DISTINCTIVE TYPES OF RIPPLE-DRIFT CROSS-LAMINATION

From work on two Upper Carboniferous formations in southwest England, three morphologically distinct types of ripple-drift cross-lamination have been recognised. Type 1 is characterised by strong erosion of laminae on the stoss (or up-current) side of the ripples, and absence of grading. Type 3 is characterised by an absence of erosion on the stoss sides, concentration of mud in the ripple troughs and an upward gradual decrease in grain size and amplitude of rippling. Type 2 is an intermediate form with some characteristics in common with types 1 and 3. An examination of the illustrated literature has shown that types 1 and 3 occur frequently, and that type 2 has not pre- viously been recorded.
It is suggested that type 1 is formed in fluvial and shallow water environments at times of net deposition of sediment, and that type 3 is formed by deposition from a tur- bidity current. Type 2 suggests hydrodynamic conditions intermediate between fluvial or shallow water traction currents, and turbidity currents.
Since all current ripples move forwards, or "drift", it is suggested that the term "ripple-drift" should be used to describe ripple cross-lamination where the ripples can be seen to climb onto the stoss slope of the ripple immediately downstream, there having been a net deposition, and not merely a forward drift of sediment.     

Some effects of compaction and geological time on the pore parameters of argillaceous rocks

Graphical statistics have been applied to the pore-size distribution curves of argillaceous rocks to characterize the changes in pore parameters that result from compaction and geological time. The most striking characteristic of recently deposited sediment is the high variability in mean pore size and in the sorting and skewness of the pore system. The mean pore size ranges from 15 to 980 nm, sorting ranges from very well sorted to poorly sorted, and skewness varies from systems in which small pores predominate over large ones to systems in which large pores predominate. This high variability in pore structure represents the many environmental and mineral-related variables that affect the pore system of newly deposited sediment. The mean pore size of shales decreases with increasing compaction and approaches a limiting value of about 3·5 nm at depth. Within a geological time span of 50 m.y. and/or depth of burial of about 1200 m, most sediments have reached an irreversible, well sorted pore-size distribution. Early diagenetic processes apparently affect the skewness of pore systems more than compaction, such that within about 50 m.y. the pore system is negatively skewed, with small pores predominating over large. Sediments buried to a depth of 500 m or less exhibit a porosity range of 40--85%; below 500 m, porosity decreases linearly with burial depth. No correlation exists between the surface area of shale pore systems and depth of burial, geological age, and the pore parameters mean pore size, sorting, and skewness.