2 Primary Sedimentary

Main Bedding Types

Structures Bedding Shape

● Main types of bedding level bedding

● Determination of younging direction of beds from
primary structures ripple bedding
● Angular unconformity Main Types of
● Soft sedimentary structures plate laminae

cross-bedding
Bedding
wedge

trough

graded bedding

Graded Bedding
Fine grains distribute in
the whole bed, coarse
grains decrease from the
bottom to the top
Determination of the yanging
direction of beds from graded
bedding
(After M.P.Billings)
A, B– normal beds; C– vertical beds; D– overturned beds

Cross-bedding, Silurian
System,Jiangxi,China

Determination of the younging direction from

cross-bedding. the oblique laminae converge to
the bottom of the bed
A– normal beds, top to the top left; B– vertical beds, top to
right; C– overturned beds, top to the bottom right

(Zuoxun Zeng, 1990)

1
 top

mold
wave crest
wave trough

Ripple Mark and its Mud Cracks

Mold (After R.R. Shrock, (After R.R. Shrock, 1948)
Stromatolite in Different Shapes
1948) The sharp ends of the
Wave crest points to the top wedge point to the The laminae protrude to the younging
and wave trough points to bottom of the bed direction of beds
the bottom of the bed

Bedding surface

scour
surface
cm
11

Cross section perpendicular to bedding surface

1 2 3 4 5

Scour surface and its relation to the sequence of the beds

Determination of top surface of a bed
The sandstone beds are over the silicalite beds, note from the roots of plants
the gravels in the bottom bed of the sandstones (After R.R. Shrock)
1 sandstone, 2 silicalite, 3 limestone, 4 cross-bedding
5 silicalite gravels

west east

Determination of top surfaces of the

beds from the scour surfaces
(After M.R. Billings)
1. Lava, 2. Sandstone, 3. Conglomerates,
Rain Impression and Mud Cracks 4. Shale

2
Deposition of Interval of non- Deposition of
older rocks deposition Younger beds Formation of
unconformities
An unconformity represents the
following sequence of events
• Deposition of lower strata;
• Tilting or other deformation of lower strata;
• Erosion;
• Deposition of upper strata.

R.J. Lisle, 1988

Angular unconformity between Cambrian and Songshan

Group(Paleoproterozoic(Pt12)) in Dengfeng County, Henan
Province, China (After Ma, 1981)

111111111111111 An example of unconformity

Displayed on map and cross-
section

3
 Deformation bedding
(Zuoxun Zeng,1995)

Soft Sedimentary Deformation Structures Slump Breccia (Zuoxun Zeng, 1995)

Competent folds in front of a slump sheet,

Slump Folds (Zuoxun Zeng, 1995) Silurian, Jiangxi, China (Zuoxun Zeng, 1995)

Similar to drop stone structure in tillite

Folding after Breaking

Boudins in the back of

a slump sheet
(Zuoxun Zeng, 1995)
Slump Drop Stone Structure, Silurian System, Xiushui,
Jiangxi Province, China (Zuoxun Zeng, 1995)

4
 Problems for Review
• How can we determine younging direction of
beds ？
• How a unconformity can be identified ？
• How do you distinguish different
unconformities?
• How can we identify soft sedimentary
structures?
• Can you list a few soft sedimentary
structures?