Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 303

Fall 2005 Syllabus

Scheduled class time
Lecture meeting times: Tuesday and Thursday 10:50-12:05
Lab meeting time : Tuesday 12:15-2:05
The reason that lab has been scheduled immediately after lecture on Tuesday is to
maximize our field time. On Tuesdays, we will not be restricted to lecture during a
specific time, nor will we constrain the time scheduled for lab. On every Tuesday, you
should be prepared for the field.
What is it to be prepared for the field? You should have boots or closed-toe shoes, a
field notebook, pencil, eraser, rock hammer, hand lens, acid bottle, water, lunch, and
insect repellent (early in the season). Collecting bags and paper for labels are desirable.
A digital camera is desirable but not required.
Instructor Information
Dr. Ann Holmes
Office: 101 Bretske Hall
Telephone: 425-1704
Cell phone: 423-413-7595

Email: Ann-Holmes@utc.edu
Course website: http://utconline.edu/
Office Hours: T, W, Th 9-10 a.m., or by
appt.

Required Text
Boggs, Jr., Sam, 2001, Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall,
Upper Saddle River, NJ, 726 pp. ISBN 0-13-099696-3
Greetings, scientists.
Pretty much all of you have had a class from me at one time or another. You are about to enter
the class that I care about the most: Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. I am a stratigrapher and a
paleontologist by training. I have spent about 30 years of my life in these fields, working as a
coal company lackey, as a petroleum geologist, doing Masters thesis work at the Univ. of
Alabama on reef-builders (stromatoporoids) of the Silurian/Devonian and doctoral research on
sedimentary basin evolution at Columbia University in Australia and the Canadian Rockies.
Throw in experience in the desert SW, a side project in Chiapas, MX and short jaunts to many
places, and it starts adding up.
I have taught this class several times, all in the same format: I lectured, you did labs, we went on
field trips. I hoped that this would ground you for future stratigraphic work, for graduate school,
for whatever. I hoped you would go away with an understanding and appreciation for how
Earths history (big picture) and depositional environments (small picture) can be deciphered
from clues recorded in sedimentary rocks. It really hasnt turned out that way. So, Im
redesigning this course, based on the efforts of another professor who has had experience
successfully redesigning a similar course.
I plan to anchor this course primarily in Paleozoic strata of our area, and have you explore strata
and the depositional environments through problem-based learning, not listening to me natter on
about things and places youve never seen; well, at least not too much nattering.
Annie Holmes

Purpose of the Course

Broadly speaking, the purpose of the course is to teach you to think like a geologist and - more
specifically, like a stratigrapher and sedimentologist. You make careful observations of the
sedimentary strata around you. This is followed by making well-constrained, detailed
descriptions of the sedimentary rocks. Finally, you stitch these interpretations into an internally
consistent interpretation of the environment in which rocks formed (a depositional environment).
Given that more than 70% of the exposed rocks on Earths surface are sedimentary, it would be
fair to say that your ability to interpret them plays an important role in your abilities as a
geologist in general.
More specifically, you will learn how to interpret sedimentary rocks. This is a beginning for you,
not the result of 30 years experience studying rocks (in my case). Keep that in mind; I certainly
will do the same.
You might also want to keep in mind that
Most of the worlds petroleum and natural gas is found in sedimentary rocks.
The lions share of groundwater also resides in sediments or sedimentary rocks.
Many natural ore deposits (gold, copper, silver, mercury, iron, uranium, etc.) are hosted in
sedimentary rocks, and the shape of these ore bodies is controlled by the stratigraphy.
The fossil record of biological evolution is preserved primarily in sedimentary rocks.
The record of Earths past climate resides almost exclusively in sedimentary rocks.
So an understanding of sedimentology and sedimentary rocks is not just academic
Here is a list of things that will help you succeed in this class.
Be neat. Sloppy work is almost offensive and most certainly affects your grade.
Revise your writing; dont hand me a first draft.
Have someone else edit your work.
Talk to your classmates about things you dont understand. Use the course discussion
board to ask questions of the whole class.
Bring your hand lens to class every day.
Be prepared for the field every Tuesday, complete with gear, lunch and water.
Use your textbook as a reference tool, not just the place to go to read assigned readings.
(If I asked you the question What is seismic stratigraphy? you could go to the book and
figure it out. So if find yourself asking a sedimentology-related question, go to the books
or web to answer it.) This will help you learn to go the extra mile to produce quality
work and help you to practice independent learning.
In the field, take careful notes.

