SEDIMENTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY

This course will explore modern and ancient sedimentary environments and give students the knowledge and skills necessary to observe, describe, understand, and interpret sediments, sedimentary rocks and environments through time. The history of the earth is to a large degree written in sediments and sedimentary rocks. This history includes climate, the story of life, and the development of important economic resources. This course will have a special emphasis on the features of sedimentary rocks that are used to make environmental, hazard, and climatic interpretations, on the techniques used to put strata in context of time and space, and on the practical application of sedimentary geology. Some applications of sedimentary geology we will explore include coastline sustainability, microplastic and contaminant transport, and understanding extraterrestrial paleoenvironment.

Lab exercises, including a virtual field trip to Utah and Australia, will be used to reinforce major topics. This course is intended for majors and concentrators in Earth and environmental sciences, and for graduate students from other disciplines. Undergraduates in such related fields as Earth and environmental engineering, environmental biology, environmental chemistry, sustainable development and archaeology are also welcome. UN2200 Solid Earth Systems or equivalent course required. The lab is required for this course.