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Earth System- 29992 > Sedimentology > Flashcards

Sedimentology Flashcards

1
Q

What is sedimentology?

A

study of modern sediments such as sand, silt, and clay, and the processes that result in their formation, transport, deposition and diagenesis

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2
Q

What is controlling the growth rate of microscopic organisms in surface water and thus their deposition?

A

narrow ranges in sea-salinity and temperature

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3
Q

What is alluvial deposition?

A

loose clay, sand, silt or gravel that has been deposited by running water

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4
Q

What is fluvial deposition?

A

sediments deposited by a moving river of stream

reference: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/fluvial-landforms.htm#:~:text=Fluvial%20deposits%20are%20sediments%20deposited%20by%20the%20flowing%20water%20of%20a%20stream.

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5
Q

What is aoelian deposition?

A

erosions, transportation and deposition of sediment by wind

Reference: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/aeolian-landforms.htm#:~:text=Aeolian%20processes%20involve%20erosion%2C%20transportation,hot%20deserts%2C%20and%20agricultural%20fields. (paraphrased)

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6
Q

Where does sedimentation occur?

A

on land and in the seas

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7
Q

What is the name for the collection of processes involved in sedimentology?

A

Sedimentary systmes

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8
Q

What do the sedimenrary systems need to be like in relation to one another?

A

always adjacent

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9
Q

What is the general trend with sedimentology?

A

Sediment will move from land (upland) to oceans via fluxes

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10
Q

What is a flux?

A

a movement of matter or energy from one store to another

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11
Q

What do narrow environmental conditions control with ocean sedimentology?

A

where certain sediments can occur

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12
Q

How is an alluvial fan created?

A

When sediment has flowed down a valley which has stopped reducing constriction and allowing sediment to spread out laterally

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13
Q

What can cause a build up of alluvial sediment?

A

freeze thaw which weakens rock

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14
Q

What will sediment distribution be like for an alluvial deposit?

A

thick closer to valley thinner further away as energy available to carry material dissipates

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15
Q

Where can a contrast be seen between grain size in fluvial systems?

A

in the river
out on the immediate bank

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16
Q

What is the erosive power of a fluvial system?

A

high erosive power especially on outer bend

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17
Q

What are aeolian systems?

A

desert systems

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18
Q

What are deserts defined by?

A

aridity (dryness)

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19
Q

What will grain size distribution be like in an aeolian environment?

A

uniform

20
Q

what is the are the processes for grain movement in aeolian environments?

A

constant blowing wind causing continual material processing

21
Q

What are interdune areas?

A

areas of water pooling in-between dunes

22
Q

How do wind conditions create a homogony of grain sizes?

A

fine material is blown away as cant handle wind and coarse material is buried

23
Q

What is the architecture of a sand dune like? (wind blown)

A

Bed form
Twisty crest
Asymmetrical (steep one side gentle the other)

24
Q

How will the ice and rock interact in a glacial environment?

A

The ice will be overlying the bedrock

25
Q

What general way material is weathered/ broken down in glacial systems?

A

Physical pressure (dragging)
Pulling (Plucking)

26
Q

What is sediment distribution rate like for a glacial system?

A

relatively slow with poorly sorted deposits

27
Q

What sub-environment for deposition will be present in a glacial system?

A

glacial meltwater lake which might have seasonal deposition variation (Varves)

28
Q

What are deltaic areas like?

A

Low lying
Varying magnitude of rivers cut through
Unconstrained lateral environment

29
Q

What is the main threat towards deltaic system?

A

sea level rise

30
Q

What processes at the interface of a deltaic system help mixing of land and sea systems?

A

Tides
Waves

31
Q

How do coasts act as an interface between land and sea sediment systems?

A

Can be deltaic or non-deltaic

32
Q

Why is it hard for material to break the energy fence from fluvial to marine?

A

due to high energy marine processes like waves and tides

33
Q

What might happen to sediment when it reaches a coastal system?

A

Rivers become wider form estuary and lose energy leading to deposition (spits and bars)

34
Q

What can the scale of shelfal sediment systems be?

A

hundreds of km

35
Q

What does the vast size of shelfal systems means for the sediment deposited?

A

highly variable due to changes in conditions which might be broken up by submarine channels

36
Q

How mobile is the sediment in shelfal sediment systems?

A

Static only really being disturbed by strong storms

37
Q

How do reefs affect sediment deposition?

A

complex rigid structure reduces wave energy

38
Q

What are some examples of “the giants” for sedimentary systems?

A

Glacial lake Agassiz
Brahmaputra River Basin
Boreal ocean delta

39
Q

What was lake Agassiz?

A

3000-4000 years old
Pleistocene
constrained by glaciers
440,000km*2

40
Q

What is the general info on Brahmaputra River Basin?

A

Basin plane encompassing Ganges delta
651,334km*2
9th largest river in world 2900km long

41
Q

What is the general information on the Boreal ocean delta?

A

Triassic age
North Pangea
emptied into shallow basin
Growth through 1 million year monsoonal climate

42
Q

How large was the boreal ocean delta?

A

1,650,000km*2
1% of earth

43
Q

Are sediments static?

A

No they change through time (Wilson cycle/ plate tectonics)

44
Q

How can sea level change affect the sediment cycles?

A

change shape and extent of marine to land contact

45
Q

What are the 3 sea level orders?

A

1) 100s million years , 100s meters
2) 10s million years , 100s meters
3) 1-10 million years , 10s meters

46
Q

What can the hierarchy of sea level orders be called?

A

nested hierarchy

47
Q

How does sea

A

Earth System- 29992 (24 decks)

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