Sedimentary

Structures
Chapter 4

Physical sedimentary
structures
Physical

(inorganic) structures are

sedimentary features formed by physical
processes without the influence of
organism.
Primary sedimentary structures are the
most important. They are mechanical
structures formed during deposition of the
sediments.

Plane bedding
The

simplest sedimentary structures is

plane bedding. They form in practically all
sedimentary environments and under a
variety of conditions.
Three basic mechanism can form plane
bedding: sedimentation from suspension,
horizontal accretion from a moving bed
load, and encroachment into the lee of an
obstacle.

Lamination

Finer scale plane

bedding (less than 1
cm thick).
It can be form by
alteration of light and
dark layers such as
glacial varves.
Lamination in mud is
usually the result of
slow steady
deposition.

 Absence

of lamination in mud is due to

flocculation (clumping of clays before they
settle) or to secondary bioturbation.
Laminated sands are the results of rapid
deposition, often by a single hydrodynamic
event.
Lack of lamination may be the result of
bioturbation.

Bedforms generated by
unidirectional currents
As

soon as flow attains a force sufficient to

erode particles from the bed, sediments
are transported in a set of structures of the
bed called Bedforms.
If they are latter buried and preserved,
they will form sedimentary structures.

Flume studies have

shown that their is a
predictable
sequence of
bedforms that
depend on velocity,
grain size, depth of
flow.
In Sand that is finer
than 0.7 mm
(coarse or finer) the
first feature to form
is ripples.

Typically their
spacing is 10 to 20
cm or less, and their
height is less than a
few centimeters.
As flow velocity
increase the ripples
enlarge until they
form sand waves,
and finally dunes,
which have spacing
from 0.5 to 10m or
more and heights of
tens of cm to a meter
or more.

In deeper currents,
greater flow velocity is
required to produce
the large bedforms.
With increasing flow
velocity, dunes are
destroyed and the
turbulent flow which
was out of phase
turns into sheetlike
flow in phase with the
bedform. It forms
plane beds.

At higher velocities
plane beds are
replaced by
antidunes of up to
5m spacing. Low
dip angles of 10
degrees or less,
eventually chutes
and pool.

Flow pattern of sediment movement over migrating ripples or dune

Laboratory flume show the

trajectories of sand

Symetrical ripple marks with

A distinctive lenticular x-section

Trough cross-strat.
Develops from migrating
Ripples & dunes

Tabular cross-strat.
Is produced by migrating
sand waves

Bedform generated by
multidirectional flow

Herringbone crossstratification from

alternating tidal
currents.

Interference pattern form

In symmetrical ripples from
Two coexisting wave sets
In a modern tidal flat.

In tidal regions the most significant features are caused by the

mixing of sand- and mud-sized fractions from the asymetrical
currents. Lenticular bedding occur when sand is trapped in
troughs in the mud as sand waves migrate across a muddy
substrate. If mixing produces minor mud layer in a sandy
substrate the pattern is called flaser bedding.