This is the second edition of Applied Sedimentology, and effectively the fourth edition

of its predecessor Introduction to Sedimentology, first published in 1976.

Geology in general, and sedimentology in particular, has changed much during the
last 25 years. When the first edition appeared, sediments were studied by geologists, who
were bearded, suntanned individuals, with well-developed wilderness-survival skills and
an interesting range of tropical diseases. Today, sediments are largely studied by remote
sensing, in one form or another, by adept mouse-masters skilled in office survival. Satel-
lite photos, multidimensional seismic surveys, and borehole imagery enable sedimen-
tary rocks to be studied in an air-conditioned office without ever actually being looked at.
To correctly interpret and understand remotely sensed sediments, however, it is es-
sential to understand the fundamentals of sedimentology, preferably by having studied
sediments in the wild. Modern earth science graduates are familiar with the latest theo-
logical debate pertaining to sequence stratigraphy, and the latest computer program for
basin modeling, but are often unable to tell granite from arkose or to explain the for-
mation of cross-bedding. Worthy attempts by teachers to lead students to the margin of
the subject before absorbing its foundations exact a high price.
On my last field trip I used the guidebook of the local petroleum exploration society.
I visited an outcrop of what the guide described as a carbonatite plug. This proved to be
a raised sea stack of white skeletal limestone. At another locality shales were described
as containing horizons of volcanic bombs. These were actually rusty, round fossiliferous
siderite concretions. The guidebook's account of the complex tectonics of the region
was scrambled through failure to use turbidite bottom structures.
Applied Sedimentology is therefore unashamedly about sensual sedimentology. It at-
tempts to provide a firm foundation on which to interpret sediments remotely sensed
by various geophysical tools.
Applied Sedimentology is divided into three parts: Rock to Sediment, Sediment Sedi-
mented, and Sediment to Rock, reflecting the holistic nature of the sedimentary cycle.
An introductory chapter outlines the field of sedimentology, relates it to the funda-
mental sciences, and discusses its applications. Part I, Rock to Sediment, consists of two
chapters. Chapter 2 outlines weathering, showing not only how weathering gives rise to
the terrigenous sediments, but also how it mobilizes and concentrates diverse residual
ore deposits. Chapter 3, Particles, Pores, and Permeability, describes the texture of sedi-
ments and shows how these are related to porosity and permeability.

ix
X PREFACE

Part II, Sediment Sedimented, takes the story a stage further. Chapters 4 and 5 de-
scribe sedimentary processes and sedimentary structures, respectively. Chapter 6 out-
lines the major depositional systems and discusses how their products may serve as pe-
troleum reservoirs and hosts for ore bodies.
Part III, Sediment to Rock, completes the cycle. Chapter 7 describes the subsurface
environment within which sediment is turned into rock. Chapter 8 describes clays, sands,
and gravels and details their diagenesis and porosity evolution. Chapter 9 does the same
for the chemical rocks, describing the mineralogy, composition, and diagenesis of car-
bonates, evaporites, sedimentary ironstones, coal, phosphates, and chert.
The book concludes with a chapter on sedimentary basins. This describes the mechan-
ics of basin formation, the various types and their sedimentary fill, and their petroleum
and mineral potential. It also describes the evolution of basin fluids through time.
Applied Sedimentology is written principally for senior undergraduate and postgrad-
uate students of earth science and engineering. I also hope, however, that it may prove
useful to more mature readers who explore and exploit the sedimentary rocks for fos-
sil fuels and mineral deposits.
Richard C. Selley