiccation
Mud cracks (subaerial exposure), synaeresis cracks (concentration gradients)

Water escape
Mechanical instability (rapid deposition, high water content)

Mud cracks, clear indication of subaerial exposure

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Biogenic Sedimentary Structures

Syndepositional modification of sediment by biological agents.
Ethological approach (environmental conditions determine organisms behavior > sedimentary record). Abundance of life. Types of organisms (plants, animals; Single/ multicellular etc). Mode of living.
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Biogenic structures influenced by:

Biogenic Structures; Mode of Living

Discrete burrows:
Form and shape
Vertical escape artists: Skolithos Horizontal grazers: Zoophycus/Nereites 3D miners: Cruziana Glossifungites Hard-rock miners: burrows into firm substrate

Through-going bioturbation:

Obliteration of primary current induced structures: indicates relatively slow rates of sediment accumulation Plant roots> subaerial deposition
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Biogenic Structures; Mode of Living

Discrete burrows:
Form and shape
Vertical escape artists: Skolithos Horizontal grazers: Zoophycus/Nereites 3D miners: Cruziana

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Biogenic Structures; Mode of Living

Discrete burrows:
Form and shape
Vertical escape artists: Skolithos Horizontal grazers: Zoophycus/Nereites 3D miners: Cruziana Glossifungites Hard-rock miners: burrows into firm substrate

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Biogenic Structures; Mode of Living

Through-going bioturbation:
Obliteration of primary current induced structures: indicates relatively slow rates of sediment accumulation Plant roots> subaerial deposition

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Secondary Mineralization
Typically indicate post-depositional geochemical

conditions

Concretions: Veining:

May indicate syndepositional geochemistry

Localized mineralization due to concentration gradients/variable geochemical microenvironments

Primary texture induced concentration gradients and mineral precipitation
Liesegang banding

Stylolites:
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Pressure induced differential mineral dissolution

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Secondary Mineralization
Concretions:
Localized mineralization due to concentration gradients/variable geochemical microenvironments

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Secondary Mineralization
Veining:
Primary texture induced concentration gradients and mineral precipitation
Liesegang banding

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Secondary Mineralization
Stylolites:
Pressure induced differential mineral dissolution

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