Syllabus Information

5.1. Methodological overview

The methodology that will be applied has been prepared to provide the students with the necessary link between the theoretical knowledge and its practical use in the Sedimentary Petrology field.

The student will develop competences to be able to recognise, describe and classify sedimentary rocks, identifying their main compositional, textural and structural characters in outcrop, hand samples and thin sections.

The learning process will follow two complementary activities (next section).

5.2. Learning tasks

Activity 1: Lectures (2.2 ECTS). To develop the concepts and theoretical basis of the course. The course consists of two parts: Part 1 (Fundamentals), dedicated to the mineralogical, compositional, textural and structural characters of the main groups of sedimentary rocks and their classification. Part 2 (Diagenesis) covers the study of diagenesis and diagenetic processes of the sedimentary rocks.

Activity 2: Practical Sessions (3.8 ECTS). To apply various laboratory and field work techniques and optical microscopy for analysing sedimentary rock compositions, textures, fabrics and the effects of diagenetic processes. Practical classes are divided in three parts, laboratory methods, optical microscopy and field work.

This course consists of two 55-minute lectures and one 2.5-hours optical laboratory or microscopy session per week. Two all-day field trips are also scheduled in this course.

5.3. Syllabus

Lectures

Part I.  Fundamentals

• Lecture 1. Introduction. The Petrogenetic cycle. Classification of sedimentary rocks.
• Lecture 2. Chemical and mineralogical composition of the sedimentary rocks.
• Lecture 3. Textural components of siliciclastic and carbonate rocks. Classification.
• Lecture 4. Textural components of chemical rocks.
• Lecture 5. Structures in sedimentary rocks.

Part II. Diagenesis

• Lecture 6. Diagenesis. Major diagenetic processes. Diagenetic stages and realms. Diagenetic grade indicators. Diagenetic textures and structures.
• Lecture 7. Diagenesis of siliciclastic rocks. Sandstones: shallow and burial diagenetic environments and processes. Mudrocks: diagenesis of clay minerals. Conglomerates and breccias: effects of compaction. Porosity and permeability.
• Lecture 8. Diagenesis of carbonate rocks. Cementation processes: mineralogy, texture and diagenetic environment. Dissolution processes and secondary porosity. Biogenic degradation processes. Neomorphism. Physical and chemical compaction. Dolomitisation: dolomitisation mechanisms and models. Dolomitisation and porosity. Dedolomitisation processes.
• Lecture 9. Diagenesis of evaporite rocks. Gypsum and anhydrite rocks. Halite rocks.
• Lecture 10. Siliceous (chert) and iron-rich sedimentary rocks. Origin. Mineralogical and textural characters. Diagenesis.

Practical classes

Part I. Laboratory

• Session 1. Sample preparation (weighing out, cutting, polishing, coding, etc.). Colour determination. Hardness and composition.
• Session 2. Structures and discontinuities. Textural analysis with acetate peels.
• Session 3. Mineral identification in hand specimens. Hardness, etching with acids, and staining. Observation with binocular lens.
• Session 4. Porosity determination by hydrostatic weighing.
• Session 5. Size measurements and granulometry. Phase separation.
• Session 6. Petrophysical characters. Measurement of sound propagation.
• Session 7. Photographic techniques. Drafting a report.

Part II. Optical microscopy.

• Session 1. Basic mineralogy in sedimentary rocks. Review of optical properties.
• Session 2. Siliciclastic rocks: clasts, matrix and cements.
• Sessions 3 and 4. Siliciclastic rocks: percentage estimation of textural components. Classification.
• Session 5. Carbonate rocks. Allochems: skeletal and non-skeletal grains.
• Session 6. Carbonate rocks. Orthochems: matrix and cements. Porosity types.
• Session 7. Carbonate rocks. Diagenetic processes.
• Session 8. Carbonate rocks. Classification.

Part III. Field works

• Field trip 1. Precambrian-Cambrian rocks outcropping near Calatayud village (Zaragoza).
• Field trip 2. Carbonate-evaporitic rocks of the Tertiary Calatayud Basin (Zaragoza).

5.4. Course planning and calendar

• Total Number of Hours of Student Work: 150
• Hour of Lectures: 22
• Hours of Practical/Problem Classes: 30
• Days of Fieldwork: 2

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources