What is lithology? What are its features? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. Lithology is the most important section of petrography, studying the structure, composition, change and origin of sedimentary rocks. Lithology studies the conditions and patterns of formation of geognosic sediments, the processes of lithification and consolidation.
Tasks
Lithology is an unusual science. Her tasks are as follows:
- the search for deposits of natural wealth associated with sedimentary rocks;
- identification of patterns and distribution patterns of sedimentary rocks.
Term
Many people wonder about lithology - what is it? L.V. Pustovalov showed in 1940 that the word “lithology” is appropriate to apply to sedimentary rocks, and “petrology” to metamorphic and igneous.
D.S. In 1944, Belyankin defined lithology as a branch of petrology (or petrography) studying ancient and modern mineral sediments. A. V.P. In 2006, Makarov defined this science as the doctrine of the composition, connections, and relationships between geognosic bodies and the rocks that produce them, which appeared during processes occurring in the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
The application of the term “lithology” to the study of stones in architecture, engineering and technology has not taken root.
Sections
Lithology has the following sections:
- Facial analysis - the relationships, composition and relationships between rocks.
- Petrography of sedimentary rocks - study of the structure of sedimentary rocks.
- Formational analysis - the composition, relationships and relationships between rocks of mountain and geognosic bodies created by these rocks.
Lithology, together with geotectonics, regional geology and other geological sciences, has made a significant contribution to the development of a new geological direction, such as sedimentary basins.
History
Of course, lithology is a very complex science. She, as one of the types of geology, interned in the late XIX - early XX centuries. as a result of paleogeographic and stratigraphic studies, accompanied by tracking the material structure of sedimentary rocks and the natural wealth associated with them.
The materials obtained by the oceanographic English expedition on the Challenger ship (Belgian A. Renard, American professor J. Murray, 1891), as well as the research of the German geologist I. Walter (1893-94), were more important for lithology isolation. devoted to the problems of sedimentary rock formation.
With the help of the works of Russians (Y. V. Samoilov, P. A. Zemyatchensky, A. P. Karpinsky, V. N. Chirvinsky, A. P. Pavlov and others) and foreign (French scientist L. Cayet, English - G. Sorbi, German - G. Potonier, American - V. Vaughan, J. Barrell and other) scientists, the doctrine we are considering in the 1910s turned into an independent science.
The Soviet (D.V. Nalivkin, A.N. Zavaritsky, M.S. Shvetsov, L.V. Pustovalov, V.P. Baturin, L.B. Rukhin, N.M. Strakhov made a great contribution to its further development , A. D. Arkhangelsky and others) and foreign (Americans - W. Crumbain, W. Twenhovel, F. Pettijon and others) scientists.
This science began to develop especially intensively in the USSR after the first lithological conference (1952), at which its achievements over the entire past period were discussed. Specialists also outlined a program for further research.
Form of manifestation
Few people know that lithology is a very important discipline. The development of this science implies the existence of special lithological rules (LP), higher than the specifications of the forms of summation of tracking. But drugs are a fragment, a form of manifestation of geognosic laws (GZ).
GZ - private laws based on ideas about canons in the theory of knowledge. The essence of the GZ was previously considered by I.F. Zubkov from the standpoint of the laws and categories of dialectics.
It is known that the GB problem in the latest chronicle of the evolution of geology has not found its solution, although GBs are the main stones of the general structure of geological objective knowledge. So, geology and lithology are interconnected.
Laws of Lithology
The following canons of lithology exist:
- Rule of Stenon. The layers are arranged horizontally, in addition, the older ones are under the younger ones.
- Canon of mechanogenic precipitation and unity of flows. The close relationship between air (water) flows and mechanogenic coagulates is one of the key lithological laws.
- Canon of Walter-Golovkinsky (law of facies correlation). This facies canon reflects the age-related sliding of some petrographic horizons — types of facies (precipitation) and their boundaries (a phenomenon caused by the movement of the coastal contour). Sedimentary deposits are deposited in the section of sedimentary layers that form on the surface of the lithosphere or at the bottom of the sedimentation tank. Therefore, with regression or transgression, horizontal rocks of facies (sediments) turn into vertical. As a result, sediments in the same facies at the land-sea course are not strictly age-related. This canon was established by Golovkinsky (1869), expressed by Foreigners (1872), and later specified and supplemented by Walter (1894): the change of some sediments by others in the stratification basin, in sections and on the surface of the lithosphere can be made not only sequentially but also unexpectedly. There is a prolapse of one or several intermediate facies located in the vicinity of the considered one due to various reasons: climatic, orohydrographic, tectonic, and others.
- Canon of Strakhov. N. M. Strakhov was able to establish a causal relationship between the sediments that emerged from the water flows and the climate features of the region. This rule is a private expression of the canon of Pustovalov, if we analyze climatic conditions as a particular manifestation of chemical and physical conditions.
