Depositional Environments and Stratigraphy

Specific Foundation / Core

1. To understand the mechanisms of transportation and deposition of sediments in a sedimentary basin in terrestrial, coastal and marine environments under different climatic conditions (glacial, temperate, tropical and arid). 2. To understand how these processes settle sediments at different scales (from granules to layers, to groups, to phases and eventually to basin level). 3. To understand the architectural structure of this arrangement in three dimensions and their temporal evolution along with the tectonic evolution of the basin (Stratigraphy). 4. To acquire skills in stratigraphic reconnaissance – description – recording of sedimentary rocks and successions (in the lab and field) as well as in the evaluation, correlation and synthesis of all stratigraphic and depositional data in order to solve geological paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic problems either individually or collectively. 5. To be able to infer process from observed product to predict where those processes and/or products have occurred in the past in the subsurface and/or will occur in the future at the surface. 6. Τo be able to draw connections between sedimentary environments and stratigraphy with other subdisciplines of the Earth Sciences, or with other scientific disciplines in general (esp. Archaeology) and everyday life in human society in a sustainable manner.

•History of Stratigraphy. Interrelation between Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. •The concept of Accommodation Space. Base Level changes as driving force to the transport and deposition of sediments. Causes of Accommodation Space and Base Level change (Geotectonic, Isostatic, Climatic – Milankovich Cysles). •Sediment transport and depositional processes in humid and temperate environments [Alluvial fans, river deposits, lake deposits, deltaic and coastal deposits, mass flows, turbidites, contourites, carbonate sediments, red clays, Radiolarites]. •Sediment transport and depositional processes in arid environments [wadis, playas, dunes, Sabha zones, evaporites, carbonate sediments - coral reefs]. •Sediment transport and depositional processes in glacial environments [Ice cover sediments, alpine glacier sediments, river - lake and wind-blown sediments of glacial environments, Tilites, Loess, glacial sediments of Continental shelf and deep sea, dropstones]. •Facies Analysis [Lithofacies, Biofacies]. Paleo-environmental indicators, interpretation of past depositional environments. •Basic principles and Characteristics of sedimentary rocks: bedding – Bed, sedimentary Layers, sedimentary Contacts, Conformities – Unconformities, Types of Unconformities. •Laws - Principles of Stratigraphy (Superposition, Original Horizontality, Lateral Continuity, Cross-Cutting Relationship, Fossil Faunas Succession, Actualism). •Criteria for Identifying original place of Layered rocks (Upper-lower surface of a bed, Organic markers-Inorganic Structures, Indicators of original Horizontality). •Lithostratigraphy (Lithostratigraphic profiles, Description and recording of a field section and a borehole core, Lithostratigraphic Correlation, Lithostratigraphic Column, Examples). •Biostratigraphy (Stratigraphy and Fossils - Index Fossils, Biostratigraphic Units - Biozone Types, Biostratigraphic Correlation, Examples). •Chronostratigraphy - Geochronology (Relative and absolute dating methods, Geological time scale, subdivisions and Units, Examples). •Other stratigraphic methods (Magnetic stratigraphy, Seismic stratigraphy, Isotopic and chemical stratigraphy, Wire loggings, examples). •Filling of Accommodation Space (spatial and temporal, dimension geometry of depositional structures, General Concepts of Sequence Stratigraphy and Basin Analysis.

Stratigraphy, Accommodation Space, Depositional Environments, Facies, Stratigraphic Units, Stratigraphic Correlation

10-03-2020