Precambrian Sedimentary Environments - A Modern Approach To Ancient Depositional Systems - Specialpublication Number 3

The motivation for this volume came from the idea that the Precambrian is the key, both to the present, and to the understanding of the Earth as a whole. The Precambrian constitutes about 85% of Earth's history, and of that, about 3.75 billion years of Precambrian time, represented by rocks, are accessible to geoscientists. Ancient atmospheric and environmental conditions can be traced back to the time when the Earth was only about 250 million years old. Precambrian rocks supply almost 75% of important mineral resources such as Fe, Mn, Au, Pt and Cr. Many of these elements are associated with sedimentary rocks and some important hydrocarbon, coal and graphite deposits are also hosted by Precambrian rocks.

This volume is aimed at geoscientists interested in Precambrian sedimentary rocks and at students of Earth history. It contains review articles discussing Precambrian conditions and case studies from Precambrian shields and successions of North and South America, Australia, Africa, Europe, Asia and India. The introductory papers, written by experts on Precambrian environments, treat comprehensively the application of actualism to the Precambrian, the evolution and influence of life on the sedimentary rock record, the genesis of Banded Iron Formations, the Precambrian sulphur cycle and the significance of Precambrian chemical carbonate precipitates. The case studies include depositional settings and processes in Archean terranes, in Paleoproterozoic sequences, with some emphasis on the lack of vegetation and weathering, and in late Proterozoic sequences, with some emphasis on glacial deposits. The contributions demonstrate that Precambrian sedimentary deposits are commonly similar to their Phanerozoic counterparts in terms of composition, sedimentary processes, and depositional setting, but may differ significantly as a result of lack of vegetation, climatic and biological constraints, composition and circulation of seawater, and the secular involvement of continental crust.

• Contains review articles discussing Precambrian conditions and case studies from Precambrian shields and successions of North and South America, Australia, Africa, Europe, Asia and India.
  
• The introductory papers, written by experts on Precambrian environments, treat comprehensively the application of actualism to the Precambrian, the evolution and influence of life on the sedimentary rock record, the genesis of Banded Iron Formations, the Precambrian sulphur cycle and the significance of Precambrian chemical carbonate precipitates.
  
• Detailed case studies include depositional settings and processes in Archean terranes, in Paleoproterozoic sequences, with some emphasis on the lack of vegetation and weathering, and in late Proterozoic sequences, with some emphasis on glacial deposits.
  
• Written for geoscientists interested in Precambrian sedimentary rocks and students of Earth history.

If you are a member of the International Association of Sedimentologists (IAS), for purchasing details, please see: http://www.iasnet.org/publications/details.asp?code=SP33

Wladyslaw Altermann is the editor of Precambrian Sedimentary Environments: A Modern Approach to Ancient Depositional Systems, published by Wiley.

Patricia Corcoran is the editor of Precambrian Sedimentary Environments: A Modern Approach to Ancient Depositional Systems, published by Wiley.

Introduction (W. Altermann & P. Corcoran).

Introductory Papers.

1. Actualistic Versus Non-Actualistic Conditions In The Precambrian Sedimentary Record: Reappraisal Of An Enduring Discussion (Donaldson, Eriksson And Altermann).

2. The Evolution Of Life And Its Impact On Sedimentation (Altermann).

3. The Significance Of Iron-Formation In The Precambrian Stratigraphic Record (Trendall).

4. The Isotopic Composition Of Precambrian Sulphides - Seawater Chemistry And Biological Evolution (Strauss).

5. Decimetre-Thick Encrustations Of Calcite And Aragonite On The Sea-Floor And Implications For Neoarchaean And Neoproterozoic Ocean Chemistry (Sumner).

Case Studies.

6. The 2.7 - 2.63 Ga Indin Lake Supracrustal Belt: An Archaean Marginal Basin-Foredeep Succession Preserved In The Western Slave Province, Canada (Pehrsson).

7. Sedimentology Of A Tide- And-Wave-Influenced High-Energy Archean Coastline: The Jackson Lake Formation, Slave Province, Canada (Mueller, Corcoran And Donaldson).

8. The Effects Of Weathering, Sorting And Source Composition In Archaean High-Relief Basins: Examples From The Slave Province, Northwest Territories, Canada (Corcoran And Mueller).

9. Stratigraphic Evolution Of Archaean Volcanic Rock-Dominated Rift Basins From The Whim Creek Belt, West Pilbara Craton, Western Australia (Pike And Cas).

10. Syn- And Post-Eruptive Volcaniclastic Sedimentation In Late Archaean Subaqueous Depositional Systems Of The Black Flag Group, Eight Mile Dam, Kalgoorie, Western Australia (Hand Et Al).

11. Sedimentary Environment Of The Amphibolite-Grade Early Proterozoic Keiva And Kukas Basins (North-East Baltic Shield): Normative Mineral MINLITH Analysis (Rosen, Safronov And Abbyasov).

12. Two Meta-Sedimentary Basins In The Early Precambrian Granulites Of The Anabar Shield (Polar Siberia): Normative Mineral Compositions Calculated By The MINLITH Program And Basin Facies Interpretations (Zlobin, Rosen And Abbyasov).

13. Mixed Siliclastic-Carbonate Storm-Dominated Ramp In A Rejuvenated Palaeoproterozoic Intracratonic Basin: Upper Hurwitz Group, Nunavut, Canada (Aspler And Chiarenzelli).

14. Aspects Of Late Palaeoproterozoic Fluvial Style: The Uairen Formation, Roraima Supergroup, Venezuela (Long).

15. Volcanogenic And Sedimentary Rocks Within The Svecofennian Domain, Ylivieska, Western Finland - An Example Of Palaeoproterozoic Intra-Arc Basin Fill (Strand).

16. Palaeoproterozoic Epeiric Sea Palaeoenvironments: The Silverton Formation (Pretoria Group, Transvaal Supergroup), South Africa (Eriksson Et Al).

17. Facies Sequence And Cryptic Imprint Of Sag Tectonics In The Late Proterozoic Sirbu Shale, Central India (Sarkar Et Al).

18. Sedimentation And Tectonic Setting Of Early Neoproterozoic Glacial Deposits In South-Eastern Brazil (Martins-Neto And Hercos).

19. New Evidence Of Glacial Abrasion Of The Late Proterozoic Unconformity Around Varangerfjorden, Northern Norway (Laajoki)