Estratigrafía:

Introducción
Sesión 1
Prof. Dr. Alejandro Beltrán-Triviño
Universidad EAFIT
2019-II
 Programa del curso
1. Introducción: Conceptos fundamentales, sedimentología, estratigrafía, ambientes sedimentarios y facies.
2. Estratos y estratificación: Estratos y láminas; Continuidad y discontinuidad entre estratos. Origen y significado de los
estratos, superficies de estratificación y unidades estratigráficas.
3. Métodos de estudio de las rocas estratificadas: 1) Campo, 2) Indirectos, 3) Laboratorio
4. Litoestratigrafía
5. Bioestratigrafía (Andrés Cárdenas)
6. Magnetoestratigrafía (José Duque)
7. Geocronología, Cronoestratigrafía y el tiempo geológico
8. Criterios de correlación a escala local, regional y global. Correlación lito-, bio y cronoestratigráfica. Correlación por
eventos. Gráficos de correlación.
9. Cambios en el nivel del mar y estratigrafía de secuencias
10. Estratigrafía del subsuelo
11. Análisis de Cuencas
12. Tectono-Estratigrafía
13. Estratigrafía de las cuencas colombianas (Presentaciones)
Evaluación del curso
EVALUACIÓN PORCENTAJE (%)
PARCIAL 1 20
PARCIAL 2 20
INFORME DE CAMPO 20
PRESENTACIÓN 10
EJERCICIOS 10
EXAMEN FINAL 20
NOTA FINAL 100

Profesor Alejandro Beltrán-Triviño

Email: aibeltrant@eafit.edu.co
Introduction: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• Sedimentology:
Introduction: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• Sedimentology: is the study of
the processes of formation,
transport and deposition of
material that accumulates as
sediment in continental and
marine environments and
eventually forms sedimentary
rocks.
Introduction: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• Stratigraphy:
Introduction: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• Stratigraphy: is the study of rocks
to determine the order and
timing of events in Earth history:
it provides the time frame that
allows us to interpret
sedimentary rocks in terms of
dynamic evolving environments.
Introduction: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Introduction: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• The stratigraphic record of
sedimentary rocks is the
fundamental database for
understanding the evolution
of life,
Introduction: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• The stratigraphic record of
sedimentary rocks is the
fundamental database for
understanding the evolution
of life,
Introduction: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• The stratigraphic record of
sedimentary rocks is the
fundamental database for
understanding the evolution
of life, plate tectonics through
time
Introduction: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
• The stratigraphic record of
sedimentary rocks is the
fundamental database for
understanding the evolution
of life, plate tectonics through
time and global climate
change.
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• The concept of interpreting rocks in terms of modern processes dates
back to the 18th and 19th centuries
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• The concept of interpreting rocks in terms of modern processes dates
back to the 18th and 19th centuries

“The present is the key to the past”

Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• The nature of sedimentary material is very varied in origin, size, shape
and composition.

Grains from the erosion of older rocks

Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• The nature of sedimentary
material is very varied in
origin, size, shape and
composition.

Material directly ejected by volcanos

Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• The nature of sedimentary material is very varied in origin, size, shape
and composition.

Organisms form a very important source

of material, ranging from microbial
filaments encrusted with calcium
carbonate to whole or broken shells, coral
reefs, bones and plant debris.
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• The nature of sedimentary material is very varied in origin, size, shape
and composition.

Direct precipitation of minerals from solution in

water also contributes to sediments in some
situations.
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• Formation of a body of sediment involves either the transport of
particles to the site of deposition by gravity, water, air, ice
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• Formation of a body of sediment involves either the transport of
particles to the site of deposition by gravity, water, air, ice
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• Formation of a body of sediment involves either the transport of
particles to the site of deposition by gravity, water, air, ice
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• Formation of a body of sediment involves either the transport of
particles to the site of deposition by gravity, water, air, ice
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• Formation of a body of sediment involves either the transport of
particles to the site of deposition by gravity, water, air, ice or mass
flows
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• Formation of a body of sediment involves either the transport of
particles to the site of deposition by gravity, water, air, ice or mass
flows or the chemical or biological growth of the material in place
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• The processes of transport and deposition can be determined by
looking at individual layers of sediment.

• The size, shape and distribution of particles all provide clues to the
way in which the material was carried and deposited.

