awe rae 2 parts, G32 — Lecture 12 Paleocurrents and paleocurrent indicator analysis: Paleocurrents are ancient currents, Paleocurrent indicators are oriented sedimentary structures interpreted to have been deposited by ancient flows CCross-beds slip faces, pebble imbrieation, parting lineation, tool marks and groove easts, and ripple crest orientation are all examples of paleocutrent indicators. Some paleacurrent indicators ae unidirectional — that is, thei shape provides nique information about the ditecton of the ancient paleoflow. Unidirectional paleocurrent indicators include foresets (ripple or dune), flute casts, and clastimbrieation, Some paleocurrent indicators are bidirectional — that i, their shape eliminates all but two possible directions (either upeurrent or downcurrent). Bidirectional paleocurrent indicators include oriented wood fragments or other elongates class, tool marks or elongate sole marks, and parting lineation PPaleocurrent indicator analysis is an important part of sedimentology, because it provides direct information about the orientation ofthe sedimentary systems, Paleocurtent analysis can yield information about the flow ditections of rivers, longshore currents, sediment gravity hows, and paleowinds. ‘This in turn helps establish a model of paleogeography, which can lead to better predictability of economically-important facies (eg, oilsaturated porous, permeable sandstone facies) ‘Below are some photos of common unidirectional and bidirectional paleocurrent indicators. I've included both planar and linear indicators. Unidirectional Paleocurrent Indicators: Here are some flute casts on a sandstone bedding sole from the Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec. Photo by Cathy Summa, Winona State University. Flow in this photograph was lower righ to upper lef. Flute casts such as these are unidirectional, linear paleocurrent indicators Another very nice shot of some flute casts (unidirectional paleocurrent indicators) fram the Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec from Cathy Summa's collection. Flow was righ 0 lef Here's a shot illustrating cobble imbrication along the west coast of Baja, California, Mexico near San Carlos. Notice how the surf has stacked most of the cobbles so ther long axes are dipping seaward. This is the mast hydrodynamically stable position and provides a nice unidirectional planar ppaleacurrent indicator pheno ureincicstanyersints2 1280 6co ae oon cans Here's a shot of some Sinian sandstone from northwestern China, showing well developed tabular cross-bedding, This isan excellent unidirectional ‘planar paleocurrent indicator. Here's an unusual unidirectional linear paleocurrent indicator from some Cretaceous marine strata in central Utah. Black lens cap for scale. The ‘prominent object below and right of the lens cap tsa large oyster valve. Turbulence downflow from the valve created an elongate scour pit that ‘subsequently filled in with coarse sand, resulting in an unusual but very useful unidirectional paleacurrent indicator. Bidirectional Paleocurrent Indicators: Here are some nicely developed groove casts on a bedding sole, Photo by Duncan Heron. Flow was either from upper leftto lower right or lower right to upper left (probably lower right to upper left as suggested by the large flute cast inthe middle of the photo). Groove casts such as these are ‘good bidirectional linear paleocurrent indicators. pheno ureincicstanyersints2 1280co ae oon cans Here's a shot of parting imeation in sandstone. Flow was ether from the top to bottom of the photo OR from the bottom to top ofthe photo. This is a good example ofa bidirectional, linear paleocurent Procedure for measuring the orientation of paleocurrent indicators and extracting paleoflow directional information, ‘The orientation of paleocurrent indicators ean be easily measured inthe field with a brunton compass or other simple measuring device. For planar paleocurrent indicators (cross-beds, pebble-cobble imbrication planes), the strike and dip ofthe planar feature is measured, The dip direction in eross ‘beds isthe paleoflow direction. In pebble and cobble imbrication, the dip direction of the long- intermediate axis ofthe pebbles is upstream, because flat clasts are in their hydrodynamically most stable positon if they are leaning downstream (see sketch above), For sinuous-cested ripples and dunes, ‘a complication arses in that the trough limbs don’t dip downstream but rather dip ata high angle to paleoflow direction, However, the trough axis dip direction is parallel tothe paleoflow direction, and trough limb orientation information can be statistically treated to obtain a vector average ofthe paleoslow direction, For a good discussion of these statistical techniques, check out the following paper, available on the Gii32 ERES ste DeCelles, PG, Langford, R. P., and Schwartz, RK, 1983, Two methods of paleocurtent determination from trough-statfication: Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, v. $3, p. 629-642. For linear paleocurrent indicators, the long-axis of the indicator is usually assumed tobe parallel to flow direction. ‘This isthe case with elongate class that are entrained ina low. A complication arises wih Linear indicators that “oll” and are ortented with their long axis perpendicular to flow. It's important to recognize ths difference in the field This illustration shows how elongate clasts with different masses can behave differently in the same flow, depending on whether the clasts are rolled by the flow or whether they are completely entrained inthe flow. This photo was taken atthe strand line of the Great Salt lake in Utah and shows a set (of small wood fragments that are oriented perpendicular to flow direction. Incoming, small em-scale) waves from the lake traveled from the lop of the photo toward the bottom ofthe photo. The wood fragments were apparenily rolled by those waves and oriented with their long axes perpendicular tothe primary flow direction, In contrast fo thal orientation isthe orientation of the smaller elongate clasts which are either insect larvae shed exoskeletons dead insect larvae (T wasn’t sure which). The insect larvae are oriented mainly parallel to the incoming waves because they were small ‘enough to he completely entrained in the flow. ‘Most paleocurrent measurements are acquired from deformed (i. tied) beds, so the beds and paleocurrent measurements must be restored fo paleohorizontal before the ditections of paleoffow can be meaningfully interpreted. This may be accomplished manually through stereonet rotation, or ‘may be done using @ computer. I've found thatthe free Stereouet software written by Rick Allmendinger (Comell University) works very well for treatment of paleocurrent data, Below isa document on the field and laboratory treatment of paleocurrent data, compliments of William R. Dickinson atthe University of Arizona. ‘This document describes how to treat paleocurrent data inthe field and how to restore it to horizontal ifthe paleocurrent indicators were in tilted strata PALEOCURRENT-PALEOSLOPE INDICATORS A. General Orientations of key sedimentary structures can be measured as indicators of directions of paleocurrents or paleoslopes. Geometrically, the indicators are either planars or linears: the geometric manipulation required to obtain paleocurrent or paleoslope directions differs forthe two. For planars, the ‘ike and dip is measured directly, and stereographic techniques are used, in conjunction withthe strike and dip ofthe bedding ofthe stata in which ‘the planar indicators occur, to restore the observed structures by stereographic rotation to their inferred original attitudes, For the two main types of pheno ureincicstanyersints2 1280 os