We wrote Sedimentology of Shale primarily because we lacked a handy, reasonably comprehensive source of information and ideas about shales for students in our sedimentology program. It was also our feeling that the time for shales to receive more study had finally arrived. Sedimentology of Shale also seems very timely because today more sedimentologists are interested in shales. Certainly in the last five years the pace of shale research has no ticeably quickened because the role of shales as important sources of oil, gas, heavy metals and as a long understudied part of the earth's geologic his tory has been recognized. Noteworthy developments include the elucida tion of the importance of trace fossils in shales, the discovery of thick sequences of overpressured shales in regions such as the Gulf Coast (which have important implications for hydrocarbon migration and faulting), the ex tension of the principles of metamorphic facies to the realm of low tempera ture diagenesis by study of the organic matter in shales, and shales as ul timate sources for mineral deposits. Accordingly, we decided it was timely to write a book on shales. In one respect, however, ours is an unusual book. Most books in geology are produced after one or two decades of progress have been made in a field and attempt to summarize and evaluate that progress.

Sedimentology has neither been adequately popularized nor This book begins with a consideration of the complex end commonly taught as an interdisciplinary subject, and many product of processes and materials, the sedimentary environ workers in the areas of modem environment studies have very ment. It then proceeds to discuss the processes and materials limited knowledge of sedimentology. Practical Sedimentol themselves. The emphasis is on geological interpretations of ogy (henceforth PS) is designed to provide an introduction and ancient deposits, but most discussions are also relevant to review of principles and interpretations related to sedimentary modem sediments and can be used to predict environmental processes, environments, and deposits. Its companion volume, changes. A basic knowledge of geological jargon is antici Analytical Sedimentology (henceforth AS), provides "cook pated for users of this book; we try to define most of the more book recipes" for common analytical procedures dealing with esoteric terms in context, but if there are additional incom sediments, and an introduction to the principles and reference prehensible terms, refer to Bates and Jackson's Glossary of sources for procedures that generally would be performed by Geology (AGI, 1987). specialist consultants or commercial laboratories. Specialist sedimentologists will find in them useful reviews, whereas sci ACKNOWLEDGMENTS entists from other disciplines will find in them concepts and procedures that may contribute to an expanded knowledge of Many chapter drafts ofPS were critically reviewed by Dr. M.

A concise account of all major branches of sedimentary geology, highlighting the connecting links between them. Introduction; Processes of sedimentation; Sedimentary texture; Sedimentary petrology; Hydraulics, sediment transportation and structures of mechanical origin; Sedimentary environments and facies; Tectonics and sedimentation; Stratigraphy and sedimentation; Basin analysis: A synthesis; References; Index.

Authoritative, accessible, and updated introduction to sedimentary rocks for undergraduate students Sedimentary Petrology provides readers with a concise account of sedimentary rock composition, mineralogy, texture, structure, diagenesis, and depositional environments. The new edition of this classic text incorporates the many technological and analytical advances of the last decade, revealing exciting details of processes such as microbial precipitation, how microporosity is created within mudrocks, and the chemical composition of foraminifera deposits, which can be a key indicator for changing seawater temperature. This fourth edition offers a comprehensive update and expansion of the previous editions with a new set of illustrations, new references, and further reading. The new co-author Stuart Jones has brought his considerable expertise in clastic sedimentology to the rewritten chapters on sandstones and mudrocks. The addition of color images throughout the text will aid students immensely in their studies and petrographic fieldwork. Sample topics covered in Sedimentary Petrology include: Advances in modeling and programming to simulate depositional-diagenetic conditions and controls which support field-lab descriptions and interpretations Ocean acidification and the demise of coral reefs, and the role of the oceans in carbon capture and storage Sedimentary ironstones and iron-formations, sedimentary phosphate deposits, coal, oil shale and petroleum, and cherts and siliceous sediments Limestones, evaporites, volcaniclastic sediments, sandstones, conglomerates, breccias, and the effects of microplastics on marine organisms Aimed at undergraduates in geology and earth science, Sedimentary Petrology is an excellent teaching and learning resource for introductory courses in sedimentary rocks.

This fully revised and updated edition introduces the reader to sedimentology and stratigraphic principles, and provides tools for the interpretation of sediments and sedimentary rocks. The processes of formation, transport and deposition of sediment are considered and then applied to develop conceptual models for the full range of sedimentary environments, from deserts to deep seas and reefs to rivers. Different approaches to using stratigraphic principles to date and correlate strata are also considered, in order to provide a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of sedimentology and stratigraphy. The text and figures are designed to be accessible to anyone completely new to the subject, and all of the illustrative material is provided in an accompanying CD-ROM. High-resolution versions of these images can also be downloaded from the companion website for this book at: www.wiley.com/go/nicholssedimentology.