• Sedimentary structures such as ripples can be seen in sedimentary

rocks and can be compared to ripples forming today, either in natural
environments or in a laboratory tank.
Introduction: Sedimentary processes
• Assuming that physical and
chemical processes have not
changed through time,
sedimentary rocks can be used to
make estimates (to varying
degrees of accuracy) of the
physical, chemical and biological
conditions that existed at the
time of sedimentation.
Introduction: Sedimentary environments and
facies
• The environments can be characterised by the physical and chemical
processes that are active there and the organisms that live under
those conditions at that time.

e.g. Fluvial environment

Introduction: Sedimentary environments and
facies
• The environments can be characterised by the physical and chemical
processes that are active there and the organisms that live under
those conditions at that time.

e.g. Fluvial environment:

-channel
-water flow that carries and deposits gravel or sand on bars
-flood plain: fine material
-vegetation and soil on the floodplain
Introduction: Sedimentary environments and
facies
• The environments can be characterised by the physical and chemical
processes that are active there and the organisms that live under
those conditions at that time.

e.g. Fluvial environment:

-channel
-water flow that carries and deposits gravel or sand on bars
-flood plain: fine material
-vegetation and soil on the floodplain
Introduction: Sedimentary environments and
facies
• In the description of sedimentary rocks in terms of depositional
environments, the term ‘facies’ is often used.
• Facies is
Introduction: Sedimentary environments and
facies
• In the description of sedimentary rocks in terms of depositional
environments, the term ‘facies’ is often used.
• Facies is a body of rock with specified characteristics that reflect the
conditions under which it was formed (Reading & Levell 1996).
Introduction: the spectrum of environments
and facies
• Every depositional environment has a unique combination of
processes, and the products of these processes, the sedimentary
rocks, will be a similarly unique assemblage.

Tropical Norway Fjord

Introduction: the spectrum of environments
and facies
• depositional environments are classified as, for example, a delta, an
estuary or a shoreline, ….
Introduction: the spectrum of environments
and facies
• depositional environments are classified as, for example, a delta, an
estuary or a shoreline, and subcategories of each are established,
such as wave-dominated, tide-dominated and river-dominated
deltas.
Introduction: the spectrum of environments
and facies
• Sometimes it may not even be possible to conclusively distinguish
between the deposits of a delta and an estuary, especially if the data
set is incomplete, which it inevitably is when dealing with events of
the past.
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• The term ‘stratigraphy’ dates
back to d’Orbingy in 1852.

1802-1857
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• The term ‘stratigraphy’ dates
back to d’Orbingy in 1852.

• 1667: N. Steno: principle of

superposition

1638-1686
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• The term ‘stratigraphy’ dates
back to d’Orbingy in 1852.

• 1667: N. Steno: principle of

superposition

1638-1686
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• Stratigraphy can be considered
as the relationship between
rocks and time,
• and the stratigrapher is
concerned with the
observation, description and
interpretation of direct and
tangible evidence in rocks to
determine the history of the
Earth.
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• Our planet is a dynamic place.
• Plate tectonics creates
mountains and oceans
• Changes in atmosphere affect
the climate (even on a human
scale)
• To understand how these global
systems work, we need a record
of their past behaviour to
analyse, and this is provided by
the study of stratigraphy.
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• Stratigraphy provides the temporal framework for geological sciences.
• The relative ages of rocks, and hence the events that are recorded in
those rocks, can be determined by simple stratigraphic relationships:
superposition
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• Stratigraphy provides the temporal framework for geological sciences.
• The relative ages of rocks, and hence the events that are recorded in
those rocks, can be determined by simple stratigraphic relationships:
superposition, by fossils
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• Stratigraphy provides the temporal framework for geological sciences.
• The relative ages of rocks, and hence the events that are recorded in
those rocks, can be determined by simple stratigraphic relationships
like superposition, by fossils, and by radioactive decay of elements
that allow us to date some rock units.
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• Goal 1: To establishing a nomenclature for rock units of all ages and
correlating them all over the world
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• Goal 2: to find the evidence for climate change in the past or the
movements of tectonic plates.
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• The study of fossils found in rocks of different ages tell us about how
forms of life have changed through time: EVOLUTION
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• Stratigraphy provide the tools for finding new resources: for example,
‘sequence stratigraphy’ is a predictive technique, widely used in the
hydrocarbon industry, that can be used to help to find new reserves
of oil and gas
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• The combination of sedimentology and stratigraphy allows us to
build up pictures of the Earth’s surface at different times in different
places and relate them to each other.

Jurasssic
Introduction: Stratigraphy
• Paleogeography, plate tectonics and basin formation:
The distribution of different environments and their changes through
time can be related to plate tectonics, because mountain building
provides the source for much of the sediment, and plate movements
also create the sedimentary basins where sediment accumulates.