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About Me

My name is Michael Rygel. I earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in 2000, a Ph.D. in Earth Science from Dalhousie University in 2005, was a post-doc at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2005-2006), and am presently an Associate Professor in the Geology Department at the State University of New York, College at Potsdam (2006-present).

I am a member of WikiProject Geology and am interested in improving Wikipedia geology articles, particularly those dealing with sedimentary geology and historical geology. My image contributions are listed below and my Wikipedia history can be found at my Wikipedia user page. My long-term goal is to add all of my teaching images to the Wikimedia Commons.

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Weathering and Erosion

Acid mine drainage in Nova Scotia
Acid mine drainage in Pennsylvania

Describing Sedimentary rocks

Packing of spherical particles
Diagram showing percent abundance of grains.
Diagram showing changes in sorting and porosity.

Sedimentary Structures

Stratification and Bedding

Internally massive conglomerate
reverse grading
Graded bed

Structures Formed by Unidirectional Flows

Imbricated clasts
Laminated sandstone

Ripples and Ripple Cross-Laminae

Modern asymmetric ripples
Modern asymmetric ripples
Slightly asymmetric ripples
Ancient asymmetric ripples
Ripple cross-laminae
Ripple cross-laminae
Bedding plane exposure of ripple cross-laminated sandstone
Oblique cross-sectional view of ripple cross-laminated sandstone

Dunes and Cross-Beds

Modern sinuous-crested dunes
Bedding plane view of trough cross-bedding
Grainflow deposits
Grainflow deposits
Eolian dunes
Eolian dunes
Eolian dune
Eolian dune
Grainflow deposits
Grainflow deposits
Cross-sectional view (perpendicular to paleoflow) of trough cross-bedding
Trough cross-beds in limestone
Cross-beds in limestone
Trough cross beds
Cross-beds
Fluvial cross-beds
Cross beds
Trough cross-beds
Bedding plane view of trough cross-beds
Tabular cross-bedding
Tabular cross-bedding
cross-bedding
Potsdam Sandstone
Cross-beds in pebbly sandstone

Upper Plane Beds and Horizontally Laminated Sandstone

Modern current lineation
Ancient current lineation
Ancient current lineation
Laminated sandstone
Laminated sandstone
Bedding plane view of primary current lineation

Antidunes and Upper Flow Regime

Undulatory bedding associated with the transition to upper flow regime

Structures Formed by Bidirectional, Oscillatory, or Fluctuating Flows

Wave ripples and bivalve traces
Modern symmetric ripples
Modern symmetric ripples
Ancient symmetric ripples
Bedding plane view of wave ripples
Ancient wave ripples
Fossil wave ripples
Oblique view of wave rippled sandstone
Bidirectional cross-beds
Mud-draped astmmetric ripples
Hummocky cross-stratification
Hummocky cross-stratified sandstone
Isolated sandy swale
Isolated sandy swale
Hummocky cross-stratification
Muddy laminae on cross beds
Wavy Bedding
Heterolithic bedding
Heterolithic bedding
Heterolithic bedding
Heterolithic bedding
Heterolithic bedding
Heterolithic bedding
Cross-sectional view of heterolithic bedding
Flow aligned Tentaculites fossils

Erosional Structures

Scour around a tree
Scour behind a post
Centroclinal cross-strata
Channel body and floodplain deposits
Modern scratch circle
Fossil scratch circle
Ancient current crescents developed around pebbles
Flute casts
Flute casts
Flute cases on the base of a bed of sandstone
Flute casts on the base of a bed of sandstone
Obstacle scours around pebbles
Tool marks on the base of a bed of sandstone
Tool marks and groove casts
Pennsylvanian paleovalley in the Waddens Cove Formation (Pennsylvanian)
Gravel- and sand-filled scour
Shallow scour

Secondary or Soft-Sediment Deformation Structures

Soft-sediment deformation
Ball-and-pillow structures (caused by soft-sediment deformation)
Load casts on the base of a bed of sandstone
Ball and pillow structures
Syndepositional faulting
Synsedimentary faulting
soft-sediment deformation
Vent of a mud volcano
Detailed view of the vent of an active mud volcano
Flowing mud on the flank of a mud volcano vent
Caliche nodules
Silcrete (siliceous paleosol)
Tepee structure
Modern mudcracks
Modern mudcracks
Ancient mudcracks
Ancient mudcrack
Ancient mudcracks
Mudcracks in the Belt Supergroup
Mudcracks
Bedding plane view of mud cracks
Reduced zones associated with mudcracks
Cross-sectional view of mudcracks
Modern raindrop impressions
Ancient raindrop impressions
Bedding plane view of raindrop impressions on the base of a bed of sandstone
Raindrop imprints and trace fossils
Sediment shadow
Syneresis cracks
Green mottles around organic material
Armored mudballs
Armored mudballs