Course Description
Sedimentology is the study of sediment, particularly focusing on how it is transported and
deposited. Stratigraphy emphasizes the analysis of sedimentary strata, the layers of sedimentary
rocks that cover about 3/4th of the Earths surface. Sedimentary rocks illuminate many details of
Earths history: effects of sea-level change, global climate, tectonic processes, and geochemical

cycles are all recorded in the sedimentary strata of the earth. This course will cover the basics of
fluid flow and transport, sedimentary structures and textures, and depositional environments.
Following the lead of Dr. Tom Hickson, St. Thomas University, I have redesigned this course to
be learning-centered. I have specified 3, very well-defined objectives that I want you to attain.
I created 4 projects that are designed to give you practice at doing the things I want you to be
able to do by the end of the course. Finally, I decided on the content that I needed to provide you
in order for you to complete the projects. In the end, whether you remember the specific content
or not is not the question, but whether you can do what I set forth as objectives.

Course Expectations
This is a junior-level course in Geology. In order to do well in this course, the department
advises that you have previously taken Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Mineralogy and
Petrology. I will assume that you know the following:
the 3 main types of plate margins, and within this, the three types of convergent margins.
You should be able to draw a reasonable cross-section through these margin types and
have a pretty good idea of the rock types that form in them.
how to tell the difference between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks and know what
those terms mean. You should be able to identify the major igneous intrusive and
extrusive rocks in hand specimen and in thin-section basalt, rhyolite, gabbro, obsidian,
granite, andesite, and diorite.
how to recognize metamorphic rocks in hand specimen and in thin-section slate,
phyllite, schist, gneiss, quartzite and marble.
the difference between a chemical and a clastic sedimentary rock.
how to recognize 3 different sandstones (arkose, arenite and greywacke), shales,
siltstones and conglomerates in hand specimen.
differentiate between a limestone and a dolostone in hand specimen.
how to identify quartz (massive and microcrystalline), feldspars (K/orthoclase and Ca/Na
plagioclase) and micas in hand specimen.
how to tell the difference between a rock and a mineral. (Sometimes there isnt a
difference; e.g., gypsum, halite, etc.).
what is meant by strike and dip.
given a reasonably simple geologic map, be able to outline a geologic history of the
mapped region.
During the first week of classes, I will ask you to take a short survey/assessment to see where all
of you stand in terms of your sed/strat knowledge. It will not count toward your grade.

Course Objectives
1. Given an outcrop, 1D/2D section, correlation diagram or another representation of a
stratigraphic section, interpret the depositional history of the sequence and develop an internally
consistent hypothesis about the relative importance of sediment supply, subsidence and/or base
level in creating the sequence.
2. Become familiar with regional Paleozoic stratigraphy. Many of you will likely work
professionally in this region at least for part of your careers, and will be helpful to know the strat.
column.
3. Given a tectonic setting, predict what types of sedimentary processes and depositional
environments would result and what their stratigraphic/sedimentologic signature would be.
Look at the overarching goals for this class. I want you to be able to accomplish these goals and
the path we take will determine what I cover in class. I do not have a certain amount of material
that I must cover. I also do not have a fixed set of labs vs. lectures. What I do have are sets of 3
to 4 projects designed to achieve the goals outlined above. These 3-4 opportunities will provide
practice to develop skills. Along the way, we will tackle smaller, lab-like tasks and exercises that
are designed to give you the tools youll need to complete the projects effectively.

Resources
The course website on Blackboard
I will post links to web sites relevant to the course here, as well as datasets that you will need for
some/all of the projects and exercises. Sometimes, I may not be as efficient at getting to you
with an answer as one of your colleagues, so I will also open up a discussion board on the site
so that you can post questions/comments to each other. You may also email all of the students in
the course from the website.
Books on Reserve
I have/will place several books and papers on reserve in the library that can be used to provide
you with greater depth on your research projects. I would recommend perusing some of these on
an as needed basis when you are working on your write-ups.
1. Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, Sam Boggs
2. Facies Models, ed. Roger G Walker and Noel P James
3. Depositional Sedimentary Environments, Reineck and Singh.
4. Origin of Sedimentary Rocks, Blatt, Middleton, and Murray
5. Sedimentary Petrology, an introduction, Maurice Tucker
6. Sedimentary Petrology, Harvey Blatt
7. Sedimentary Structures, vols. 1 and 2, John Allen
8. The Appalachian-Ouachita orogeny in the United States, eds. Robert D Hatcher, Jr.,
William A Thomas, George W. Viele
Textbooks, hard copy and online
Every textbook has its strong and weak points. The main weak point is that every book tries to
cover far too much, in order to make them attractive to all instructors. New information is
created on a daily basis, making textbooks ever more comprehensive. I will assign readings

