SECONDARY ROCKS
Secondary rocks are those rocks which formed by the process of weathering
erosion transportation, deposition, compaction, cementation etc. is called
secondary or sedimentary rocks.
WEATHERING: - It is a combine effect of physical and chemical changes in
rocks at or near the surface by atmospheric agencies without any transportation.
TYPES OF WEATHERING:-
A) Phyiscal weathering :- (Disintegration )
Breaking down the rock into smaller fragments without change in
chemical composition.
B) Chemical weathering :- (Decomposition)
New substance are form whose chemical composition is different from
that those present in original rock
Weathering is also called decay of the rock.
Decomposition and Disintegration go on simultaneously but depending on
climate one of two predominant. In warm, moist, low laying region –
Decomposition is the predominant process and Disintegration in the higher,
drier, cooler regions.
I] Disintegration: - It brought about by no. of process but most of it brought about
by three atmospheric processes.
1) Temp. variation (Arid & semi arid region are hot and night are cold)
2) Frost action .
3) Vegetation .( Expansion & contraction)
II] Decomposition: - By following four processes.
1) Oxidation – Ferrous iron O2 ferric iron hematite.
2) Hydration – hematite H2O Limonite
3) Carbonation- converts oxides into carbonates K2O KCO3
4) Solution - carbonates rocks lime stone, marble soluble in water and solution
of calcium [Link] effect of decomposition is to produce large amt.
of insoluble substance such as clay, chlorite ,hematite,limonite and small
amt, of soluble substance such as carbonates and colloidal silica.
All minerals are not decomposed equally easily and there resistance to
chemical attack of water varies greatly. The common rock forming minerals
arranged in order of increasing resistance to decomposition.
Olivine – Augite- Hornblende, Plagioclase, Biotite – Orthoclase- Muscovite –
Quartz .
Quartz remain totally unaffected by all process of decomposition.
If rock is basic in nature it weathered very fast because it contain
Augite ,hornblende, plagioclage.
If rock is acidic in nature it weathered very slow because it contain Quartz,
mica ,(muscovite) orthoclage so that it get (sand) at last because Quartz remain
unaffected only to get small sand Quartz particles [Link] rock materials
produced by disintegration is generally coarse and angular whereas that by
decomposition is fine grained.
The process of erosion the breaking as well as transportation both are
effective . The combined effect of weathering and erosion is called denudation.
The attack at first starts from the corner and gradually they are worn down and
this produce a ground mass after which thin concentric layers are weathered off.
These process is known as Exploitation i.e. Spheroidal weathering. E.g. Basalt.
TEXTURE OF SECONDARY ROCKS
CLASTIC TEXTURE:
This is the common texture in sedimentary rock. The grains or pebbles do
not have common boundaries but are separated from one another by
empty spaces or this empty spaces filled by cementing material due to air
circulating solution.
Rudaceous and arenaceous deposite shows typically clastic texture on the
basis of transporting agent .Three types of deposit.
1) Aeolian deposite ( wind )
2) Aqueous deposite ( water )
3) Glacial deposite (Glacier )
The end product received after all the process will depend on
velocity of water, angle of inclination of profile, kind of material,
types of agent.
The factors which are responsible for variation in texture that is
mineral grain arrangement.
Ex:-
1. CONGLOMERATE.
2. BRECCIA.
3. SANDSTONE.
a) Roundness: Shape of particles weather rounded or angular.
b) Grain size: size of of the grain.
c) Sorting: Relative proportion of different size grain if deposit of one grade
only it’s called well sorted. (Aeolian deposit )
If deposit of different grade it is called ill sorted.
Depending upon source rock, the factors are variable.
F source rock is basalt- end product will get clay only.
If source rock is granite- end product get course sand.
Structures of Sedimentary rocks:
Shallow water deposit structures 200 meter depth in sea.
A. Bedding or Stratification Structure:
Sediments are deposited layer upon layer when two successive
layers differ from each other in grain size, color, texture.
Each layer is called bed, or stratum and structure is called bedding.
Sedimentary rocks are stratified rock. The bed may be few mm to
many meter in thickness. If thickness is less than 1 cm are called
laminae and lamination [Link] shows by shale. Contact of two
beds is called as bedding plane or junction.
B. Gradded bedding:
Regular stratification according to size from bottom to top is called
gradded bedding.
C. Concordant bedding :
If layers approx. Parallel to one another is called concordant
bedding.
D. Discordant/current/false/cross/torrential bedding
Bedding plane which are inclined to the major lines of bedding is
called discordant bedding. Due to rapid change in direction,
velocity of stream which carrying sediments
E. Ripple marks :
They are well known wavy pattern seen on sandy beaches and
under special conditions may be preserved in the sediment. Ripple
produced by current of action of water.
F. Rain Prinks :
[Link] and Trails :
Welding and cementation:
When first formed sediment are loss, soft and unconsolidated
but in course of time, they become firm, hard, compact this is due
to chiefly two processes.
A. Welding or compaction or indurations :
In welding the material is consolidated by pressure which may be
due to either load of above laying rocks or to earth movement.
All water squeezed out by pressure and grains strongly together
as they are brought within the limit of molecules concentration. It
is effective in fine grained as compared with coarse grain.
B. Cementation :
In cementation water circulating in rocks deposit in the
empty spaces between grains. The dissolved substance carried in
a solution.
These act as cement and held together the loose grains so
that hard compact rocks are formed. Common cement is silica,
calcium, magnesium, carbonates and iron oxides. The degree of
cementation depends on age. The older the sediment the higher
the degree of cementation. Cement is responsible for porosity and
permeability of rocks.