Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
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• Sedimentary rocks
were formed from
organic, mechanical
or chemical
sediments.
• A process called
lithification is where
harden sediments
become sedimentary
rocks.
Remember!
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Sediments are products of weathering
which are transported from one place to
another by wind, running water, sea, or
glaciers.
Formation of Sedimentary
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Rock
• Diagenesis is a collective process where
sediments are lithified (becomes rock). It has
four main parts:
• Compaction
• Cementation
• Recrystallization
• Chemical changes (oxidation/reduction)
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Compaction, Cementation, Crystallization, Chemical
Changes
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• Compaction is when sediments are smashed together.
• After the sediments have been compacted, cementation occurs.
Since most sediments can be found in water, water molecules are
present in between particles.
• Crystallization- Ions of chlorine, magnesium, potassium, calcium,
carbonate, sodium, and sulfate are commonly dissolved in
seawater.
• Chemical Changes - Biological precipitation of the decayed shells of
microorganisms form the carbonate sediments. Through inorganic
processes, other calcium-rich and bicarbonate-rich chemical
sediments are precipitated as calcium carbonate and carbonic acid.
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Types of Sedimentary
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Rock
Examples of non-clastic sedimentary rocks
Composition Texture (grain size) Rock Name
chert (light color)
• Non-clastic sedimentary quartz very fine crystalline
flint (dark color)
rocks can be biological, fine to coarse
chemical, or a combination gypsum rock gypsum
crystalline
of both. fine to coarse
halite rock salt
crystalline
altered plant fine-grained
bituminous coal
fragments organic matter
Types of Non-clastic
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sedimentary It
rocks
• Biological sedimentary rocks are
lithified accumulation of dead
organisms. Examples include coal
(formed from carbon-rich plants) and
limestone (formed from the remains of
calcareous organisms).
• Chemical sedimentary rocks form
from chemical precipitation. An
example is rock salt formed when
dissolved salts precipitate from a
solution.
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Examples of Non-clastic sedimentary rocks
chert rock gypsum
Types of Sedimentary
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Classification of sedimentary rocks
based on particle size.
• Clastic sedimentary Texture (grain size) Sediment name Rock name
gravel (rounded
rocks are made up of fragments) conglomerate
coarse
sediments from (over 2 mm) gravel (angular
preexisting rocks. fragments)
breccia
medium
sand sandstone
(1/16 to 2 mm)
fine
silt siltstone
(1/16 to 1/256 mm)
very fine
clay shale
(< 1/256 mm)
Types of Sedimentary Rock
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Classification of sedimentary rocks
based on particle size.
• Clastic sedimentary Texture (grain size) Sediment name Rock name
rocks are made up of
gravel (rounded
sediments from pre fragments)
conglomerat
coarse
existing rocks. (over 2 mm)
e
• When preexisting rocks gravel (angular
breccia
are physically weathered fragments)
and eroded, they form medium
sand sandstone
(1/16 to 2 mm)
sediments called clasts
or detritus fine
silt siltstone
(1/16 to 1/256 mm)
very fine
clay shale
(< 1/256 mm)
Types of Sedimentary
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Texture (grain size) Sediment name Rock name
• The amount and type of gravel (rounded
sediments a stream can coarse fragments)
conglomera
carry depends on its (over 2 mm)
te
capacity and gravel (angular
breccia
competence. Stream fragments)
capacity refers to the medium
sand sandstone
(1/16 to 2 mm)
amount of sediments it
can carry while fine
(1/16 to 1/256 silt siltstone
competence refers to mm)
the sizes of the
very fine
sediments. (< 1/256 mm)
clay shale
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Examples of clastic sedimentary rocks
shale breccia
Sedimentary rocks have several key properties
that
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• Layering (Stratification) – They often form in layers due to the
gradual build up of sediments over time.
• Presence of Fossils – They may contain fossils of plants and animals
trapped in the sediments.
• Softness – Many sedimentary rocks are softer than igneous or
metamorphic rocks and can break or crumble more easily.
• Grain Size and Texture – They can be coarse-grained (like
conglomerate) or fine-grained (like shale), depending on the size of
the sediments.
• Color Variation – They may show different colors due to the
materials in the sediments, such as iron (reddish) or organic matter
(dark).
TheLearn
common
abouttypes
It of sedimentary rocks
• Sandstone – Made
from compacted sand
grains; often feels gritty
and forms in deserts or
beaches.
• Shale – A fine-grained
rock made from mud
or clay; usually forms in
calm water like lakes or
deep oceans.
The common types of sedimentary rocks
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• Limestone – Formed
mainly from the shells and
skeletons of marine
organisms; often found in
ocean environments
• Conglomerate – Made from
rounded pebbles and
stones cemented together;
shows that it formed in
fast-moving water.
The common types of sedimentary rocks
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• Chalk – A soft, white form
of limestone made from
microscopic sea creatures.
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