from the required text for this course but do not expect to follow the textbook in a linear way.
I expect that you will use Boggs and the other resources as references. You may choose to share
the cost of Boggs with another student; it is a reference book you will use throughout your
career, so owning it is a good thing.
Free, on-line text: Folk, R.L., The Petrology of Sedimentary Rocks, Hemphill Publishing,
Austin, TX. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/geo/geologysources/html
1. In the Library Web Site search box, type Folk
2. Click on the Petrology of Sedimentary Rocks, and it will download as a .pdf file.
This is an oldy-but-a-goody! This book is meant to accompany a book like Boggs, with some
really fundamental stuff in it.

Evaluation
Short Assignments
Most of the short, in-class assignments that we work on will require you to hand in some type of
worksheet or write-up. These short assignments are designed to give you practice with the
techniques youll need to accomplish these projects, so I will look over them to make sure that
you got it, that you understand the point of the exercise. I will also use these assignments to
see where misconceptions might be and try to correct them. I will assess these on the basis of the
following criteria:
Did you put in the effort that was necessary to do the assignment?
Did you take some care in completing the assignment?
Did you get the main point?
Dont look for fine-toothed-comb grading. I will assess using the following rubric:
Grade Meaning
5
Put in more effort than required to complete the assignment. No
grammatical/spelling errors; work is neat and professional; computations
correctly done/answered; work is easy to follow; clearly understands the main
point; contains unusually insightful or in-depth commentary or analysis.
4
Put in sufficient effort to complete the assignment; no grammatical/spelling
errors; work is neat and professional; computations correctly done/answered;
work is easy to follow; clearly understands the main point; shows a degree of
insight and effort beyond the average.
3
Put in just enough effort to complete the assignment; work is neat and
professional; one or two grammatical/spelling errors; computations correctly
done/answered, but work is difficult to follow; appears to have understood the
main point, but some doubt remains in my mind
2
Didnt quite complete the assignment as outlined; many grammatical/spelling
errors; work is somewhat sloppy and unprofessional; computations incorrectly
done/answered; evidence suggests that the main point was mostly missed
1
Assignment essentially incomplete; many grammatical/spelling errors; work is
sloppy and unprofessional; computations incorrectly done/answered; little
evidence that the main point was understood

0
Didnt turn in assignment, or turned in late.
Some lab-like assignments require more effort on your part. These assignments have the same
general goal as the short, in-class assignments: to give you practice with specific techniques
youll need. In most cases, I will use the rubric above, unless the assignment requires its own.
Major Projects
The four projects form the core assessment tools of the course. A lot of class work will be
toward completing these projects, and you will work on these projects outside of class. One
project product will be presented orally/visually (e.g., PowerPoint), the other three will be
written products. The write-ups/presentations for these projects will be assessed on the basis of
the same rubric and additional feedback from me. However, perhaps more important than the
grades on these projects, is the assessment of how you have progressed through the semester.

Project Schedule
Week 1-4
Aug 23-Sept 19
Project Due
Date: 19 Sept
Week 5-10
Sept 20-Oct 31
Project Due
Date: 31 Oct
Week 11-13
Nov 1 Nov 21

Project Due
Date: 21 Nov
Week 14-15
Nov 22 Dec. 1
Project Due
Date: 1 Dec
5 Dec.,
8 Dec., 11-1p.m.

Project 1: virtual field trip to the Cret. Book Cliffs, UT

Content: observation and interpretation of basic clastic lithologies,
bedding geometry, and sedimentary textures (mainly grain size,
rounding); sedimentary facies; basic sedimentary petrography
Objective 1
Project 2: depositional environments of Silurian Rockwood Fm
Content: Observation and interpretation of primary and secondary
sedimentary structures; measuring a section; trace fossils;
correlation; Walthers Law and introduction to stratigraphy
Objectives 1, 2
Project 3: regional stratigraphy and facies interpretation
Content: observation and interpretation of the regional Paleozoic
strata; basic lithologic determination, bedding geometry and
sedimentary structures (grain size, rounding); fossil content;
sedimentary facies interpretation; basic sedimentary petrography;
regional tectonic setting
Objectives 2, 1
Project 4: sedimentation and tectonics jigsaw
Content: provenance analysis; paleocurrent analysis; sedimentary
facies and plate tectonics
Objective 3
Portfolio due
Final Exam

Fall Break holidays

Thanksgiving holidays
Portfolio due

24-25 Oct (M-T)

23-27 Nov (W-Sun)
Monday, Dec 5

Final Exam

Thursday 8 Dec, 11-1 p.m.

