Stratigrafi Analisis (8)

STRATIGRAPHIC CONTACTS

Hadi Nugroho Geological Department Diponegoro University 2010

Stratigraphic Contacts
Different lithologic units are separated from each other by contacts, which are plane or irregular surfaces between different types of rocks. Vertically superposed strata are said to be either conformable or unconformable. Conformable strata are characterized by unbroken depositional sequences, generally deposited in parallel order, under the same general conditions.

Conformity
The surface that separates conformable strata; a surface that separates younger strata from older rocks strata, but along which there is no physical evidence of nondeposition. A conformable contact indicates that no significant break, or hiatus, in deposition has occured. A hiatus is defined as the total interval of geologic time represented by missing strata at a specific position along a stratigraphic surface.

Unconformity
Is a surface of erosion or nondeposition, separating younger strata from older rocks strata, that represent a significant hiatus. Unconformable strata are strata, in vertical sequence, that do not succeed underlaying rocks in immediate order of age or do not fit together with them as part of a continuous whole. The contact between such strata are called unconformity.

Unconformity
Indicate a lack of continuity in deposition and correspond to periods of non deposition, weathering, or erosion, either subaerial or subaqueous, prior to deposition of younger beds. Represent a substantial break in the geologic record that may correspond to periods of erosion or nondeposition lasting millions or even hundered of millions of years.

(A). Contact between Conformable Strata (1) Abrupt Contact

Occur as a result of sudden, distinct changes in lithology. Most abrupt contacts coincide with primary depositional bedding planes that formed as a result of changes in local depositional conditions. In general, bedding planes represent minor interruption in depositional conditions.

 Abrupt contacts may be caused also by post depositional chemical alteration of beds, producing changes in color owing to oxidation or reduction of iron-bearing minerals, changes in grain size owing to recrystallization or dolomitization, or changes in resistance to weathering owing to cementation by silica or carbonate minerals.

(2) Gradational Contact

If the change from one lithology to another is gradual, reflecting gradual change in depositional conditions with time. Gradational contacts may be of either the progressive gradual type or the intercalated type.

(3) Progressive Gradual Contact

Occur where one lithology grades into another by progressive, more or less uniform changes in grain size, mineral composition, or other characteristic. Example: an sandstone units that become progressively finer grained upward until they change to mudstone.

(4) Intercalated Contacts

Gradational contacts that occur owing to an increasing number of interbeds of another lithology that appear upward.

Types of Gradational Vertical Contacts

A. Progressive Gradual Contact.

B. Intercalated Contact.
Source: Boggs (1987)

(B) Contact between Unconformable Strata (1) Angular Unconformity

Is a type of unconformity in which younger sediments rest upon the eroded surface of tilted or folded older rocks. That is the older rocks dip at a different, commonly steeper angle than do the younger rocks.

Angular Unconformity

(2) Disconformity
The bedding planes above and below the unconformables surface are essentially parallel and the contact between younger and older beds is marked by visible, irregular, or uneven erosional surface. Disconformity surfaces may be marked by fossil soil zones or may include lag-gravel deposits lying immediately above the unconformable surface and containing pebbles of the same lithology as the underlying unit.

 Disconformities are presumed to form as a result of a significant period of erosion during which older rocks remained essentially horizontal during nearly vertical uplift and subsequent downwarping.

Disconformity

(3) Paraconformity
Is an obscure unconformity in which the beds above and below the unconformity contact are parallel and in which no erosional surcafe or other physical evidence of unconformity is discernable. The zone of contact may even appear to be a simple bedding plane.

 Paraconformities are not easily recognized and must be identified on the basis of missing strata as determined from paleontologic evidence, such as absence of faunal zones or abrupt faunal changes.

Paraconformity

(4) Nonconformity
An unconformity developed between sedimentary rock and older igneous or massive metamorphic rock that has been exposed to erosion prior to being covered by new sediments.

Nonconformity

 Many stratigraphic sequences are bounded by unconformities, indicating that these sequences are incomplete records of past sedimentation process. Showed that some part of the stratigraphic record is missing. Indicated that an important geologic event took place during the time period an episode of uplift and erosion, or an extended period of nondeposition.

Unconformities (a) Time

An unconformity developed during a period of time in which no sediment is deposited. This concept equates deposition and time, and an unconformity represent unrecorded time.

(b) Deposition
Any interruption of deposition process, or nondeposition whether large or small in extent, is an unconformity.

(c) Structure
Structurally, an unconformity may be regarded as planar structures separating older beds below from younger beds above, representing the break as defined in (a) and (b).

Plane of Unconformity
A plane of unconformity may be a surface of weathering, erosion or denudation, or a surface of nondeposition, or possibly some combination of these factors.

Contact between Laterally Adjacent Lithosome Wheeler and Mallory (1956) introduced the term lithosome to refer to masses of rock essentially uniform character and having intertonguing relationships with adjacent masses of different lithology.

(1) Pinchout
Lateral changes may be accompanied by progressive thinning of units to extinction.

(2) Intertonguing
lateral splitting of a lithologic unit into many thin units that pinch out independently.

(3) Lateral Gradation

similar to progressive vertical gradation, if the change from one lithology to another is gradual.

Lateral Relationship of Sedimentary Units

(A) Pinchout

(B) Intertonguing

(C) Lateral Gradation

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