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Sedimentary Rock Formation Overview

Sedimentary rocks are formed from organic, mechanical, or chemical sediments through a process called lithification, which involves diagenesis, compaction, cementation, recrystallization, and chemical changes. There are three main types of sedimentary rocks: clastic, biological, and chemical, each with specific characteristics and examples. Clastic rocks are made from preexisting rock sediments, biological rocks from the accumulation of dead organisms, and chemical rocks from chemical precipitation.

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Elijah Gabriel Pineda
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24 views1 page

Sedimentary Rock Formation Overview

Sedimentary rocks are formed from organic, mechanical, or chemical sediments through a process called lithification, which involves diagenesis, compaction, cementation, recrystallization, and chemical changes. There are three main types of sedimentary rocks: clastic, biological, and chemical, each with specific characteristics and examples. Clastic rocks are made from preexisting rock sediments, biological rocks from the accumulation of dead organisms, and chemical rocks from chemical precipitation.

Uploaded by

Elijah Gabriel Pineda
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Lesson 4.

3 Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

• Sedimentary rocks were formed from organic, mechanical or chemical sediments.

• A process called lithification is where harden sediments become sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary
Rocks Example of Sedimentary Rocks

Formation of Sedimentary Rocks

Diagenesis is a collective process where sediments are lithified (becomes rock). It has four main parts:

•Compaction

•Cementation

•Recrystallization

•Chemical changes (oxidation/reduction)

Types of Sedimentary Rocks

• Clastic sedimentary rocks are made up of sediments from preexisting rocks.

Texture (grain size) Sediment name Rock name


Coarse (over 2 mm) Gravel (rounded fragments) Conglomerate
Gravel (angular fragments) Breccia
Medium (1/16 to 2 mm) Sand Sandstone
Fine (1/16 to 1/256 mm) Silt Siltstone
Very fine (less than 1/256 mm Clay Shale

• Biological sedimentary rocks are lithified accumulation of dead organisms.

• Chemical sedimentary rocks form from chemical precipitation

Composition Texture (grain size) Rock Name


Quartz Very fine crystalline Chert (light color)
Flint (dark color)
Gypsum Dine to coarse crystalline Rock gypsum
Halite Fine to coarse crystalline Rock Salt
Altered plant Fine-grained organic matter Bituminous Coal

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