The Principles of Stratigraphical GeologyMarr, J. E. (John Edward)
Science
The Principles of Stratigraphical Geology
Marr, J. E. (John Edward)
Geology, Stratigraphic
False-bedding on a large scale may be a cause of error. In the Penrith
Sandstone of Cumberland, the planes of deposition are often found
dipping in one direction in a large quarry, but inspection of a wider
area shows that this is not the true dip of the beds as a whole, but
merely a local dip due to deposition on a slope, and any one
attempting to calculate the total thickness of the beds by reference
to these divisional planes might be seriously led astray. A reference
to Fig. 4 will explain this. The lines _AA´_, _BB´_ are the true
bedding-planes cut across in the section, whilst the lines sloping to
the right from _xx_ are only lines of false-bedding on a large scale.
An exaggerated estimate of the thickness of the deposit would be made
by measuring the thickness of each of these stratula from _A_ to _A´_
and adding these thicknesses together, whereas the actual thickness of
the middle bed is the distance between _A_ and _B_ or _A´_ and _B´_.
[Illustration: Fig. 4.]
When rocks have been affected by thrust-planes, the simulation of
bedding may be carried out to a very full extent. Not only do the
major thrust-planes resemble bedding-planes but the minor thrusts
produce an appearance of divisional planes separating stratula or
laminæ, and a close approximation to false-bedding is the result. To
this structure Prof. Bonney has given the name
'pseudo-stromatism[17].' It may be developed in rocks of all kinds,
whether possessing original planes of stratification or not, and as a
result of its existence the geologist may be seriously misled, not
merely by mistaking the direction of the strata, but also the nature
of the rock, for we may find it produced in an unstratified glacial
till, and in a massive igneous rock, and in each case the resulting
rock will resemble a sedimentary deposit, and of course the observer
may be confirmed in his erroneous opinion by the formation of apparent
fossils, ripple-marks or other objects which he might expect to
discover in sediments. As illustrative examples, reference may be made
to a number of schistose rocks, in which the planes of discontinuity
(which are in truth planes of foliation) have been taken for
bedding-planes and the rocks claimed as sedimentary though they are in
reality igneous; for instance many of the rocks of the Laurentian of
Canada, of the Hebridean of the North West Highlands, and some of the
ancient rocks of Anglesey.
[Footnote 17: Bonney, T. G., _Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc._, vol. XLII.
_Proc._ p. 65.]
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