GSC 334: Carbonate Sedimentology

GSC 334: Carbonate Sedimentology
Term: Spring 2017
Instructor: Bosiljka Glumac

Description of course:  Students in this class engage in detailed studies of the formation of carbonate sediments and rocks through participation in a required 7–10 day field trip to one of the modern tropical carbonate-producing environments (such as the Bahamas) during January interterm, followed by semester-long research projects based on the data and specimens collected in the field. Students present their results at Celebrating Collaborations in April. Class discussion topics include the history of carbonate rocks from the Precambrian to the present. Prerequisite: GEO 232 and/or 231. Enrollment limited to 8. Registration by permission only. Interested students should contact the course instructor early in the Fall semester. Students are responsible to partially cover expenses associated with the January trip.

  • #1

Scanning Electron Micrographs of shrimp burrows.

#1, 3: Surface of a construction pellet used to build the fossilized burrow wall. Shrimp made pellets by gluing together sand grains with organic mucus and muddy sediment. Round depressions mark locations of weathered-out sand grains.
#2: Detail of an opening in the shrimp burrow wall.
#4, 5: Details of the pelleted burrow outer surface showing characteristic texture of the matrix that held sand grains together.