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Physical Sedimentary Structures Explained

This document discusses various types of physical sedimentary structures formed by physical processes without biological influence. It describes plane bedding as the simplest structure formed by sedimentation from suspension, horizontal accretion, or encroachment. Lamination refers to finer scale plane bedding less than 1 cm thick, which can be formed by light and dark layers. Under unidirectional currents, bedforms like ripples, dunes, and antidunes form depending on velocity and grain size. These bedforms can be preserved as sedimentary structures. Multidirectional currents can form structures like herringbone cross-stratification and interference patterns.

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Javier Arturo
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14 views27 pages

Physical Sedimentary Structures Explained

This document discusses various types of physical sedimentary structures formed by physical processes without biological influence. It describes plane bedding as the simplest structure formed by sedimentation from suspension, horizontal accretion, or encroachment. Lamination refers to finer scale plane bedding less than 1 cm thick, which can be formed by light and dark layers. Under unidirectional currents, bedforms like ripples, dunes, and antidunes form depending on velocity and grain size. These bedforms can be preserved as sedimentary structures. Multidirectional currents can form structures like herringbone cross-stratification and interference patterns.

Uploaded by

Javier Arturo
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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.

Flowpatternofsedimentmovementovermigratingripplesordune

Laboratory flume show the


trajectories of sand

Symetricalripplemarkswith
Adistinctivelenticularxsection

Troughcrossstrat.
Developsfrommigrating
Ripples&dunes

Tabularcrossstrat.
Isproducedbymigrating
sandwaves

Bedformgeneratedby
multidirectionalflow

Herringbonecross
stratificationfrom
alternatingtidal
currents.

Interferencepatternform
Insymmetricalripplesfrom
Twocoexistingwavesets
Inamoderntidalflat.

Intidalregionsthemostsignificantfeaturesarecausedbythe
mixingofsandandmudsizedfractionsfromtheasymetrical
[Link]
troughsinthemudassandwavesmigrateacrossamuddy
[Link]
substratethepatterniscalledflaserbedding.

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