Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy (BSE) reveals the minerals, textures, and fabrics of sediments and rocks in much greater detail than is possible with conventional optical microscopy. Backscattered Scanning Electron Microscopy provides a concise summary of the BSE technique. This comprehensive guide uses abundant images to illustrate the type of information BSE yields and the application of the technique to the study of sediments and sedimentary rocks. The authors review the use of this petrographic technique on all the major sedimentary rock types, including sediment grains, sandstones, shales, carbonate rocks, rock varnish, and glauconite. They also describe image analysis techniques that allow quantification of backscattered scanning electron microscope images and illustrate the potential applications of these methods. Heavily illustrated and lucidly written, this book will provide researchers and graduate students with the most current research on this important geological tool.

This textbook outlines the physical, chemical, and biologic properties of the major sedimentary rocks, as revealed by petrographic microscopy, geochemical techniques, and field study. It covers the mineralogy, chemistry, textures, and sedimentary structures that characterise sedimentary rocks, and relates these features to the depositional origin of the rocks and their subsequent alteration by diagenetic processes during burial. In addition to detailed sections on siliciclastic and carbonate rocks, it also discusses evaporites, cherts, iron-rich sedimentary rocks, phosphorites, and carbonaceous sedimentary rocks such as oil shales. This second edition maintains the comprehensive treatment of sedimentary petrography and petrology provided in the first edition, and has been updated with new concepts and cutting-edge techniques like cathodoluminescence imaging of sedimentary rocks and backscattered electron microscopy. It is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in sedimentary petrology, and is a key reference for researchers and professional petroleum geoscientists.