A PRESENTATION

ANALYSIS OF SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURES AS

AN ENVIRONMENT AND PROVINCE INDICATOR
By
DAVIDSON OKEIBUNOR
M.Sc..
PG/PSC2015648
GLY 824
ADVANCED SEDIMENTOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY

FACULTY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF BENIN
 ABSTRACT

• Sedimentary structures are key features that can be analyzed to gain insights
into the depositional environment and broader geological province of an area.
This presentation provides an overview of the different types of sedimentary
structures, including bedding, cross-bedding, ripple marks, and mud cracks, and
explains how each can be interpreted to infer information about the
environment in which the sediment was deposited. The presentation also
discusses the use of sedimentary structures as a province indicator, highlighting
the ways in which geologists can compare sedimentary structures in rocks from
different regions and identify common structures in certain environments.
Overall, this presentation emphasizes the importance of analyzing sedimentary
structures for understanding the geological history of an area and provides
insights into the methods and applications of this analysis.
 INTRODUCTION
• Sedimentary structures are physical features that are created during
or shortly after sediment deposition. These structures can be used to
interpret the depositional environment and the processes that were
active during sedimentation. Some of the most common sedimentary
structures include cross-bedding, ripple marks, mud cracks, and
bioturbation.
• Sedimentary structures can be divided into two broad categories:
primary and secondary structures. Primary structures are formed
during the deposition of sediment, while secondary structures are
formed after the deposition of sediment, during or after lithification.
 . TYPES OF SEDIMENTARY
STRUCTURES
• Some of the most common sedimentary structures include cross-
bedding, ripple marks, mud cracks, and bioturbation.
INTERPRETATION OF SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURES

• Cross-bedding is a sedimentary structure that is created by the migration of sand dunes or ripples. The
resulting sedimentary layers are inclined at an angle to the horizontal bedding plane, and the direction of
inclination can be used to determine the direction of the paleocurrent.

• Ripple marks are small ridges and troughs that form on the surface of sedimentary beds due to the
action of water or wind. These structures can be used to determine the direction of current flow, as well
as the velocity and depth of the water or wind.

• Mud cracks are polygonal fractures that form in mud or clay deposits when they dry out. These
structures can be used to determine the presence of periodic drying and wetting cycles, and thus the
presence of an intermittent environment such as a tidal flat.

• Bioturbation is the process by which organisms such as worms and burrowing animals disturb and mix
the sediment. This can result in the formation of complex sedimentary structures that can be used to
interpret the activity of the biota and the nature of the sediment.
IMPORTANCE OF ANALYZING
SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURES
• By analyzing sedimentary structures, geologists can gain insights into the
depositional environment, such as whether the sediment was deposited in
a marine, fluvial, or aeolian (wind-blown) environment. The presence of
specific structures, such as ripple marks or mud cracks, can provide
information about the energy level of the depositional environment, while
cross-bedding can indicate the direction of current flow.
• In addition to providing information about the depositional environment,
sedimentary structures can also be used to identify the depositional
province. This is because different environments and regions can have
distinctive sedimentary structures. For example, sedimentary structures
formed in a marine environment will differ from those formed in a fluvial
environment, and structures found in one depositional basin may be
different from those found in another.
CONCLUSION

• Overall, the analysis of sedimentary structures is an important tool for

geologists to understand the depositional environment and province.
By examining sedimentary structures in conjunction with other
geological data, such as fossil assemblages and stratigraphic
relationships, geologists can gain a more complete understanding of
the geological history of an area.
 REFERENCES

• Allen, J.R.L., 1997. Sedimentary structures: their character and

physical basis. Elsevier.
• Boggs, S. Jr., 2006. Principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy.
Pearson Prentice Hall.
• Miall, A.D., 2006. The geology of stratigraphic sequences. Springer
Science & Business Media.
• Reading, H.G., 1996. Sedimentary environments: processes, facies and
stratigraphy. John Wiley & Sons.