Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - EASC 402 D100

Sedimentology (3)

Class Number: 3630

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Thu, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 19, 2020
    Sat, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    EASC 302 with a grade of C- or better.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Sediment transport in fluids, the formation, character and classification of internal structures in sediments and paleoenvironmental analysis.

COURSE DETAILS:

General:
An advanced treatment of sedimentary facies characteristics and their interpretations, facies model concepts, applications of ichnology to paleoenvironments reconstruction, and genetic stratigraphic applications to facies analysis. Course content will encompass terrestrial, marginal marine and marine environments, in both siliciclastic and carbonate depositional settings. The development of effective outcrop and subsurface (core) criteria for the interpretation of the sedimentary record will be stressed. The ethological (behavioural) classification of biogenic structures, as well as their applications to the ichnofacies concept and to paleoenvironmental interpretation of the sedimentary record will be considered. Students will examine the utility of facies analysis in the various genetic stratigraphic frameworks and the viability of reconstructing the depositional history of sedimentary successions. Relative sea level changes and their effects on deposition will be discussed in relation to the preserved sedimentary record.

Course Topics:
1. Facies Characteristics and Paleoenvironmental Interpretation.
2. Facies Model Concepts for Siliciclastic and Carbonate Successions.
3. Ichnology and Sedimentary Facies Analysis.
4. Genetic Stratigraphy and Relative Sea Level Changes.

Course Organization:
One 2-hour lecture/week (delivered synchronously; pdf copies of slides on CANVAS).
One 2-hour laboratory period per week (face-to-face delivery dates to be announced).

Grading

  • Term Paper 10%
  • Seminar Presentation 10%
  • Laboratory Projects 40%
  • Laboratory Exam 10%
  • Oral Final Exam 30%

NOTES:

Technology Requirements:
The technology requirements for successfully completing this course include a laptop or computer, webcam, and internet access. High-speed internet access is preferred.  A headset with microphone is ideal. Students should have software sufficient to work with excel spreadsheets, power point files, word files, pdfs, and jpg images. Access to a drafting program (e.g., Adobe Illustrator or Corel) would be ideal, but graphic assignments (e.g., graphic litholog construction) can be done by hand, scanned or photographed and uploaded for grade assessment.

Course Details:
The Fall 2020 offering of EASC 402 is via remote instruction for lectures and some labs. There will be limited number of face-to-face labs. Students unable or unwilling to participate in face-to-face labs should contact the instructor prior to registering in the course. Dates for face-to-face lab instruction will be provided in the first week of classes. The instructor and the TA will articulate their expectations for assignments and exams at the start of the course.

Lectures: Lectures will be delivered online synchronously via Zoom. Pdf files of Power Point lecture will be stored on CANVAS for students to access and review.  Lectures will constitute 2 hours per week.

Labs: Labs will be blended to include synchronous and asynchronous deliver. Face-to-face labs will be synchronous and run for 2 hours with the TA and instructor present.  Remote lab work for assignments will be a blend of synchronous and asynchronous (i.e., the lab period will have the TA available for assistance online and will run 2 hours; remaining lab work can be done asynchronously, and may constitute an additional 2-3 hours/week). Lab Demos will be delivered synchronously, but will be recorded for asynchronous access by students and for review. Demos are typically less than 30 minutes per week.

Office Hours: Instructor and TA will each establish office hours during the first week of classes. Office hours will be delivered synchronously via Zoom or CANVAS Blackboard Collaborate. Office hours will be initially set at 1 hour/week.  Email the TA or instructor for clarification or a request a Zoom meeting if specific issues or concerns arise during the course. Exams: There are no midterm lecture or lab exams in this course.  There will be a Final Laboratory Exam, which will be during the designated lab period, face-to-face, synchronous, and 2 hours long. There will be a Final Theory Exam, which will be synchronous and oral, conducted one-on-one with the instructor via Zoom, and 1.5 hours long.  Dates for the final lab and theory exams are to be determined, pending consultation with students in the course.

Academic Integrity: Students are reminded that academic integrity lies at the heart of education. All assignments, seminars, term papers, and exams are to be done individually and without outside assistance, except the use of research materials and published literature, expressed in your own words except where quoted and properly cited. Students registered in this course will be required to complete the SFU Library plagiarism tutorial within the first two weeks of classes.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Access to internet; laptop or computer; webcam.

RECOMMENDED READING:

“Facies Models 4”; James, N.P, and Dalrymple, R.W.; 2010; Geological Association of Canada
ISBN: 978189709508

“Sedimentary Environments and Facies: Processes, Facies and Stratigraphy”; Reading. H.G.; 1996, 3rd edition; Blackwell Scientific Publishing
ISBN: 9780632036271

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).