Sedimentary rocks are one of three main types of rocks, along with
igneous and metamorphic. They are formed on or near the Earth’s
surface from the compression of ocean sediments or other processes.
Sedimentary rocks are formed on or near the Earth’s surface, in
contrast to metamorphic and igneous rocks, which are formed deep
within the Earth. The most important geological processes that lead to
the creation of sedimentary rocks are erosion, weathering, dissolution,
precipitation, and lithification.
Erosion and weathering include the effects of wind and rain, which
slowly break down large rocks into smaller ones. Erosion and
weathering transform boulders and even mountains into sediments,
such as sand or mud. Dissolution is a form of weathering—chemical
weathering. With this process, water that is slightly acidic slowly wears
away stone. These three processes create the raw materials for new,
sedimentary rocks.
Precipitation and lithification are processes that build new rocks or
minerals. Precipitation is the formation of rocks and minerals from
chemicals that precipitate from water. For example, as a lake dries up
over many thousands of years, it leaves behind mineral deposits; this
is what happened in California’s Death Valley. Finally, lithification is the
process by which clay, sand, and other sediments on the bottom of the
ocean or other bodies of water are slowly compacted into rocks from
the weight of overlying sediments.
There are three different types of sedimentary rocks: clastic, organic
(biological), and chemical. Clastic sedimentary rocks, like sandstone,
form from clasts, or pieces of other rock.
Organic Sedimentary
Rocks - This rock type mainly comprises coal and limestones, which
are formed due to the accumulation and deposition of dead plants and
animals in rock layers. Organic detrital rocks form when parts of plants
and animals decay in the ground, leaving behind biological material
that is compressed and becomes rock.
Under organic sedimentary rocks:
1. Coal is a sedimentary rock
formed over millions of years from compressed plants. Inorganic
detrital rocks, on the other hand, are formed from broken up pieces of
other rocks, not from living things. Coals are the most abundant
organic-rich sedimentary rock. They consist of undecayed organic
matter that either accumulated in place or was transported from
elsewhere to the depositional site. The most important organic
component in coal is humus.
2. Fossiliferous limestone is
a form of limestone sedimentary rock. This variety is often white, pink,
red, buff, gray or black and has plant or animal fossils in the matrix of
the rock. Like other limestones, fossiliferous limestone is composed of
calcite and will dissolve in acid. Fossiliferous Limestone is any type of
limestone, made mostly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of
the minerals calcite or aragonite, that contains an abundance of fossils
or fossil traces.
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks -
This type of rock is formed when rock layers are formed due to the
mechanical weathering of different rock types. One of the best-known
clastic sedimentary rocks is sandstone.
under clastic sedimentary rocks:
1. Sandstone is formed from layers
of sandy sediment that is compacted and lithified. Sandstone is a
sedimentary rock composed of sand-size grains of mineral, rock, or
organic material. It also contains a cementing material that binds the
sand grains together and may contain a matrix of silt- or clay-size
particles that occupy the spaces between the sand grains. Sandstone
is one of the most common types of sedimentary rock, and it is found
in sedimentary basins throughout the world.
2. Conglomerate is a clastic
sedimentary rock made up of rounded clasts that are greater than two
millimeters in diameter. The spaces between the clasts are generally
filled with sand- and clay-size particles. The rock is bound together by
a cement that is usually composed of calcite or quartz. It forms from
the cementing of rounded cobble and pebble sized rock fragments.
Conglomerate is formed by river movement or ocean wave action. The
cementing agents that fill the spaces to form the solid rock
conglomerate are silica, calcite, or iron oxides.
3. Shale is a fine-grained
sedimentary rock that forms from the compaction of silt and clay-size
mineral particles that we commonly call "mud." This composition
places shale in a category of sedimentary rocks known as
"mudstones." Shale is distinguished from other mudstones because it
is fissile and laminated. "Laminated" means that the rock is made up
of many thin layers. "Fissile" means that the rock readily splits into thin
pieces along the laminations.
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
- This type of rock is created when minerals that are present in rock
forms undergo a chemical reaction that causes them to cool as
precipitates over time before changing back to rock form. Chemical
sedimentary rocks can be found in many places, from the ocean to
deserts to caves. For instance, most limestone forms at the bottom of
the ocean from the precipitation of calcium carbonate and the remains
of marine animals with shells. If limestone is found on land, it can be
assumed that the area used to be under water. Cave formations are
also sedimentary rocks, but they are produced very differently.
Stalagmites and stalactites form when water passes through bedrock
and picks up calcium and carbonate ions. When the chemical-rich
water makes its way into a cave, the water evaporates and leaves
behind calcium carbonate on the ceiling, forming a stalactite, or on the
floor of the cave, creating a stalagmite.
under chemical sedimentary rocks:
1. Limestone is a sedimentary
rock composed primarily of calcite, a calcium carbonate mineral with a
chemical composition of CaCO3. It usually forms in clear, calm, warm,
shallow marine waters. Limestone is usually a biological sedimentary
rock, forming from the accumulation of shell, coral, algal, fecal, and
other organic debris. It can also form by chemical sedimentary
processes, such as the precipitation of calcium carbonate from lake or
ocean water.
2. Rock salt is a chemical
sedimentary rock that forms by the evaporation of water (usually
seawater) and the precipitation of dissolved minerals. Chemical
sedimentary rocks that form by the evaporation of water are called
evaporites. Rock salt & rock gypsum are the two most common
evaporites.
3. Gypsum is a soft, light-colored
sedimentary rock deposited in ancient seas that covered Ohio during
the Silurian Period. It occurs in both mineral form (selenite) and as a
rock in bedded layers. Gypsum occurs interbedded with salt (halite,
NaCl) and anhydrite (CaSO4).
Some common sedimentary rocks are:
Limestone
Chalk
Clay
Sandstone
Shale
These rocks cover 75% of the earth’s surface.