3 Tools and Techniques for Studying Mudstones

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mudstone properties vary widely, but systematically, both vertically and laterally at millimeter-to-kilometer scales. This variability can be detected by applying a range of physical, petrophysical, chemical, and paleontological methods to characterize the rocks at different scales and interpreting the resulting data using the sequence-stratigraphic approach. This chapter concentrates on introducing the tools and techniques that provide data about texture, bedding, composition, and grain origin, which enable the characterization of mudstone strata at millimeter-to-kilometer scales. Specifically, it addresses the application of such tools and techniques to decipher depositional conditions and construct sequence-stratigraphic frameworks. This chapter provides key references for the tools and techniques commonly used to generate the texture, bedding, composition, and grain-origin data for further consideration. It then outlines our approach toward making detailed and systematic observations of the key attributes of mudstones in outcrops, cores, and thin sections. It concludes with an overview of the key sequence-stratigraphic concepts that we find useful for studying mudstones and a summary of the methods we use to construct and test a sequence-stratigraphic framework for mudstones. This approach is elaborated and illustrated in the following chapters.