- The principle of sedimentary delimitation of Pustovalov. In the process of transfer of sedimentary matter under the influence of chemical and mechanical-physical conditions, its differentiation occurs.
- Rule of evolution of sedimentation. The processes of evolution of sediment accumulation are irreversibly performed.
- The position of the periodicity of sedimentation. It is considered the basic rule of precipitation. For the first time, L. V. Pustovalov (1940) tried to justify it. It states that the highest demonstration of periodicity is the alternation of different formations of sedimentary rocks during the complete one geotectonic cycle.
- Canon of Bilibin. All fragments of minerals and rocks that end up in active water streams are rolled as they are transported and acquire a well-rounded, equilibrium shape. The rounded surface is ideally described by the equations of the ball and ellipsoids and has the smallest roughness.
- Hucker's rule. Reflects the laws on the interaction of organisms with their habitat, developed in detail by R. F. Haecker (1933–1957).
Direct and inverse problems
In lithology, disjoint tasks stand out that geologists always ignore:
- The direct task is to identify the features of the formation of precipitation, from which later sedimentary rocks are created, in a variety of chemical and mechanical-physical conditions. A significant contribution to solving this issue was made by N. M. Strakhov.
- The inverse problem is based on the analysis of the observed qualities of sedimentary rocks and consists of restoring the conditions for their formation. A significant contribution to solving this issue was made by L. V. Pustovalov, as well as almost all geologists and lithologists studying sedimentary rocks. The methodological basis of these works is the principle of actualism (the concept was introduced in the 30s of the XIX century by C. Lyell). Having played a fateful role in the development of geognosic sciences, this method today is a brake on their development.
Problem topics
Despite the development of lithology for more than a century, today many problems of its existence are not solved in it:
- The absence of the concept of “lithology” of a strict definition.
- The absence of strict formulations in sedimentary rocks, both according to the conditions of formation, and according to formal features.
- Another consequence of this inaccuracy is the attribution of many geognosic objects to the lithological sphere.
- Arbitrariness in the description of such important concepts of petrography as the texture and structure of rocks.
- The issues of sediment deposition and transport of sediments from which mechanogenic rocks are generated are not developed.
- The concept of "sedimentary rocks" is not clearly defined.
- The position of individual organogenic rocks in sedimentary rocks is vague.
Given the significant variation in the description of "sedimentary rock", the lack of hidden unity of the properties that qualify this concept, a feeling may arise that it is far-fetched, artificial. It must be regarded as archaism.
Journal
And what is the journal “Lithology and Minerals”? Its chief editor is Yu. O. Gavrilov. The magazine considers many issues related to the creation of ores and sedimentary rocks. It mainly compares ancient sedimentary ore and rock formations with modern ones, since the scientific worldview of lithologists has always been based on the ideas of actualism.
The journal occupies a large place in a comparative study of the sedimentary process in the oceans and on the continents, as well as the genetic aspects of the formation of hydrothermal-sedimentary and sedimentary natural resources. It is interesting to geochemists, lithologists, mineralogists, petrographs, metallogenists, mines, as well as general geologists, ecologists, employees of analytical and experimental laboratories, and students of relevant institutes.
The magazine explains the following topics:
- Geochemistry, mineralogy and petrography of ores and sedimentary rocks.
- Basic problems of the theory of lithology (development of the sedimentary process in the Earth's annals, types of lithogenesis, stages of the formation of ores and sedimentary rocks, their distribution in the Earth's crust).
- Current sediments of oceans, lakes, seas.
- Experimental analysis and methods for the development of sedimentary catagenesis.
The editorial staff of the journal is located at: 119017, Moscow, Pyzhevsky Lane, 7, Geological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Oil and gas lithology
And what is lithology of oil and gas? This is the study of sedimentary rocks of complexes rich in natural gas and oil, their structure, composition, which determine their fluid-resistant or reservoir properties, their genesis, which forms these features. As you can see, there are many types of lithology.
The geology of gas and oil studies the most important natural resources, spatially and genetically related to sedimentary rocks. Hence the primordial importance of lithology in gas and oil geology.
Based on the theory of the organic origin of gas and oil, it is sedimentary rocks enriched with organic substance that are oil source, and in many ways the history of the formation of these rocks and their properties determine their oil and gas reserves. Basically, they are the reservoirs of gas and oil, and their lithological qualities mean that they can accumulate hydrocarbons and give them away during development.
Lithology and stratigraphy
What do these concepts mean? They determine the parameters of the geognosic section of the area with a description of the sequence of distribution of strata (stratigraphy) and rocks composing them (lithology) of different geognosic ages.
NPP
Let's figure it out. Probably few know about the existence of NPP "Litology". This research and production enterprise is located at the following address: 614068, Perm Territory, Perm, Dzerzhinsky Street, Building 12, Building A. The head of this limited liability company is Yuri Viktorovich Arkhapchev.
The company leases railway rolling stocks, receives / sends goods by rail, is engaged in freight forwarding activities, and takes products for storage.