Petrology of sedimentary rocks - part II

obligatory courses

Before starting the study of the subject "Petrology part II" (and especially before starting the practicals) the student should demonstrate the ability to use a polarizing microscope, in particular the ability to recognize rock-forming minerals and rocks in practice. Therefore, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the following subjects and issues in advance:

Mineralogy - properties of rock-forming minerals.

Dynamic geology - geotectonics, processes leading to the formation of sedimentary rocks and sedimentary environments.

Petrology - recognition of rock-forming minerals using a polarizing microscope, recognition of basic types of sedimentary rocks.

Paleontology - recognition of fossils, living environment and age of individual groups of organisms.

The word "Petrology" comes from the Ancient Greek petros - rock, logos - science. This course explains to students the problems of formation and differentiation of various rocks. It consists of three equal, closely related parts:

Petrology of sedimentary rocks is devoted to issues of sedimentary rock genesis against the background of their modern classification. It discusses the stages of rock formation, beginning with weathering of the initial rocks, through the transport of detritic material, its deposition, followed by diagenesis and weathering.

Practicum in petrology of sedimentary rocks consists of independent work on a polarizing microscope. Students analyse thin sections of the following groups of sedimentary rocks: clastic, carbonate, silica, ferrous, phosphate, organic and evaporites. They learn to make their full description, including mineral composition and texture, to recognize and classify them correctly. In addition, they learn to recognize the effects of primary processes that led to the formation of rocks and make a detailed interpretation of the depositional environment. They also learn ways to identify secondary processes to be able to reconstruct the diagenetic history of these rocks.

During practical classes on petrology of sedimentary rocks, students will learn mainly the following issues:

• Methods for identifying minerals and other components of sedimentary rocks.

• Recognizing the effects of various secondary processes (including diagenetic processes) using comprehensive analytical methods (polarizing and scanning microscope, X-ray diffraction, cathodoluminescence, microprobe, etc.).

• Different types of cements in carbonate and siliciclastic rocks - filling mass (matrix) and cement.

• Different types of cements in carbonate rocks, identification of allochems and textural classification of carbonate rocks.

• Types of porosity in carbonate and siliciclastic rocks.

• Different types of evaporites and their depositional environments

Practical classes in petrology of sedimentary rocks will allow students to acquire sufficient experience to be able to independently recognize different varieties of sedimentary rocks and be able to interpret their genesis, depositional environment, diagenetic evolution, provenance of detritic material and potential possibilities of practical use.

During the petrology course in sedimentary rocks, students are assessed on the basis of a colloquium consisting of making a complete petrographic description of three thin sections of different sedimentary rocks. This description includes: mineral composition, texture, rock type, exact classification and name of the rock. Next, deposition processes and the sedimentation environment should be characterized, and further identified and arranged in a sequence of diagenetic processes. The final grade also takes into account student activity during classes.

Not applicable