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Presented By: IKEHI EMMANUEL 0206/2009 ETU EUGENE 0186/2009 EMOVWODO GIDEON 0404/2010
OUTLINE
1) Introduction 2) Aeolian Transport Processes 3) Texture and composition of air blown sediments 4) Bedforms and structures formed by airflow Ripples Dunes
Draas
5) Summary 6) References
1. Introduction
Formation of a body of sediments involves the transportation of particles to the site of deposition through various means e.g gravity, water, air, ice. Transportation and deposition of sediments by air flow is also known as aeolian transport. Aeolian environments are those in which the deposits are made up mainly of wind-blown material. The most obvious aeolian environments are the large sandy deserts in hot, dry areas of continents, but there are significant accumulations of wind-borne material associated with sandy beaches known as erg.
1. Introduction
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The movement of air (wind) is driven by pressure differences between two places.
A bedform is a morphological feature formed by the interaction between a flow and cohesionless sediment on a bed. The formation of bedforms creates distinctive layering and structures within the sediment that can be preserved in strata. Three groups of bedforms formed by airflow can be separated on the basis of their sizes: Ripples Dunes Drass
Fig. 4.1: Aeolian ripples, dunes and draas are three distinct types of aeolian bedform. (Gary , 2009)
Each of the bedform appears to be a distinct class of bedform with no transitional form (fig. 4.1).
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Aeolian ripples range in wavelength between 0.01 m & 20.0 m. The ripple height (bottom of the trough to the top of a crest) ranges from a few millimetres to 1 m. Coarser grains tend to be concentrated at the crests, where the finer grains are winnowed away by the wind, and as aeolian ripples migrate they may form a layer of inversely graded sand.
Fig. 4.3 Aeolian ripples in modern desert sands: the pen is 18 cm long. (Gary , 2009)
Migration of ripples produces a structure referred to as crosslamination. Cross-laminae are inclined thin (< 1 cm) layers of sand.
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Fig. 4.4 Aeolian dunes migrate as sand blown up the stoss (upwind) side. (Gary , 2009)
Fig. 4.6 Grain flow on the lee slope of an aeolian dune. (Gary , 2009)
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The orientation and form of the cross-bedding depends on the type of dune .
Fig. 4.7 Four of the main aeolian dune types, their forms determined by the direction of the prevailing wind(s) and the availability of sand. (Gary , 2009)
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Fig. 4.8 Aeolian dune cross-bedding in sands deposited in a desert: the view is approximately 5m high. (Gary , 2009)
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Summary
Aeolian deposits occur mainly in arid environments. Aeolian deposits are mainly sand and silt with quartz being the main mineral. And they are also well rounded and sorted. The main sedimentary structure associated with aeolian bedforms is the large-scale dune crossbedding and parallel stratification in sands. Aeolian deposit are good hydrocarbon reservoirs because they are texturally mature.
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References
Gary Nicholes (2009) Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (2nd edition), Wiley - Blackwell, Oxford. Kenneth Pye, Haim Tsoar, springer (2009) Aeolian Sand and Sand Dunes,
Leeder Mike R. (1982) Sedimentology: Process and Product, Unwin Hyman, London.
Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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