HANDOUT: SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
What are Sedimentary Rocks?
Sedimentary rocks are types of rocks formed from the
accumulation and compaction of sediments. These
sediments can come from fragments of other rocks,
mineral crystals, and organic materials (like plants and
animals). These rocks usually form in layers and are
commonly found in rivers, lakes, deserts, and oceans.
How Are Sedimentary Rocks Formed?
TYPES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
CLASTIC CHEMICAL ORGANIC
Made from broken Formed from minerals that were Made from the remain of
pieces of other rocks dissolved in water (e.g., living things (e.g., coal,
(e.g., sandstone, limestone, rock salt). some types of limestone).
shale).
CHARACTERISTICS OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
-Have layers called strata
-May contain fossils
-Usually softer than Igneous and metamorphic rocks
-form near the Earth’s surface
IMPORTANCE OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
-Record Earth's history through fossils.
-Source of natural resources like coal, oil, and natural gas.
-Used in construction materials (cement, building, and stones).
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS EXAMPLE
Some common examples of sedimentary rocks are listed and described below
with their names:
Breccia:
A clastic sedimentary rock composed of large angular fragments. The spaces
between the large particles are filled with smaller particles or mineral cement that
help to bind the rock together.
Caliche:
A clastic sedimentary rock composed of rounded rock fragments and fine-grained
sediments compiled together with calcium carbonate cement.
Chalk:
A type of limestone made up of tiny calcium carbonate shells of marine
organisms. Chalk is soft, friable, and porous. It serves as a reservoir of fuels such
as oil and natural gas.
Chert:
Usually an organic rock but can also occur inorganically. Chert is hard, fine-
grained, and is composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2) or quartz that is
microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline.
Coal:
Organic sedimentary rock made from plant debris. All coal types apart from
anthracite are sedimentary rocks.
Conglomerate:
A clastic sedimentary rock containing large rounded particles. The spaces
between the large particles are filled with smaller particles that help to bind the
rock together.
Diatomite:
It is also known as dolostone. Dolomite is a biological sedimentary rock made up
of skeletal remains of Diatoms, a type of tiny single-celled algae. It is lightweight,
porous, relatively inert, and small particle size with a large surface area.
Coquina:
Limestone composed of calcium carbonate shells, shell fragments, and other
sand-sized fossil debris.
Limestone:
It can be a biological or crystalline chemical sedimentary rock composed
primarily of calcium carbonate. It can organically form from the accumulation of
shell, coral, algal, and fecal debris. It can also form chemically through the
precipitation of calcium carbonate from lake or ocean water. Limestone is the
most abundant chemical sedimentary rock found on Earth.
Sandstone:
A clastic sedimentary rock made of sand-sized, weathering debris. It is naturally
found in beaches, deserts, flood plains, and deltas.
Shale:
A clastic sedimentary rock that is made up of clay-sized, weathering debris.
Dolomite:
A chemical sedimentary rock very similar to limestone. Dolomite forms when
limestone or lime mud is modified by magnesium-rich groundwater.
Siltstone:
A clastic sedimentary rock that develops from weathering debris.
Rock Salt:
A chemical sedimentary rock that forms from the evaporation of ocean or any
saline water bodies. Rock salt is composed entirely of halites, a mineral
composed of sodium chloride, NaCl.
Gypsum:
A crystalline, chemical sedimentary rock found in layered sedimentary deposits
in association with halite, anhydrite, sulfur, calcite, and dolomite.
Ironstone:
A chemical sedimentary rock that contains more than 15% iron, containing iron-
bearing minerals such as goethite, siderite, and berthierine.
WHAT ARE THE USES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCK AND WHY ARE THEY
IMPORTANT?
-Sedimentary rocks contain information about the history of the Earth. They
contain fossils, the remains of ancient plants and animals, that provide clues of
ancient rock. Differences between the successive layers indicate changes to the
environment that occurred over time.
-Sedimentary rocks form porous and permeable reservoirs in sedimentary basins
where water and essential minerals such as oil can be found.
-Materials that we use every day, such as jewelry and ceramics, are made from
sedimentary rocks. They are also used in building materials.
FUN FACTS
• Roughly cover 75-80% of the Earth’s land area. However, they only make up 5%
of the Earth’s crust
• It can be easily identified by the layers of sediments that are arranged based on
density
• It contains fossils of plants and animals millions of years old
• Primary energy sources like oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium are formed in and
come from sedimentary rocks
• Table salt comes from a chemical sedimentary rock called halite
MEMBERS:
NANDING CATINGAN
ROCHE TALINGTING
HIJARA PACASOM
BARILA LABADIA
SAMBILAD SAMSON
BAGUIO ABAQUITA
GASTADOR
OCA