Calcareous Algae (Developments in Palaeontology and Stratigraphy)

Algae are common fossils and some forms have exerted an important influence on sedimentary processes, the skeletal remains of calcareous forms being abundant and widespread in sediments of many types and ages. Although often neglected and misunderstood, calcareous algae have proved valuable in biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental reconstructions and an understanding of the group is essential to comprehending certain important aspects of carbonate rocks. This book is an up-to-date synthesis of the subject in the form of a comprehensive introduction. It incorporates the large body of new information on calcareous algae which has resulted from the significant advances in carbonate sedimentology during the last twenty years. Written for geologists, the book deals mainly with the geology of calcareous algae, including living forms and the recent record. It covers the major groups of marine and non-marine algae, including stromatolites, and discusses the bases for their identification and classification as well as their stratigraphic record and environmental distribution. Also included are chapters on paleoecology, sediment-producing algae and algal facies in time. The volume ends with a chapter on the role of algae in the broader context of economic geology including applications in petroleum and mineral exploration. The book serves both as a text and a reference for advanced undergraduates, graduates and professional geologists in the fields of paleontology, sedimentology, and stratigraphy. It is thoroughly illustrated with photographs, line drawings, and tables, and includes a glossary and extensive bibliography, and index.