Sedimentology is the study of sedimentary rocks and the processes by which they formed, and stratigraphy is the study of the distribution in space and time of those rocks. The two are nearly always considered together because they share many common foundational principles. They are often referred to as the study of "soft rocks" (although rest assured that many of them are plenty hard!). Sedimentology and stratigraphy have been taught at Wooster since the founding of its Geology Department in the 19th Century. With the retirement of James Roche in 1986, Mark Wilson has been Wooster's sedimentologist and paleontologist. This combination has made Wooster's "soft rock" program an integration of physical and biological concepts. Professor Wilson's specialty is the formation and diagenesis of carbonate hardgrounds and the evolution of the organisms associated with them, which is an example of this topical association. The Sedimentology & Stratigraphy course at Wooster is on the Web. Please also visit our Independent Study page. |
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Local Sedimentology and Stratigraphy The bedrock of Ohio is entirely sedimentary. The geologic map of Ohio shows that the eastern half of the state is dominated by Middle and Upper Paleozoic systems trending north-south, the southwestern part of the state has Lower Paleozoic rocks associated with the Cincinnati Arch, and the far northwestern portion of Ohio has Middle Paleozoic units which form the periophery of the Michigan Basin. The oldest rocks are the limestones and claystones of the Ordovician in and around Cincinnati. These rocks are extraordinarily fossiliferous and very well exposed, making them popular field trip destinations for Wooster and most other schools in the Upper Midwest. The Silurian rocks are primarily limestones and dolomites. They include numerous fossil reefs and other shallow-water biosedimentary features, such as stromatolites. The best exposures of the Ohio Silurian are in quarries in the western half of the state and along the southwestern Lake Erie shoreline. Devonian rocks in Ohio are also dominated by fossiliferous carbonates with numerous small reefs and stromatoporoid mounds. There are also extensive Devonian black shales, with those in Cleveland containing spectacularly-preserved fossil sharks. The favorite Devonian localities for Wooster students are Kelleys Island in Lake Erie and quarries in Delaware County. Wooster itself sits among Mississippian sandstones, siltstone and shales in northeastern Ohio. These sediments were deposited in broad deltas spreading southward from what is now Ontario. Mississippian rocks in Ohio have many sedimentary features common in shallow siliciclastics, including ripples, cross-stratification, dewatering structures, and trace fossils. The Pennsylvanian rocks in eastern Ohio are also very close to Wooster. These are a nearly complete assortment of sediments, from terrestrial coals, sandstones, shales and claystones to shallow and deeper-water carbonates. Wooster students have long pursued independent study projects in the Ohio Pennsylvanian, most recently in underground coal mines near the Pennsylvania border. The Permian rocks of Ohio are confined to the far southeast of the state, and are nearly indistinguishable from the underlying Pennsylvanian. |
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Student Research in Sedimentology and Stratigraphy at Wooster Ohio is a wonderful place to pursue undergraduate research in sedimentology and stratigraphy through Wooster's Independent Study program. The local rocks provide an excellent sample of Paleozoic paleoenvironments and rock types. Our equipment includes GPS devices, computers, digital imaging equipment, numerous Nikon petrographic and dissecting microscopes, and the standard rock preparation tools, such as saws, grinders, and thin-section machines. Many Wooster students have completed soft rock projects within driving distance of campus. We do, though, pursue sedimentology and stratigraphy in many other locations. Wooster students have recently worked in England, Wales, France, Italy, Cyprus, Israel, the Bahamas, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado, as well as all of the states in the Upper Midwest. Collaborative papers and abstracts authored by Wooster students are listed on the Invertebrate Paleontology at Wooster web page.
For more information on sedimentology and stratigraphy
at Wooster, contact |
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