Stratigraphy

• Principles of Stratigraphy

• Types of Stratigraphy

• Contacts

• Unconformities
Stratigraphy

“Stratigraphy can be defined as the complete triumph

of terminology over facts and common sense.”

Attributed to P.D. Krynine by J. Ferm in Burton et al., 1987.

Stratigraphy

Stratigraphy: the study of the 3-D spatial and temporal

relationships among rocks
Stratigraphy

• Principles of Stratigraphy

• Types of Stratigraphy

• Contacts

• Unconformities
Principles of Stratigraphy

1. Superposition

The oldest rocks are found on the bottom and

the youngest rocks on the top.

youngest

oldest
Principles of Stratigraphy

youngest? oldest?
Principles of Stratigraphy

younger

older
Principles of Stratigraphy

2. Original Horizontality

sediments are deposited at the earth’s surface

in flat layers
Principles of Stratigraphy
Principles of Stratigraphy

cross-bedding
Principles of Stratigraphy

3. Lateral Continuity

a bed will extend laterally until:

1. Pinches out.

1. Abuts against older rock.

1. Truncated by erosion.

1. Cut by fault.
Principles of Stratigraphy
Principles of Stratigraphy

4. Cross-Cutting Relationships

Rock that are cut by another geologic feature are older

than the feature that cuts them.

Igneous Fault
Intrusion Erosion
Principles of Stratigraphy

5. Rule of Inclusions

If pieces of rock A are included in rock B,

rock A formed before rock B.

B
A
Principles of Stratigraphy

6. Faunal Succession

Systematic sequence of fossils with time.

Extinct fossils do not reappear in younger rocks.

http://www.geo.utexas.edu/courses/401/
Stratigraphy

• Principles of Stratigraphy

• Types of Stratigraphy

• Contacts

• Unconformities
Types of Stratigraphy

Type Subdivisions Property

Lithostratigraphy Lithostratigraphic Unit Lithology

Pedostratigraphy Pedostratigraphic Unit Buried Soils

Biostratigraphy Bio Zones Fossil Content

Chronostratigraphy Chronostratigraphic Units Time Relationships

(Period, Epoch, Age)
Geochronostratigraphy Geochronostratigraphic Unit Time Relationships
(System, Series, Stage)
Magnetostratigraphy Magnetic Reversals, Chrons Magnetic Polarity

Chemostratigraphy Isotope Zones Chemical

Characteristics
Sequence Stratigraphy Allostratigraphic Units unconformity-bounded
packages
Types of Stratigraphy - Allostratigraphy
Types of Stratigraphy

Type Subdivisions Property

Lithostratigraphy Lithostratigraphic Unit Lithology

Pedostratigraphy Pedostratigraphic Unit Buried Soils

Biostratigraphy Bio Zones Fossil Content

Chronostratigraphy Chronostratigraphic Units Time Relationships

(Period, Epoch, Age)
Geochronostratigraphy Geochronostratigraphic Unit Time Relationships
(System, Series, Stage)
Magnetostratigraphy Magnetic Reversals, Chrons Magnetic Polarity

Chemostratigraphy Isotope Zones Chemical

Characteristics
Sequence Stratigraphy Allostratigraphic Units unconformity-bounded
packages
Types of Stratigraphy - Lithostratigraphy

Super Group

Group

*Formation

Member / Tongue / Lentil

Bed / Flow

*Formation: distinct, mappable rock body

with definable boundaries
Types of Stratigraphy

Lithostratigraphic Units

lens / lentil

(E. McBride)
Stratigraphy

• Principles of Stratigraphy

• Types of Stratigraphy

• Contacts

• Unconformities
Types of Contacts

• Intrusive

• Fault

• Depositional

- Conformable Contact

- Unconformity
Types of Contacts (Depositional)

Lateral Contacts

intercalated
Vertical Contacts

gradual

gradation
abrupt

intertonguing

pinchout

(Boggs, p. 453)
Types of Contacts (Depositional)

Lateral Contacts

(E. McBride)
Stratigraphy

• Principles of Stratigraphy

• Types of Stratigraphy

• Contacts

• Unconformities
Unconformities

Unconformity: buried surface of erosion; missing rock / time

vs

Hiatus: amount of missing time

vs

Diastem: small amount of missing rock / time

Unconformities

Erosion – Mechanical, Chemical, Biological

Drop in Sea Level

Uplift of Land
Unconformities

Calvert Bluff / Alluvium Contact (Field Trip 1)

Unconformities

Types:

• Disconformity

• Paraconformity

• Nonconformity

• Angular Unconformity
Unconformities

• Disconformity – sediments on sediments (same orientation) with

obvious erosion
Unconformities

Disconformity

Supai Group
20 million years
Redwall Limestone
150 million years
Muav Limestone
Unconformities

2. Paraconformity – sediments on sediments (same orientation)

no obvious erosion surface

(Boggs, p. 456)
Unconformities

3. Angular unconformity – sediments on sediments

(different orientations)
Unconformities

Angular Unconformity

250 million years

Unconformities

Angular Unconformity

Wyoming
Unconformities

Angular Unconformity

(E. McBride)
Unconformities

4. Nonconformity – sediments on crystalline igneous or

metamorphic rocks

Uplift, Erosion, Deposition

Erosional Surface
Unconformities

Nonconformity

550 million years

1800 million years

Unconformities Canadian Shield

Enchanted Rock

Nonconformity in
Progress