Structural Geology

Lecture 2

Primary and secondary structures of

sedimentary rocks

Dr. Abd Alhussain Nama

MSc. Ahmed Jalal Fakher
 Primary sedimentary structures

 Occur in clastic sediments and produced by

the same processes (currents, wind) that
caused deposition. Includes plane bedding and
cross-bedding.

 They are also known as Syndepositional

structures
 The structures formed during deposition
without any forces applied.
Primary Geological Structures (cont.)

 Develop at the time of formation of

the rocks.

 They commonly are found in

sedimentary and igneous, and are
sometimes preserved in metamorphic
rocks.
Primary Sedimentary Structures

• It is a planer arrangement of particles

which can be easily distinguished by
difference in color, composition or
texture
• They may be only a few cm in thickness or
may be up to several meters.
 a. Massive bedding

 Thick uniform bedding

 Constant conditions
during deposition
 Relatively quite water
 b. Cross bedding
 It is formed on inclined surface during deposition
by crossing a bed to another bed. The set height
is generally greater than 6 cm and the individual
cross-beds are many millimeters to 1 cm or more
in thickness
 b. Cross bedding (cont.)

 Sand moving along as ripples or

dunes
 Formed by water or air
 Restricted to moving water
 Uses:

The orientation of the cross-beds indicates the paleocurrent direction.

The style and size of cross bedding used to estimate current velocity.
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/ashworth/webpages/g304/reportphotos2003/cross-bedding.jpg

Cross bedding
Sedimentary Structures & Environments
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/ashworth/webpages/g304/reportphotos2003/cross-bedding.jpg

erosion
flow
Sedimentary Structures & Environments
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/ashworth/webpages/g304/reportphotos2003/cross-bedding.jpg

up
flow
Sedimentary Structures & Environments
 c. Graded bedding

•It is bedding in
which the particles
are sorted
according to
density, size and
shape.
 c. Graded bedding (cont.)

• Grain size decrease

from bottom to
the top of the bed.

• Represents an event
Graded beds of graywacke
d. Ripples marks
 e. Mud cracks
• Formed as muddy sediment dries and contracts. Occurs in clayey soils
as a result of a reduction in water content. Top layer tries to shrink
while the material below stays the same size
 Igneous layering
within intrusions
(sills and dikes)
and extrusions
(pyroclastic and
lava flows)
Secondary sedimentary structures

 Develop in rocks after their formation from

being subjected to external forces including
heat and pressure.

 Geologic structures are usually the result of the

powerful that occur within the earth. These forces
fold and break rocks, form deep faults, and build
mountains .
Rock deformation and structural
geology
1. Rocks deform under stress. Deformation refers
to all changes in volume and/or shape of a
rock body.
2. Structural geology examines the present state
of crustal deformation and determines the
original geologic setting and the nature and
direction of the earth forces (tectonic forces)
that produced these rock structures.
3. Folding in a rock occurs in the plastic range of
the rock.
4. Faulting occurs when the rocks break.
Secondary sedimentary structures

1. Folds
2. Faults
3. Joints
4. Unconformities
References
1. Rider Structural Geology 310 2012 GCHERMAN
2. Primary structures. Omer M. Ahmed, MSc 2016
University of Kerala, India
3. Lecture called Sedimentary Bedding and Structures
4. Earth Structure, An introduction to structureal geology
and tectonics, Second Edition: Ben A. van der Pluijm, M
I C H I G A N & Stephen Marshak, University ofI L L I N O I
S