Introducing sdimentology / Введение в седиментологию

For at least the last 3.8 billion years of Earth’s history sediments and sedimentary rocks have accumulated providing an archive of past surface environments and the evolution of life. The Earth’s dynamic behaviour over geological time, mainly driven by plate-tectonics, has allowed a vast array of sedimentary rocks to form and it is these and the associated processes that eroded, transported and deposited the sediments that provides Earth with a uniqueness in the Solar System. This book is intended to provide some insight into sedimentology and the study of ‘soft rocks’ in different environmental settings and identify why sediments are so important.
Sediments and sedimentary rocks decorate much of the surface of the Earth and form many of the wonders of the world, such as the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef and even the summit of Mount Everest. It is perhaps this variety that drew me to sedimentology as a truly fascinating sub-discipline of Earth sciences. As a sedimentologist with a diverse interest in all sedimentary rocks and associated processes I have tried to represent this in the book from using my own field observations, experimental work and their applications. Perhaps some of the greatest advances in sedimentology have occurred over the last decade with improved knowledge of deep sea environments through sea-bed imaging, the interaction of climate and sea level as recorded by sediments and the recent images from NASA’s Curosity Rover providing a remarkable insight to the sedimentological record of Mars. However, it is likely that the greatest challenge still lies ahead for sedimentology with the search for new ore minerals hosted in sedimentary rocks, the need for improved recovery of current and new oil and gas reserves and the growth in natural gas production from sedimentary shale formations.
It is hoped readers will find this book a useful guide to sedimentology and beyond all, use it as a guide to find out more about the planet we live on. <...>