Depositional Environments and Stratigraphy

This course focusses on modern sedimentary environments at the surface of the Earth as a key to interpreting the past in geological history, and the techniques and approaches that allow geologist to deal with geological time. The course opens with lectures and laboratory classes that introduce the principles of fluid flow, sediment transport, and sedimentary depositional environments and how these processes affect the texture and composition of sedimentary rocks. The course then moves on to oceanography and marine fossils relevant to New Zealand geology, and how, along with sedimentary features, they are used to interpret past environments. We will then look at time and the depositional and geological history of the last 80 million years of the New Zealand regional response to sea-level change and ice sheet growth in Antarctica. The fundamental underpinning is stratigraphy, that is the study of the layers of rocks in the earth’s crust, and using fossils as dating tools and sedimentary features and fossils as palaeoenvironment indicators.


Marks and Grades
The Department of Geological Sciences uses the following scale to convert marks into grades:
100 – 90 A+ 74 – 70 B 54 – 50 C-
89 – 85 A 69 – 65 B- 49 – 40 D
84 – 80 A- 64 – 60 C+ Below 40 E
79 – 75 B+ 59 – 55 C

The Department of Geological Sciences reserves the right to adjust this mark/grade conversion, when deemed necessary.

Late Work
It is the policy for this course that late work is not accepted. Or, late work should be accompanied with a detailed explanation of why the work is late. The work will be marked and marks will be subtracted for each day the work is late. Days late include week-end and holidays.

Academic Liaison
Christopher Oze (room 329, HUchristopher.oze@canterbury.ac.nzUH, is in charge of liaison with students in geology courses. Each year level will appoint a student representative(s) to the liaison committee at the start of the semester. Please feel free to talk to the Academic Liaison or the student rep about any problems or concerns that you might have.

Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities should speak with someone at Disability Resource Service. Their office is room 317 in the Rutherford Building. Phone: 364 2350 (or ext. 6350), email: disabilities@canterbury.ac.nz

Policy on Dishonest Practice
Plagiarism, collusion, copying and ghost writing are unacceptable and dishonest practices.
• Plagiarism is the presentation of any material (text, data, figures or drawings, on any medium including computer files) from any other source without clear and adequate acknowledgement of the source.
• Collusion is the presentation of work performed in conjunction with another person or persons, but submitted as if it has been completed only by the names author(s).
• Copying is the use of material (in any medium, including computer files) produced by another person(s) with or without their knowledge and approval.
• Ghost writing is the use of another person(s) (with or without payment) to prepare all or part of an item submitted for assessment.

In cases where dishonest practice is involved in tests or other work submitted for credit, the student will be referred to the University Proctor. The instructor may choose to not mark the work.

Reconsideration of Grades
Students should, in the first instance, speak to the course co-ordinator about their marks. If they cannot reach an agreeable solution, students should then speak to the Head of the Geological Sciences Department. Students can appeal any decision made on their final grade. You can apply at the Registry to appeal the final grade within 4 weeks of the end of the semester. Be aware that there are time limits for each step of the appeals process.

Aegrotat Applications
If you feel that illness, injury, bereavement or other critical circumstances has prevented you from completing an item of assessment or affected your performance, you should complete an aegrotat application form, available from the Registry or the Student Health and Counselling Service. This should be within seven days of the due date for the required work or the date of the examination. In the case of illness or injury, medical consultation should normally have taken place shortly before or within 24 hours after the due date for the required work, or the date of the test or examination. For further details on aegrotat applications, please refer to the Enrolment Handbook. You have the right to appeal any decision made, including aegrotat decisions.

Missing of Tests
In rare cases a student will not be able to sit a test. In such cases, the student should consult with the course co-ordinator or the Head of the Department of Geological Sciences to arrange alternative procedures. This must be done well in advance of the set date for the test.

Week # Dates Lectures                              Lecturer Laboratory
3 x 1 hr 1 x 2.5 hr
9  23rd Feb Sediment sources and diagenesis                KNB Clastic Sedimentary Rock Textures
10 2nd March Sediment transport processes                KNB Sedimentary structures/flume
11 9th March Sediment transport processes                KNB Braided river trip
12 16th March Terrestrial depositional settings                KNB Clastic Sedimentary Rock Compositions
13 23rd March Submarine depositional settings                KNB LAB TEST
14 30th March Carbonates                                CMR Carbonate I
BREAK
18 27th April Carbonates                                 CMR Carbonates II
19 4th May                Oceanography and Phosphorites                 CMR Carbonate III
20 11th May Micropal and trace fossils                 CMR Forensic Micropalaeontology
21 18th May Taphonomy and Zealandia                 CMR Trace fossils & macrofossils
22 25th May Introduction stratigraphy and lithostratigrahy SW Stratigraphic correlation exercise
23 1st June Introduction stratigraphy and lithostratigrahy SW Stratigraphic correlation exercise (cont.)