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EarthSurfaceProcesses,Landforms
andSedimentDeposits
Earthsurfaceprocesses,landforms,andsedimentdepositsare
intimatelyrelated–involvingerosionofrocks,generationof
sediment,andtransportanddepositionofsedimentthrough
variousEarthsurfaceenvironments.Theseprocesses,and
thedepositsandlandformsthattheygenerate,haveafunda-
mentalbearingonengineering,environmentalandpublic
safetyissues;onrecoveryofeconomicresources;andonour
understandingofEarthhistory.
Thisuniquetextbookbringstogetherthetraditionaldisci-
plinesofsedimentologyandgeomorphologytoexplainEarth
processes,landforms,andsedimentdepositsinacomprehen-
siveandintegratedway.Progressingfromsmall-scaletolarge-
scalephenomena,withfrequentreferencetoenvironmental
andeconomicapplications,thistextpresentsarigorous
treatmentthatassumesonlyamodestbackgroundknowledge
ofmathematicsandscience.Itistheidealresourcefora
two-semestercourseinsedimentology,stratigraphy,
geomorphology,andEarthsurfaceprocessesfromthe
intermediateundergraduatetobeginninggraduatelevel.The
bookisaccompaniedbyawebsitehostingillustrationsand
materialonfieldandlaboratorymethodsformeasuring,
describing,andanalyzingEarthsurfaceprocesses,landforms,
andsediments(www.cambridge.org/earthsurfaceprocesses).
JOHN BRIDGEwasawardedaPh.D.fromSt.Andrews
University,Scotland,in1973.Henowholdsthepositionof
ProfessorofGeologicalSciencesattheStateUniversityof
NewYorkatBinghamtonwherehisresearchinterestsfocus
onfluvialsedimentologyandEarthsurfaceprocesses.
ProfessorBridgehasservedontheeditorialboardsofseveral
sedimentologyjournalsandheisalsotheauthor/editoroftwo
otherbooks.
ROBERT DEMICCOwasawardedaPh.D.fromtheJohns
HopkinsUniversityin1981.HeisnowProfessorofGeology
atStateUniversityofNewYorkatBinghamtonwherehis
researchinterestsfocusoncarbonatesedimentologyand
geochemicalmodelingofthecarbonatesystem.Professor
Demiccoistheauthor/editoroftwootherbooks.
Theauthorshavetaughtnumerouscoursesinsedimentology,
stratigraphy,andEarthsurfaceprocessesattheirinstitution
andthisbookistheculminationofyearsofexperiencein
trainingstudentsinthesefields.
Earth Surface
Processes,
Landforms
and Sediment
Deposits
John Bridge
and
Robert Demicco
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521857802
©J. Bridge and R. Demicco 2008
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the
provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part
may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2008
ISBN-13 978-0-511-45522-3 eBook (EBL)
ISBN-13 978-0-521-85780-2 hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy
of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain,
accurate or appropriate.
Contents
Acknowledgments pagevii
Figurecredits viii
PART 1 Introduction 1
1 Definitions,rationale,andscopeofthebook 3
2 OverviewoftheEarth 9
PART 2 Production of sediment at the Earth’s surface 43
3 Weatheringofrocks,productionofterrigenoussediment,andsoils 45
4 Biogenicandchemogenicsedimentproduction 85
PART 3 Fundamentals of fluid flow, sediment transport,
erosion, and deposition 119
5 Unidirectionalturbulentwaterflow,sedimenttransport,erosion,anddeposition 121
6 Airflow,sedimenttransport,erosion,anddeposition 195
7 Multidirectionalwaterflow,sedimenttransport,erosion,anddeposition 213
8 Movementofsedimentbygravity 255
9 Generationandmovementofvolcaniclasticsediment 278
10 Iceflow,sedimenttransport,erosion,anddeposition 292
11 Biogenicandchemogenicdepositionalstructures 311
12 Post-depositionaldeformationofsoftsediment 352
PART 4 Environments of erosion and deposition 363
13 Rivers,alluvialplains,andfans 365
14 Lakes 462
15 Coastsandshallowseas 473
16 Aridenvironments 563
17 Glacialandperiglacialenvironments 595
18 Deepseasandoceans 630
PART 5 Sediment into rock: diagenesis 671
19 Diagenesis 673
v
vi Contents
PART 6 Long-term, large-scale processes: mountains
and sedimentary basins 701
20 Tectonic,climatic,andeustaticcontrolsonlong-term,large-scaleerosion
anddeposition 703
References 742
Index 795
Theplatesectionfallsbetweenpages24and25
