Sedimentary rock is a type of rock that is
formed by sedimentation of material at the
Earth's surface and within bodies of water.
Sedimentation is the collective name for
processes that
cause mineral and/or organic particles
(detritus) to settle and accumulate or minerals
to precipitate from a solution. Particles that
form a sedimentary rock by accumulating are
called sediment.
Before being deposited, sediment was formed
by weathering and erosion in a source area,
and then transported to the place of deposition
by water, wind, mass
movement or glaciers which are called agents
of denudation.
Lithification
Sediments
Deposition
Transport
Erosion
Weathering
The sediments that make up sedimentary rocks are produced by:
Mechanical & Chemical Weathering
GOLDISCH
SERIES
Lithic (Rock) Fragments
(granite, basalt, schist, etc.)
Dissolved Ions
(Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, etc.)
Rust Minerals (Hematite, Goertite, etc.)
Clay Minerals
(Bentonite, Montmorillonite, etc.)
Residual Minerals
(Quartz, Orthoclase, Muscovite, etc.)
Water
Wind
Ice
Gravity
Sediment
Rock
Typical Cement:
•Calcite
•Quartz (Silica)
•Iron Oxides
•Clay Material
•Carbonaceous
Identification
Note: Use the same terms to describe
sediments & sedimentary rocks.
Only difference is lithification!
Composition Texture
What minerals make What is the shape,
up the rock? size and orientation
of the mineral grains
that make up the
rock?
Major Difference:
Crystalline vs.
Clastic
Detrital Rocks Chemical Rocks
vs.
Clastic Non Clastic
Detrital (Clastic) Rocks
1. Mechanically Formed
2. Transportation &
Deposition Process
• Lithic Fragments
• Quartz
• Clay Minerals
• Fossil Fragments
• Rust Minerals
• Orthoclase
• Muscovite / Biotite
Clastic Texture
Grain Size
Grain Sorting
Grain Rounding
Sediment Maturity
•Gravel
2mm
•Sand
1/16 mm
•Mud - Silt
1/256 mm
•Mud - Clay
Gravel Sized:
Conglomerate
Sand Sized: Sandstone
Mud Sized:
Mudstone
Siltstone Shale
Conglomerate
Breccia
Mature Immature
•Well Sorted •Poorly Sorted
•Well Rounded •Angular grains
•All Quartz •Mixed Composition
including clay
Quartz Sandstone
Arkose (Sandstone)
Lithic Sandstone Greywacke
Clastic (Detrital) Sedimentary Rocks
Grain Size Roundness Sorting Composition Name
Moderate to
Rounded Fragments of any rock type CONGLOMERATE
poor
Gravel -sized
(> 2 mm)
Moderate to
Angular Fragments of any rock type BRECCIA
poor
Q UARTZ
Rounded Well All Quartz - usually white to tan
SANDSTONE
Moderate to
Sub-
poor (few Feldspar (usually orthoclase), micas, ARKOSE (Arkos ic
rounded to
Sand-sized grains quartz, and other minerals Sandstone)
Angular
(visible grains >2mm)
up to 2 mm)
Sub- Moderate to Quartz, lithic fra gments, and other LITHIC
rounded well minerals SANDSTONE
Rounded to Quartz and rock frag ments mixed GRAYWACKE
Moderate
angular with >15% clay; often gray colored SANDSTONE
Silt-sized (to small to Clay and quartz (but usually too
Well SILTSTONE
(fee ls gritty) see) small to see)
Clay (but usually too small to see);
MUDSTONE
Massive
Clay-sized (to small to
Well
(fee ls smooth) see)
Clay (but usually too small to see);
SHALE
Breaks into semi-flat layers
Crystalline Texture
Coarse
Fine
Composition Basic Rock Name
• Calcite • Limestone
• Quartz (silica) • Chert
• Halite • Rock Salt
• Gypsum • Rock Gypsum
• “Carbon” / Plant • Peat or Coal
Remains
Crystalline Limestones
Limestone
Fossiliferous Limestone
Chalk
Evaportites
Chert
Rock Salt
Rock
Gypsum Coal
Chemical, Biochemical & Organic Sedimentary Rocks
Composition Tex ture Name
CRYSTALLINE
Crystalline - medium to coarse (visible) grains
LIMESTONE
Crystalline - grains too small to see MICRITE
Calcite (acid
reaction) FOSSILIFEROUS
Abundant foss ils in a fine- to coarse-grained crystalline matrix
LIMESTONE
Fine-grained powder, earthy smell (often black, gray, or white) CHALK
Dolomite
Crystalline - fine to coarse grained DOLOSTONE
(acid reaction)
Quartz Crystalline - grains too small to see; conchoidal fracture CHERT
(scratches
glass) Fine-grained powder, earthy smell (no acid reaction) (often white) DIATOMITE
Gypsum Crystalline - fine to coarse grained ROCK GYPSUM
Halite
Crystalline - fine to coarse grained ROCK SALT
(tastes salty)
Fibrous, brownish plant material; soft PEAT
Plant Remains
(Carbon) Dense, black masses; depending on grade may be dull to vitreous;
COAL
lower grades may contain minor foss ils
JOINTS
Bedding
Planes