GEOL-201 Sedimentary Geology – Spring 2010

 

Instructor: Steven Earle                                      

Office: 360/304a

Office hours: Mon. & Fri. 10:00-11:00, Wed. 10:30-11:30 (or any other time that I’m there)

E-mail: steven.earle@viu.ca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Cross-bedded Cretaceous fluvial sandstone – Dinosaur Park, Alberta

 

 
GEOL-201 is about the features of a wide range of sedimentary depositional environments and about the characteristics of sediments and sedimentary rocks that form in those environments.  Wherever possible we will look at field examples of the actual depositional environments or of rocks deposited in those environments, or both.  The course will include a lot of field work.  We will also spend time learning about and using methods that geologists use to study sediments and sedimentary rocks in the field and in the lab.
 

Timetable (all in 370/107):

Monday class

Monday lab

Friday class

8:30 to 10:00 AM

1:00 to 4:00 PM

8:30 to 10:00 AM
 
The textbook is: Sedimentary Geology (2nd Ed.) by D. R. Prothero and F. Schwab
 

Course topics

 

·         Fluvial processes and features of sediments & rocks formed in river environments

·         Glacial processes & features of sediments formed in glacial environments

·         Near-shore marine processes & features of sediments & rocks formed in near-shore environments

·         Sub-marine fan environments & features of rocks formed in sub-marine fans

·         Shallow marine carbonate environments and features of carbonate rocks

·         Grain-size analysis of sediments

·         Trace fossils

·         Lithostratigraphy & biostratigraphy

 

  

 

Carboniferous stromatolitic limestone, Hopewell, New Brunswick
 

Field project

 

An important part of the course is a field study of the geology of the Beach Estates Park in Nanaimo.  As part of a project we will be working on some interpretive signs for the City of Nanaimo with the goal of describing the sedimentary features visible from the park trail, and the sedimentary processes that resulted in their formation.
 

 

 

 

Course schedule

 

 

Monday

Friday
         

January

4

Introduction

8

Weathering and erosion
 

4

No lab

 

 
         
 

11

Fluvial processes

15

Fluvial processes
 

11

Nanaimo River field trip

 

 
         
 

18

Sedimentary structures

22

Glacial processes
 

18

Fluvial rock field trip

 

 
         
 

25

Glacial processes and gravity flows

29

Sedimentary rock classification
 

25

Glacial deposits field trip

 

 
         

February

1

Grain size classification

5

Interpreting grain size data
 

 

Lab work on field trip samples

 

 
         
 

8

Shoreline processes

12

Mudrocks and sandstones
 

8

Shoreline field trip

 

 
         
 

15

(Trace fossils)

19

Submarine fan environments
 

15

Stephenson Point & Mal. Cut

 

 
         
 

22

No classes - spring break

26

No classes - spring break
         

March

1

Turbidites

5

Chemical sediments
 

1

 Gabriola Island field trip

 

 
         
 

8

Carbonate environments

12

Carbonate rock classification
 

8

Horne Lake field trip

 

 
         
 

15

Litho- and bio-stratigraphy

19

Sedimentary rocks in thin section
 

15

Harewood section measurement

 

 
         
 

22

Introduce Beach Estates project

26

Research for Beach Estates project
 

22

Beach estates field trip 1

 

 
         
 

29

Beach Estates project

2

No classes - Easter
 

29

Beach estates field trip 2

    

April

        
 

5

No classes - Easter

9

Review
           

 

 

Academic integrity

 

The following standards of academic integrity are copied from the Student Academic Code of Conduct.  The entire policy can be found on the VIU website at http://www.viu.ca/policies/policy.asp?rdPolicyNumber=99.01. All students should read the entire policy document.

 

STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students are expected to meet the standards of academic integrity as indicated in this policy.  Standards of academic integrity include, but are not limited to:

  • independently producing work submitted under one’s own name;
  • properly and appropriately referencing all work;
  • identifying all collaborators in work;
  • completing examinations without giving or receiving assistance, excepting those students requiring assistance due to a documented disability; and
  • respecting the integrity of examination materials and/or the examination process

 

 

Grading:

 

The plan for grading is as follows:

Field-trip handout and class and field presentation: 30%

Lab work on field trip samples: 5%

Description of sedimentary rocks in thin section: 5%

Harewood section measurement and drawing: 10%

Beach Estates project: 20%

Final exam: 30%

 

 

 

My objectives for your learning in GEOL-201:

 

1) Foundational knowledge: Acquire basic knowledge about sedimentary geology

 

2) Application:

a) learn how to think like a geologist

b) learn how to solve sedimentary geology problems that we encounter in the course

c) learn how to solve problems that are different from those that we encounter in this course.

3) Integration: Understand how sedimentary geology relates to other areas of earth science, such as plate tectonics, climate change, paleontology and groundwater

 

4) Internalization: Get excited about sedimentary geology and recognize its importance to you and society.  Learn something about yourself and your abilities; learn about other people.

 

5) Learn about learning: Become a more capable learner.  Learn how to acquire and construct knowledge.  Become a self-directed learner.  Become a teacher, and discover something about how other people learn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turbidite layer in Cretaceous sub-marine fan deposits, Gabriola

 
 
 

 

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