Personal Details:
Name: Joe Macquaker
Institute / Company: Dept of Earth Sciences
Department: University of Manchester
Position: Senior Lecturer
Tel: 0161 275 3811
Email:
Website:

Research Details:
Keywords: Sedimentolgy and diagenesis of fine-grained sediments.

Description: Fine grained sediments (mudstones, mudrocks, shales, chalks, etc.) are the most common sediment and sedimentary rock preserved at the Earth's surface. In spite being so abundant they are poorly known relative to other sediment types. Currently, I am examining these rocks using optical and electron optical (backscattered electron imagery) methods in additon to wireline techniques to characterise their mineralogy and detailed texturally variability. This research has demonstrated that they are much more variable than most workers assume, yet this variability is systematic and easy to recognise on a variety of scales (ranging from mm to 10's m). With individual beds parasequences and systems tracts all being much thinner than most authors expect and key stratal surfaces being dominated by diagenetic components. This work allows fine-grained sediments to be incorporated into basin wide facies models and more easily linked to processes occurring in up-dip depositional settings.