SEDIMENTARY ROCK - Cementation – when the solutions, crystallize, they
bind the sediments and, in the process, they converted
Definition:
- Formed when sediment become cemented into solid
rock. It is from materials that first existed in older rocks.
- Formed by the processes of weathering, erosion,
transportation, deposition or by precipitation.
- 5% of earth’s crust.
Color:
 Black – absence of oxygen.
 Red – presence of oxygen.
Classifications:
Clastic sediment – produced by weathering of rocks.
Formed of solid particles such as sand and gravels.
- Coarse
Ex.: Conglomerate, Breccia, Calcilutite.
- Medium
Ex.: Quartzite, Sandstone
- Fine
Ex.: Siltstone, Mudstone, Shale.
Chemical sediment – formed by chemical processes
from direct precipitation of solutions.
- Precipitate
Ex.: Crystalline, Siliceous Deposits
- Evaporate – the sea dries up and the dissolved salts
became more concentrated.
Ex.: Gypsum
Organic sediment – remains of living organisms.
Ex.: Coal, Chalk, Limestone
Formation:
Weathering – breaks down a pre-existing rock. Turns
rock into sediment.
- Mechanical Weathering – any change that breaks
the source rock into smaller pieces without altering the
minerals present.
- Chemical Weathering – any change that does
affect the mineral / chemical content of the source.
Erosion & Transport – initial movement that begins the
transport process, but that transport process can be
very lengthy and complex thing. It can accomplish by:
- Gravity, Wind, Ice (glaciers) or Water.
Deposition – layering of sediments by any natural agent
(water, wind and ice)
Lithification – process of converting loose
unconsolidated sediment into a cohesive rock.
- Compact – as more sediment is being deposited,
there is an increase of weight / pressure that usually
expels to come much closer together.
- Re-crystallization – includes pressure solution.
Percolating water can also dissolve material form one
area and re-deposit it elsewhere.
the loose aggregate into a solid coherent rock.
Structures:
Bedding – most distinctive feature of sediment
sequence and this consists of beds separated from each
other by bedding planes. Each ed represents a period of
deposition. Time gap or composition change.
- Cross bedding – result of the sloping of the sub
parallel planes within and at an angle to the main
bedding plane. From moving water and strong winds.
- Graded bedding – within a single bed where there
is variation in grain size from coarse to fine.
- Ripple marks – occur on top of beds and due to
water movements over the bed during formation (e.g.
beaches)
- Mud cracks – also occur on top of beds where
drying out of sediments causes them to contract
forming polygonal cracks (e.g. dried up lake beds and
tidal mud flats)
Environment of Depositions:
Continental or Terrestrial Environment – Glacial, Lakes,
Rivers, Swamps, Desert and Alluvial fan.
Marine Environment – Ocean Floor, Slope, Shelf Edge
and Continental Shelf.
Coastal Environment – Beaches, Tidal flats, Lagoons and
Bays.
Formation of Oil and Gas Deposits:
When marine animals die, their remains can settle to
the sea floor. There is an abundance of organic matter
rapidly buried by sediment. Oil and natural gas are
believed to form from such accumulated marine
microorganisms. Continental oil fields reflect the
presence of marine sedimentary rocks below the
surface.
Importance:
- Reflect physical and chemical characteristics of source
environments.
- Contain direct and indirect evidence of life.
- Can be Interpreted to recreate earth history.
- May contain important minerals.
- Source of fossil fuels.
Examples:
- Amber - Breccia
- Chert - Dolomite
- Flint
Prepared by:
Group 2 😊