Siliciclastic sedimentary rocks

Clastic rocks and components in thin section

Framework Grains

Polycrystalline quartz granule
Monocrystalline quartz sand grains
Quartz grain with undulatory extinction
Photomicrograph of potassium feldspar stained yellow
Photomicrograph of large feldspar grains
Photomicrograph of plagioclase feldspar stained red
Lithic grain (igneous)
Lithic grain (metamorphic)
Lithic grains (sedimentary)
Glauconite and quartz grains
Carbonate clasts
Ooids replaced by hematite
Transported siderite grain
Biotite grain in sandstone
Muscovite in thin section

Matrix

Clayey matrix in a quartz/lithic sandstone
Sand grains and clayey matrix in a sandstone
Sand grains and clayey matrix in a sandstone
Feldspathic wacke
Feldspathic wacke

Cement and pore space

Silica cement in optical continuity with quartz grains
Pore space (blue)
calcite and silica cement
Calcite cement

Conglomerates, Breccias, and Diamictites

Breccia
Breccia
Breccia
Clast-supported, polymictic conglomerate
Polymictic extraformational conglomerate
Polymictic extraformational conglomerate
Sandy, polymictic conglomerate
Sandy, polymictic conglomerate
Polymictic conglomerate
Matrix-supported, polymictic conglomerate
Rip-up clasts in an intraformational breccia
Peat rip-up clasts
Peat rip-up clasts
Carbonate rip-up clasts
Copper mineralization in rip-up clasts
Snowball Earth diamictite
Diamictite
Till in a lateral moraine
Cobble-sized beach gravel in New South Wales

Sandstones

Sandstone classification diagram
Quartz arenite
Quartz arenite
Quartz arenite
Feldspathic arenite
Lithic arenite
Lithic arenite
Lithic wacke
Feldspathic wacke
Quartz arenite
Lithic arenite
Feldspathic arenite
lithic wacke
Quartz wacke
feldspathic wacke

Mudrocks

Red mudrock
Red-green mudrock
Red, green and gray mudrocks
Red mudrocks
Paleosol
Coal atop lacustrine mudrocks
Platy red mudrocks atop paleosol
Redbeds and paleosol
Paleosol complex in red and green mudrocks
Redbeds and poorly-developed paleosol
Interbedded mudrocks and sandstones
Redbed paleosol complex
Dark gray to black mudrocks and thin sheet sandstones
Dark gray to black mudrocks and coals
Green mudrocks and coal

Carbonate sedimentary rocks

Mg/Ca ratio versus salinity with overlay of water chemistry and calcite-dolomite stability

Components

Carbonate and Associated Grains in Thin Section

glauconite and calcite
calcite, dolomite, and glauconite
quartz, calcite, and dolomite
calcite, dolomite, and glauconite
glauconite, calcite, and dolomite
Quartz grains in limestone
quartz grains in coquina
siderite

Fossils

fossil fragments

Coated Grains

Ooids

Oolitic limestone (oosparite)
Oolitic limestone (oosparite)
Oolitic limestone (oosparite)
Oolitic limestone (oosparite)
Oolitic limestone (oomicrite)
ooids (20x)
ooids (50x)
ooids in sedimentary hematite
ooids in sedimentary hematite
ooids in sedimentary hematite
ooids (20x)
ooids (50x)
ooids (50x)
Ooids in the Silurian Mifflintown Formation, PA
ooids (20x)
ooids (20x; 1 of 3)
ooids (50x; 2 of 3)
ooids (100x; 3 of 3)
ooids (100x)
130820-11c, Mifflintown PPL ooids3 100x
ooids (20x)
ooids (20x)
ooids (20x)
ooids (20x)
ooid (50x)
ooid (20x)
ooid (20x)
ooid (20x)
Dolomitized ooids
Dolomitized ooids from the Permian Tansill Formation

Oncoids

oncoid (20x)
oncoid (20x)
oncoid (20x)
oncoid (20x)
oncoid (20x)
Oncolites

Pisoids

Pisolite grainstone
Pisoid grainstone
Pisoid in thin section
Pisoid in thin section
Pisoid grainstone
Pisoid in thin section, Permian Tansill Formation
Pisoid packstone with geopetal structures
Quartz-rich pisoid packstone, Permian Tansill Formation
Quartz-rich pisoid packstone with stylolite from the Permian Tansill Formation
Quartz rich pisoid packstone with stylolite
Pisoid grainstone
Pisoid grainstone

