Computerized modeling is a powerful tool to describe the complex interrelations between measured data and the dynamics of sedimentary systems. Complex interaction of environmental factors with natural variations and increasing anthropogenic intervention is reflected in the sedimentary record at varying scales. The understanding of these processes gives way to the reconstruction of the past and is a key to the prediction of future trends. Especially in cases where observations are limited and/or expensive, computer simulations may substitute for the lack of data. State of the art research work requires a thorough knowledge of processes at the interface between atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere, and is therefore an interdisciplinary approach.

The sections on diagenesis were particularly well done and include an excellent discussion of the role of organic compounds in pore fluids in controlling diagenetic reactions." - Sedimentology. This is a completely revised edition of Applied Sedimentology, first published in 1988. Like its precursor, it describes sediments from sand grains to sedimentary basins. Part 1, rock to sediment, introduces the concept of the sedimentary cycle, describes weathering and soil formation, and details the fundamental physical properties of sediment: texture, porosity, and permeability. Part 2, sediment sedimented, begins by describing the transportation and deposition of sediment and the resultant sedimentary structures. It ends with a description of the various depositional systems, sequence stratigraphy, and cyclicity. Part 3, sediment to rock, opens by describing how pressure, temperature, and fluid processes control petroleum and ore formation. It continues with accounts of the evolution of porosity and permeability in carbonates and sandstones. The last chapter describes the different types of sedimentary basins, their origins, depositional fill, and the evolution of their fluids. The book emphasizes the applications of sedimentology to the exploration for and exploitation of natural resources, including water, ores, and hydrocarbons. Applied sedimentology is written principally for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students of earth science and engineering. It may also, however, prove useful to more mature readers who explore and exploit the sedimentary rocks for fossil fuels and mineral deposits.

Sur le terrain, le géologue doit décrypter le message laissé par les dépôts sédimentaires. Dans cet ouvrage, le processus de la sédimentation et les grandes étapes du cycle sédimentaire (altération, transport, mise en place des sédiments clastiques, phénomènes de précipitations et diagenèse) sont largement décrits avec de nombreux exemples. Cette 3e édition entièrement actualisée tient compte des nouvelles avancées en sédimentologie et donne notamment une valeur plus forte à l'actualisme et à ses limites.