Introductory Geology - Sedimentary Environments

 

 

 

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This page has links to photographs of different sedimentary environments and the rocks and deposits they form.  For each environment below, first click on the two small images of the modern-day environment and make observations about what you see, filling in the appropriate spaces in the table (Worksheet 5A in ASU lab manual or handed out by your instructor at Glendale CC).  Then, click on the small images of the rocks and deposits for that environment.  Do this for each environment in turn.

If you are accessing this via a modem and telephone line, beware because some of these images are large.  If you are accessing it from ASU or another fast network, don't worry, be happy, click away!

Modern Examples of Environment
and Sediment
  Ancient Examples of Resulting
 Sedimentary Rocks
Sand dunes dunes1.jpg (83388 bytes) dunes4.jpg (75362 bytes)   dunes_rx2.jpg (229967 bytes) dunes_rx3.jpg (101479 bytes)
Near a steep mountain front mtn_front1.jpg (189893 bytes) mtn_front4.jpg (111997 bytes)   mtn_front_rx2.jpg (175165 bytes) mtn_front_rx3.jpg (135710 bytes)
Major river channel river1.jpg (129173 bytes) river4.jpg (159501 bytes)   river_rx4.jpg (138158 bytes) river_rx5.jpg (180722 bytes)
Floodplain floodp1.jpg (119147 bytes) floodp4.jpg (128724 bytes)   floodp_rx2.jpg (158336 bytes) floodp_rx3.jpg (121018 bytes)
Delta delta1.jpg (119400 bytes) delta2.jpg (91034 bytes)   delta_rx1.jpg (105315 bytes) delta_rx3.jpg (144547 bytes)
Lake (always wet) lake2.jpg (90852 bytes) lake3.jpg (50785 bytes)   lake_rx1.jpg (118161 bytes) lake_rx2.jpg (121246 bytes)
Lake (dries out totally to deposit mud & rock salt) lake_dry1.jpg (74505 bytes) lake_dry_rx2.jpg (102636 bytes)   lake_dry_rx3.jpg (123539 bytes)
Beach (sandy) beach_sd1.jpg (281605 bytes) beach_sd4.jpg (105320 bytes)   beach_sd_rx1.jpg (151467 bytes) beach_sd_rx2.jpg (316429 bytes)
Beach (rocky) beach_rk1.jpg (167774 bytes) beach_rk3.jpg (190576 bytes)   beach_rk_rx1.jpg (132393 bytes) beach_rk_rx2.jpg (153860 bytes)
Coral Reef reef1.jpg (143715 bytes) reef2.jpg (158508 bytes)   reef_rx4.jpg (231111 bytes) reef_rx5.jpg (130724 bytes)
Lagoon (between reef and beach) lagoon1.jpg (95419 bytes) lagoon3.jpg (88688 bytes)   lagoon_rx1.jpg (194598 bytes) lagoon_rx3.jpg (148610 bytes)
Middle of Ocean Heck, you know what the ocean looks like.  Clear water and no land in sight!   ocean_rx1.jpg (135606 bytes) ocean_rx2.jpg (135383 bytes)
Next to a volcanic island (not done at ASU) volcisl2.jpg (80776 bytes) volcisl3.jpg (87980 bytes)   volcisl_rx2.jpg (222827 bytes) volcisl_rx4.jpg (125994 bytes)

© Stephen J. Reynolds (Arizona State University) and Pamela Nelson (Glendale Community College), 1999