The earlier editions of this book have been used by successive generations of students for more than 20 years, and it is the standard text on the subject in most British universities and many others throughout the world. The study of sediments and sedimentary rocks continues to be a core topic in the Earth Sciences and this book aims to provide a concise account of their composition, mineralogy, textures, structures, diagenesis and depositional environments. This latest edition is noteworthy for the inclusion of 16 plates with 54 colour photomicrographs of sedimentary rocks in thin-section. These bring sediments to life and show their beauty and colorful appearance down the microscope; they will aid the student enormously in laboratory petrographic work. The text has been revised where necessary and the reference and further reading lists brought up-to-date. New tables have been included to help undergraduates with rock and thin-section description and interpretation. New 16-page colour section will mean students do not need to buy Longman Atlas All illustrations redrawn to higher standard Complete revision of text - new material on sedimentary geochemistry, etc

The earlier editions of this book have been used by successivegenerations of students for more than 20 years, and it is thestandard text on the subject in most British universities and manyothers throughout the world.The study of sediments and sedimentary rocks continues to be acore topic in the Earth Sciences and this book aims to provide aconcise account of their composition, mineralogy, texturesstructures, diagenesis and depositional environments.This latest edition is noteworthy for the inclusion of 16 plateswith 54 colour photomicrographs of sedimentary rocks inthin-section. These bring sediments to life and show their beautyand colorful appearance down the microscope; they will aid thestudent enormously in laboratory petrographic work. The text hasbeen revised where necessary and the reference and further readinglists brought up-to-date. New tables have been included to helpundergraduates with rock and thin-section description andinterpretation.* New 16-page colour section will mean students do not need tobuy Longman Atlas* All illustrations redrawn to higher standard* Complete revision of text - new material on sedimentarygeochemistry, etc

Preface to the third edition viiPreface to the second edition viiiPreface to the first edition ix1 Introduction: basic concepts and methodology 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Basic concepts 11.3 Methodology 62 Siliciclastic sediments I: sandstones, conglomerates and breccias 112.1 Introduction 112.2 Sediment texture 112.3 Sedimentary structures 212.4 Palaeocurrent analysis 402.5 Detrital components of siliciclastic sediments 422.6 Classification of siliciclastic sediments 482.7 Petrography and origin of principal sandstone types 502.8 Sandstone composition, provenance and tectonic setting 532.9 Sandstone diagenesis 552.10 Porosity and permeability 622.11 Depositional environments of sandstones and coarser clastics 653 Siliciclastic sediments II: mudrocks 923.1 Introduction 923.2 Textures and structures of mudrocks 923.3 The colour of mudrocks 963.4 Mineral constituents of mudrocks 973.5 The formation and distribution of clay minerals in modern sediments 993.6 Diagenesis of clay minerals and mudrocks 1023.7 Mudrocks and their depositional environments 1034 Limestones 1104.1 Introduction 1104.2 Mineralogy of carbonate sediments 1114.3 Components of limestones 1114.4 Classification of limestones 1284.5 Limestone grain size and texture 1304.6 Sedimentary structures of limestones 1304.7 Carbonate diagenesis 1344.8 Dolomitization, dedolomitization and silicification 1464.9 Porosity in carbonate sediments 1514.10 Carbonate depositional environments and facies 1515 Evaporites 1665.1 Introduction 1665.2 Gypsum and anhydrite 1695.3 Halite 1745.4 Other evaporite minerals and their occurrence 1765.5 Evaporite dissolution and replacement 1785.6 Evaporite sequences and discussion 1786 Sedimentary iron deposits 1826.1 Introduction 1826.2 Source and transportation of iron 1826.3 The formation of the principal iron minerals 1836.4 Occurrence and petrography of the iron minerals 1866.5 Precambrian iron-formations and Phanerozoic ironstones 1896.6 Bog iron ores 1926.7 Ferromanganese nodules and crusts, and metalliferous sediments 1927 Sedimentary phosphate deposits 1947.1 Introduction 1947.2 Mineralogy 1947.3 Nodular and bedded phosphorites 1947.4 Bioclastic and pebble-bed phosphorites 1977.5 Guano and ocean-island phosphorites 1988 Coal, oil shale and petroleum 1998.1 Introduction 1998.2 Modern organic deposits 1998.3 Ancient organic deposits 2008.4 Coals and the coal series 2008.5 Coal petrology 2028.6 Coal formation and rank 2048.7 Occurrence of coal 2058.8 Oil shales 2068.9 Formation of kerogen 2078.10 Petroleum 2079 Cherts and siliceous sediments 2129.1 Introduction 2129.2 Chert petrology 2129.3 Bedded cherts 2129.4 Nodular cherts 2189.5 Non-marine siliceous sediments and cherts 21910 Volcaniclastic sediments 22110.1 Introduction 22110.2 Autoclastic deposits 22210.3 Pyroclastic-fall deposits 22310.4 Pyroclastic-flow and -surge deposits 22410.5 Hydroclastites: hyaloclastites and hyalotuffs 22610.6 Epiclastic volcanogenic deposits 22810.7 Diagenesis of volcaniclastic sediments 228References 231Index 251Colour plates fall between p. 118 and p. 119