Peloids and Pellets

Peloids
Peloids
Peloids and fenestrae
peloidal grainstone
ooids and peloids (20x; 1 of 3; Union Furnace)
ooids and peloids (50x; 2 of 3; Union Furnace)
ooids and peloids (100x; 3 of 3; Union Furnace)
peloids and fenestrae (20x; 1 of 3)
peloids and fenestrae (50x; 2 of 3)
peloids and fenestrae (100x; 3 of 3)
Peloids (50x)
Peloids and brachiopod (20x; 1 of 3; Milligan Canyon)
Peloids and brachiopod (50x; 2 of 3; Milligan Canyon)
Peloids and brachiopod (50x; 3 of 3; Milligan Canyon)
Peloids (20x; 1 of 2; Sacagawea Peak)
Peloids (20x; 2 of 2; Sacagawea Peak)
Peloids (20x; 1 of 2; Sacagawea Peak)
Peloids (20x; 2 of 2; Sacagawea Peak)
1208208 pelsparite 20x PPL
Possible pelmicrite

Lithoclasts

Subaqueous debris flow
Limestone with intraclasts
intraclasts
intraclasts
intraclasts
intraclasts
intraclasts

Micrite

Lime mudstone
Lime mudstone
Lime mudstone
Lime mudstone
Lime mudstone
Lime mudstone
Lime mudstone
Lime mudstone
Lime mudstone
Fine-grained limestone (micrite)
Fine-grained, partially recrystallized limestone (dismicrite)

Spar

Coarse-grained calcite cement (spar)

Carbonate Textures

Recrystallized Carbonates

recrystallized carbonate
recrystallized carbonate
recrystallized carbonate
Recrystallized dolomite

Fenestrae

Fenestrae
fenestrae
Fenestral dolomudstone
Fenestral dolomudstone

Classification

Paired Samples and Thin Sections

Slab of skeletal packstone (030607-7)
Photomicrograph of skeletal packstone (030607-7)
Slab of skeletal grainstone (050201-7)
Photomicrograph of skeletal grainstone (050201-7)
foram grainstone (220406-10)
Photomicrograph of foram grainstone (220406-10)
Partially dolomitized skeletal wackestone (BMR 23.2 m)
Photomicrograph of partially dolomitized skeletal wackestone (BMR 23.2 m)
Partially dolomitized skeletal wackestone (BMR 29.5 m)
Photomicrography of partially dolomitized skeletal wackestone (BMR 29.5 m)
Slab of dismicrite (BMR 47.2 n)
Photomicrograph of dismicrite (BMR 47.2 n)
slab of skeletal packstone
Photomicrograph of skeletal packstone
slab of recrystallized fossiliferous limestone (MC Mml 120-4)
Photomicrograph of partially recrystallized fossiliferous limestone (MC Mml 120-4)
slab of lime mudstone (SAC Mml 14)
Photomicrograph of lime mudstone (SAC Mml 14)
slab of skeletal wackestone (SAP Mml 175m)
Photomicrograph of wackestone (SAP Mml 175m)
dismicrite slab
Photomicrograph of dismicrite
stromatoporoid boundstone
Photomicrograph of stromatoporoid boundstone
Slab of skeletal grainstone
Photomicrograph of crinoid in skeletal grainstone
Slab of coquina
Photomicrograph of coquina

Components and Classification Schemes

Peloids and bioclasts

Chemical, Biochemical, and other Sedimentary Rocks

Organic-Rich Rocks

Approximate relationship between hydrocarbon generation, burial depth and temperature
Oil sands
Oil sands
Tongarra Coal with volcanic ash layers
Foord Seam (bituminous coal)
Point Aconi Seam (bituminous coal)
Coal atop lacustrine mudrocks
Dark gray to black mudrocks and coals
Coal

Evaporites

Coal Mine Point salt diapir
Finlay Point salt diapir
Gypsum and anhydrite capping a salt diapir
Gypsum and anhydrite
Interbedded calcite (dark) and gypsum (light)
Hand sample of gypsum and anhydrite showing nodule "chickenwire" texture

Diagenesis

Diagenetic Structures

thumb
Cone-in-cone structures in limestone
Stylolites in limestone
Boulder with liesegang rings
Detail of boulder with liesegang rings

Fossils

Trace fossils

Tetrapod trackways
Asteriacites
Diplichnites
Diplocraterion
Diplocraterion
Koupichnium
Koupichnium
Lingulichnus
Planoites
Protichnites
Rhizocorallium
Rosselia
Rosselia
Rosselia
Rosselia
Rusophycus
Rusophycus
Shipworm and Teredolites.
Zoophycos
Zoophycos
Zoophycos
Zoophycos
Modern gastropod locomotion traces
Angelwing and associated burrows
Angelwings and associated burrows
Gastropod grazing trace
Tetrapod footprint
Coiled fecal pile
Trace fossil
Bioturbation in a limestone
Bioturbated mudrock and sandstone
Bioturbated mudrock and sandstone
Bioturbated mudrock and sandstone
Bioturbated mudrock and sandstone
Trace fossils
Trace fossil
Skolithos
Sand-filled trace fossils in black shale
Circular holes created by bivalves (piddocks) in peat

