GEO2120 – Sedimentology
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
You will learn about how sediments are formed, transported, deposited and altered. The course covers the most important factors that affect sedimentary processes, with emphasis on characteristic properties of different types of sediment and sedimentary rock. Depositional environments of sediments on land and in water are examined: in lakes, rivers and marine areas. Exercises related to the lectures, collected field data, logs and photographic material provide practical experience in describing and interpreting sediments, sedimentary rocks and stratigraphic sequences.
Learning outcome
When you have taken this course, you can
- describe how sediments and sedimentary rocks are formed through transport and deposition, with a basic insight into diagenesis and petroleum geology
- identify the main types of sedimentary rocks, textures, ichnofacies and sedimentary structures, and are able to reflect on the implications of their formation
- describe the most important characteristics of continental and marine sedimentary environments
- understand stratigraphic principles such as lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy
- apply field-based techniques such as sedimentary logging and interpretation, the correlation between logs, and basic facies analysis
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
Special admission requirements
In addition to fulfilling the Higher Education Entrance Qualification, applicants have to meet the following special admission requirements:
- Mathematics R1 (or Mathematics S1 and S2)
And in addition one of these:
- Mathematics R2
- Physics (1+2)
- Chemistry (1+2)
- Biology (1+2)
- Information technology (1+2)
- Geosciences (1+2)
- Technology and theories of research (1+2)
Mathematics R2 was a requirement up until and including the study year 2021/2022, as part of a trial arrangement. From and including the study year 2022/2023, Mathematics R2 is no longer a requirement.
The special admission requirements may also be covered by equivalent studies from Norwegian upper secondary school or by other equivalent studies (in Norwegian).
Formal prerequisite knowledge
The course includes a compulsory field course. A health and safety course for safety in the field must be passed before you can go on the field course:
Recommended previous knowledge
Overlapping courses
- 5 credits overlap with GEL2120 – Sedimentology, paleontology and stratigraphy (discontinued).
Teaching
There are up to 8 hours of lectures/exercises per week. A report based on the exercises shall be written, which counts towards the final grade. A group project will be carried out, which will be presented to the other students and counts towards the final grade.??
There is a compulsory 3-5-day field course, after which a field report must be written that must be approved in order to sit the final examination.
Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet are considered to have withdrawn from the course unless they have previously given notice to the Student administration (studieinfo@geo.uio.no).
We reserve the right to change the teaching?form and examination of the course in semesters where 5 or fewer students have been admitted.
General information about excursions at the Department?of Geosciences
As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or fieldwork, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance coverage as a student.
Cost of taking the course
Participation in the excursion is mandatory. The excursion has a fee of NOK 150 per day.
Examination
- The field report must be approved before you can sit the final written exam.
- The report based on the exercises counts 30% towards the final grade.?
- An oral presentation based on group work?counts 20% towards the final grade.?
- The final written examination counts 50% towards the final grade.
Mandatory assignments are valid for 5 semesters starting from the semester they were approved the first time.
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you?withdraw from the exam?after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Examination support material
Language of examination
The examination text is given in Norwegian.
You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.
Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.