Acknowledgments
Thisbookisbasedontheinsightswehavegainedfrom wanttoextendoursincerethankstothesereviewersfor
our teachers and from many years of our own study, their time and effort: Gail Ashley, Jeff Barker, Dave
research, teaching, and discussions with many col- Evans,LawrenceHardie, Nick Harris,Steve Hasiotis,
leagues and our students. We thank all of them. Gary Kocurek, Paul Komar, Lee Kump, Nick
J.S.B. acknowledges in particular the important Lancaster,MikeLeeder,Don Lowe, TimLowenstein,
influence of his teachers, Percy Allen and John Allen Henry Posamentier, J. Fred Read, Greg Retallack,
at Reading University, and Ken Walton at St BruceSimonson,RudySlingerland,DorrickStow,and
Andrews University. Long-term academic and per- Robert(Bo)Tye.WeespeciallythankJimBestforhis
sonal interactions with Mike Leeder, Jim Best, and reviewoftheentirebook.Wealsowanttoabsolvethese
Rudy Slingerland have been a source of inspiration. reviewers of any responsibility for deficiencies in this
Heather hasbeen a wonderful source of comfort and book.Someofthereviewersalsoprovideduswithpho-
encouragement.R.V.D.acknowledgestheearlyinflu- tos, and additional photos were provided by Chris
ences of Greg Horne and Peter Patton at Wesleyan Ammon,PeterAshmore,JacoBaas,HenkBerendsen,
University,andWilliamDupre,nowattheUniversity Jan Boelhouwers, Rob Brander, Ann Dittmer, Guy
of Houston. R.V.D.’s long-term academic and per- Gelfenbaum, Bob Ginsburg, John Grotzinger, Lawrie
sonal interactions with Lawrence Hardie at Johns Hardie,MitchHarris,PaulHoffman,DaveHyndman,
Hopkins University and his cohort of students there, Richard Kesel, Peter Knuepfer, Suzanne Leclair, Tim
including Ron Spencer, Tim Lowenstein, and Lowenstein, Joe Mason, Ray Mitchell, Art Palmer,
RaymondMitchell,havebeenparticularlyimportant. Arjan Reesink, Kenji Satake, Bruce Simonson, Joe
Karenhasbeenanunendingsourceofencouragement Smoot, Norman Smith, Elizabeth Turner, Janrik Van
andinspiration. Den Berg, Goncalo Vieira, and Brent Waters. Anne
Wehavebeenveryprivilegedtohavevariouschap- Hull and Dave Tuttle are thanked for their assistance
ters in this book reviewed by experts in the field, and inpreparingsomeofthediagrams.
vii
Figure credits
Thepublishersandindividualslistedbelowaregratefullyacknowledgedforgivingtheirpermissiontousefigures
andillustrationsinjournalsandbooksforwhichtheyownthecopyright.Inmostcases,thefigureshavebeen
redrawn. The original source (author and copyright date) is cited in the figure captions and details of the
publicationcanbefoundinthereferences.Everyefforthasbeenmadetoobtainpermissiontousecopyrighted
materials,andsincereapologiesarerenderedforanyerrorsoromissions.Theauthorswouldwelcomethesebeing
broughttotheirattention.
Copyrightowner Figurenumber
Allen,J.R.L. 5.9A,5.22,7.8A,7.8B,7.18A,7.25A,7.25B,7.25C,7.28,
8.12A,8.12B,8.15A,12.4,15.18B,15.26D,15.34
AmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementof
Science
Science 2.28,7.35,9.13,11.28D
AmericanAssociationofPetroleumGeologists
AAPGBulletin 13.3A,13.46E,13.51,15.59D,A27
AAPGComputerApplicationsinGeology3 13.47A,13.74
AAPGMemoir33 15.59A,15.59B,15.60A,15.60B
AAPGMemoir77 4.10A,4.10B,4.10C,4.10F,4.10G,4.10H,4.10I,4.10J,
4.10K,4.10L,4.13C,4.13D,4.23A,19.4D,19.9B,19.9C,
19.9D,19.9E,19.10D,19.14D,19.14H
AmericanGeologicalAssociation
ImageBank 1.1F
AmericanGeophysicalUnion
GeophysicalMonograph 4.19A,4.19B,4.20
JournalofGeophysicalResearch 4.7A,4.7B,5.26B,15.3B,15.5B
ReviewsofGeophysics 19.3A,19.3B,19.3C
WaterResourcesResearch 5.31B,13.5B,13.25
AmericanJournalofScience 19.13,Table4.3
AmericanSocietyofCivilEngineers
JournalofHydraulicEngineering 5.25
AnnualReviewofEarthandPlanetarySciences 6.10A,Table2.7
AquaPublications 5.17A,5.17B
Berner,E.K.andBerner,R.A 3.9A,3.9B,3.9C,3.9D,Table3.3
BlackwellPublishing
AnIntroductiontoMarineEcology 15.50A,15.51
CarbonateSedimentology 15.1A,15.1B,15.1C,18.11A,18.11B,18.11C
EarthSurfaceProcesses 7.12A,12.13A,18.14,20.22
FossilInvertebrates 4.9,7.12B,11.8
GlacialScienceandEnvironmentalChange 17.9A,17.9B viii
