Layers of a Journey

My Geological Path

My journey into geology began with an innate curiosity about Earth’s history, which has since evolved into a focused interest in sedimentary structures. As a nontraditional student with a diverse academic and professional background, including work in dental practice management and medical photography, I have developed unique skills in project management, documentation, and scientific communication. These experiences have not only fueled my academic pursuits but have also prepared me to create a comprehensive resource accessible to the geological community.

Acknowledgments

I am deeply grateful to those who have supported and guided me throughout this journey. Thank you to Dr. John Isbell, whose passion for sedimentology and constant encouragement shaped my research direction and fueled my confidence in the field. To Allison Kusick and Cole Schmidt, thank you for your mentorship, field guidance, and willingness to share knowledge. Your support, both academic and personal, has been invaluable, and this project wouldn’t exist without your influence

Methodology Behind the Atlas

This atlas is grounded in both field experience and detailed laboratory documentation. The methods used reflect a balance of real-world exploration and careful analysis.

Fieldwork

This project began with a research expedition to Argentina, where multiple key outcrops were studied and sampled. Field notes, sediment descriptions, and high-resolution photographs were taken on-site to capture a wide range of glacigenic and sediment gravity flow structures.

Laboratory Documentation

Back at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, local exposures, core samples, and hand specimens were documented using high-resolution DSLR photography. This process ensured consistency and clarity in capturing the textures, structures, and features essential for interpretation.

Creative flatlay featuring vintage camera, leather shoes, hat, and coffee-stained notes.

Future Work

This atlas represents the foundation of a growing resource. Future development will focus on expanding both the environmental range and structural diversity of the documented features.

Expand Sedimentary Structures

Incorporating sedimentary structures beyond glacigenic and mass transport origins, including features from shallow marine, deltaic, and aeolian settings where relevant parallels exist.

Thin Section Analysis

Adding photomicrographs and descriptions of microstructures to complement macro-scale observations and enhance interpretation of deformation fabrics.

Interactive Features

Developing layered maps, structure filters, and guided interpretation tools to support both research and independent exploration of sedimentary processes.

References

Bennett, Matthew R., and Neil F. Glasser. Glacial Geology: Ice Sheets and Landforms. 2nd ed., Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.

Benn, Douglas I., and David J. A. Evans. Glaciers and Glaciation. Routledge, 2010.

Collinson, John D., and Neil P. Mountney. Sedimentary Structures. 3rd ed., Dunedin Academic Press, 2019.

Dowdeswell, Julian A., et al. “The Variety and Distribution of Modern Glacimarine Sedimentary Processes.” Geological Society, London, Special Publications, vol. 475, 2016, pp. 1–20.

Evans, David J. A., and Douglas I. Benn. A Practical Guide to the Study of Glacial Sediments. Hodder Arnold, 2004.

Haughton, Peter D. W., et al. “Hybrid Sediment Gravity Flow Deposits—Classification, Origin and Significance.” Marine and Petroleum Geology, vol. 26, no. 10, 2009, pp. 1900–1918.

Isbell, John L., Fernando F. Vesely, and Eduardo L. M. Rosa. “Evaluation of Physical and Chemical Proxies Used to Interpret Past Glaciations with a Focus on the Late Paleozoic Ice Age.” Earth-Science Reviews, vol. 221, 2021.

Isbell, John L., et al. “Reassessing a Glacial Landscape Developed during Terminal Glaciation of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age in Uruguay.” Sedimentary Geology.

Isbell, John L. “Environmental and Paleogeographic Implications of Glaciotectonic Deformation of Glaciomarine Deposits within Permian Strata of the Metschel Tillite, Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica.”

Mulder, Thierry, and Jan Alexander. “The Physical Character of Subaqueous Sediment Density Flows and Their Deposits.” Sedimentology, vol. 48, no. 2, 2001, pp. 269–299.

Nichols, Gary. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. 2nd ed., Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.

Pickering, Kevin T., et al. Deep-Marine Systems: Processes, Deposits, Environments, Tectonics and Sedimentation. Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Powell, Ross D. “Fjords as Glacial Landsystems.” Glacial Landsystems, edited by David J. A. Evans, Arnold, 2005, pp. 90–117.

Sobiesiak, M. S., Ben Kneller, G. Ian Alsop, and Juan P. Milana. “Internal Deformation and Kinematic Indicators within a Tripartite Mass Transport Deposit, NW Argentina.” Sedimentary Geology, vol. 344, 2016, pp. 364–381.

Sobiesiak, Matheus S., Ben Kneller, G. Ian Alsop, and Juan Pablo Milana. “Styles of Basal Interaction beneath Mass Transport Deposits.” Sedimentary Geology, forthcoming or publication details needed.

Sohn, Yong Il. “Depositional Processes of Submarine Debris Flows Revealed by Internal Facies Architecture of a Tertiary Subaqueous Debris Flow Deposit.” Sedimentology, vol. 47, no. 3, 2000, pp. 453–470.

Stow, D. A. V. Sedimentary Rocks in the Field: A Colour Guide. CRC Press, 2015.

Talling, Peter J., et al. “Subaqueous Sediment Density Flows: Depositional Processes and Deposit Types.” Sedimentology, vol. 59, no. 7, 2012, pp. 1937–2003.

This Atlas is meant to grow alongside my academic and professional journey. As new data is gathered and techniques refined, the atlas will continue to grow as a field forward tool for sedimentary structure identification and interpretation.