Body Fossils

Plant and Cyanobacteria Fossils

Fossil stigmaria
Stromatolites
In situ lycopsid
lycopsid
Stigmaria
Stigmaria
Lycopsid and branched Stigmaria
lycopsid
Carbonized root
Calamite casts
Fossil megaspores
Fossil cordaite leaves and calamites
Roots in Devonian redbed mudrocks
Sandstone slab with a hole showing the former location of a sandstone-cast lycopsid

Animal Fossils

Fossiliferous limestone
Fossiliferous limestone
Syringiapora (tabulate coral)
A Megasecopteron, Brodia jogginsensis sp. from the Pennsylvanian Joggins Formation

Fossils in Thin Section

Algae and Miscellanea

Stromatoporoid
Stromatoporoid
Thin section showing a Devonian stromatoporoid
Photo of a dolomitized algal fragment
Stromatolite in thin section
Photograph of calcispheres in a lime mudstone
Fossiliferous limestone (biomicrite)
Fossil fragments in thin section.
Calcispheres and ostracods
ostracod and calcispheres
Mizzia and calcite cement in thin section
Mizzia and a small gastropod from the Permian Tansill Formation
Mizzia from the Permian Tansill Formation
Small portion of a stromatolite in thin section
Tubiphytes encrusted by Archaeolithoporella
Detail of laminae in a stromatolite
Conodont(?) in thin section

Arthropods

Barnacle
Ostracod
Calcispheres and ostracods
ostracod and calcispheres
Ostracods
Bivalve and trilobite
Bryozoan and trilobite
trilobite
trilobite
Trilobite
Trilobite

Bivalves

bivalve
Bivalve and ostracods
Bivalve
Bivalve
Bivalve
Bivalve fragments
Bivalve fragments
Bivalve fragments
Bivalve and trilobite

Brachiopods

Brachiopod
Brachiopod and trilobite
Brachiopod

Bryozoans

Bryozoan
Bryozoan
Bryozoan
Bryozoan
Bryozoans
Bryozoans
Bryozoan
Bryozoan
Bryozoan in a lime mudstone
Bryozoan fragments
Bryozoan fragments
Bryozoan
Bryozoan and trilobite

Corals

Rugose coral
tabulate coral
tabulate coral
tabulate coral
tabulate coral
tabulate coral

Crinoids

Crinoid column
Crinoid column
Crinoid column
Crinoid column
Crinoid column and intraclast
Crinoid
Crinoid plates

Foraminifera

Fossiliferous limestone (biosparite)
Foramanifera and bryozoan fragments
Foraminifera
Foraminifera
Foraminifera

Gastropods

Gastropod
Gastropod
Gastropod
Gastropod
Gastropod
Gastropod
Gastropod
Gastropod

Sponges

Sponge spicules
Sponge spicules

Depositional Environments

Alluvial Fans

Rockfall near Zermatt, Switzerland
Large clasts within eolian sandstone

Rivers and Floodplains

Channel body connectedness, avulsion and aggradation rates
Lateral accretion deposits in the Catskill Formation (Devonian)
Channel body in the Stellarton Formation (Pennsylvanian)
Channel body and floodplain deposits
Floodplain mudrocks and sandstones
Coal atop paleosol
Paleosol
Redbed paleosol complex
Channel body, sheet sandstones, and redbeds
Channel body, sheet sandstones, and redbeds
Paleosol
Margin of a paleovalley

Deserts

Desert pavement

Glacial Environments

Glacial striations
Glacial striations
Glacial till
Bullet-shaped clast
Dropstone
Dropstone
Dropstone in core through black shale
Glacial erratic
Dropstones and varves
Dropstones and varves
Dropstones and varves
Dropstones and varves
Varves
Varved clay
Moraines in the Gorner Glacier
Till in a lateral moraine
Till in a lateral moraine
Loess
Glendonites: pseudomorphs of ikaite
Glendonite: pseudomorph of ikaite

Carbonate Marine Environments

Shallowing upward parasequence in shallow marine carbonates
Deep water limestones]

Miscellanea

Geologic Formations

Yagon Silstone (Pennsylvanian) atop Booti Booti Sandstone
Redbeds within the Juniata Formation (Ordovician) near Potters Mills, Pennsylvania.
Lower ~600 m of the Joggins Formation (Pennsylvanian), Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site
North Mountain Basalt atop Blomidon Formation