You will create a portfolio of your original write-ups or presentations for all four projects and
turn it in by the last day of classes on a CD or a pin-drive (will be returned). This is in addition
to handing in each of these in separately on specified due dates. I will use this portfolio to assess
your progress toward achieving the objectives I provided. You may improve the grade on any
individual project write-up or presentation by revising it and turning it in as an appendix to the
project portfolio. In this revision, you may use information from the entire course to improve the
write-up for an earlier project.
There are no midterms in this course, but there will be a final exam. This exam will be in a takehome format and you can depend on the fact that it will test whether you can perform the
objectives outlined above. How else can I assess whether you achieved the goals if I dont put
you in a new situation and let you loose?
Final Grade Calculation
In-class and homework assignments
Longer, lab-like exercises
Project 1
Project 2
Project 3
Project 4
Portfolio review of all four projects (including revisions, if any)
Field notebook
Final exam

Weight
10%
10%
15%
20%
20%
10%
2%
3%
10%
TOTAL 100%

Grading Criteria for Field Notebooks

Taking good notes in the field is an art that is developed over a long period of time and now is a
good time to begin. It is important to take notes that can be read and understood by others as
well as yourself.
Document what you observe and separate your observations from the interpretations you make
using these observations. You should record your hypothesis concerning these data, whether
using a null hypothesis or testing multiple working hypotheses, or some other scientific strategy.
Note-taking in the field is not always numerical. It almost always includes sketches/drawings,
details about some aspect of your work that should be remembered when evaluating your data or
to help you image your data. You have plenty of space in your field notebooks; use it.
Listed below are the criteria around which you will organize your field notebooks. Various
entries in your field notebooks will be graded, and the whole notebook will be assessed for
adherence to the following criteria as a portion of your grade. This notebook may be used as a
journal as well, though it wont be graded on that aspect. It's yours to put in what you want, but
be sure to include what will be graded.
Leave room at the beginning of each field notebook to create a table of contents. Number
your pages. Put your name and address inside the front cover of the field notebook so that if
lost, it can possibly be returned.
1. Overall legibility
2. Metadata: date, persons working with you, location, and local conditions General or
specific directions to the site can be useful.
3. Goals/Objectives Make a bullet list of things you want to accomplish during each day in the
field or on a project. If on a field trip you may be given a list of objectives; you should include
them in your notebook.
4. Data Gathering/Observations and Recording Data/observations should be recorded in a
logical and clear format (often this can be a table or chart format), and are accompanied by
drawings/sketches to illustrate aspects of your data-gathering. Please provide metadata for your
notes or samples or photographs; provide enough background or support information to allow
others to use your records.
5. Interpretations Record your interpretations at the end of each day, and how these views
might affect what you plan to do the next day. A list of goals for the next day may be begun.
Interpretations are what YOU think the data mean/suggest/imply.
6. Summary At the end of each day, and at the end of a project or end of a trip, you should
summarize what you did. Each of these summaries serves to guide your thinking for the next
day or the next investigation. The final summary should include how your hypothesis fared
under intense scientific scrutiny, whether you met your goals, what you learned and how might
you do this project differently in the future. Try to make links between things you learned.
Record questions you might still have that need to be answered.

Field Notebook Grading Rubric

Overall legibility
Completeness
Metadata
Record of Observations
Interpretation/Significance
Periodic Synthesis/Summary
Illustrations (sketches)
References to photos/samples
General presentation/Contact information/Table of Contents

1.5
1.5
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
TOTAL 10 pts

Cheating and Plagiarism

In this course there will be individual assignments and group assignments. It is important that
your individual assignments be completed with your thoughts alone. Please read and heed the
following information regarding academic dishonesty. The instructor cannot and will not tolerate
academic dishonesty. For more information, refer to the Student Handbook.
What is cheating?
Supplying or using work or answers that are not your own.
Providing or accepting assistance with completing assignments or examinations.
Faking data or results.
Interfering in any way with someone else's work.
Stealing an examination or solution from the teacher.
What is plagiarism?
Copying a paper from a source text without proper acknowledgment.
Buying a paper from a research service or term paper mill.
Turning in another student's work with or without that student's knowledge.
Copying a paper from a source text without proper acknowledgment.
Copying materials from a source text, supplying proper documentation, but leaving out
quotation marks.
Paraphrasing materials from a source text without appropriate documentation.
Turning in a paper from a term paper website.