Simplified Classification of
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Introduction
Sedimentary Rock- Rocks that produced from
weathering products of pre-existing rocks, when
sediments (inorganic and organic) become compacted /
cemented together or when sediments precipitate out
of solution.
Sediments – Solid material that is moved and deposited
in a new location. They may consist of rocks and
minerals, as well as the remains of plants and animals.
Originating from:
– Weathering and erosion of pre-existing rocks.
– Chemical precipitation from solution, including
secretion by organisms in water
Rock Cycle
Rock Cycle: is the set of natural process that form, change, break
down, and re-form rocks.
Characteristics (of Sedimentary Rocks)
• Found in continental crust as beds & strata
• Contain preserved remains of organisms called
fossils
• Most Sedimentary rocks have
no clear crystallization
Horizontal bedding
Importance in Geology
• Covers a great part of the earth's crust ( 75% of
surface land mass)
• Sedimentary rocks give clues to past environments
• Fossils in sedimentary rocks give clues to the history
of life
• Important resources (coal, phosphates, bauxite) are
found in sedimentary rocks.
• Natural reservoirs of oil and groundwater supplies
Geological processes that lead to the
creation of sedimentary rocks
• Denudation (Erosion and Weathering)
– Breaking down pre-existing rocks in its source, typically by
water, wind, or ice
Geological processes that lead to the
creation of sedimentary rocks
• Transportation
– Movement of sediment away from its source, typically by water,
wind, or ice
– Rounding and Sorting of sediment grains increase with increased
transport distance
– Sediment size decreases with increased transport distance
Geological processes that lead to the
creation of sedimentary rocks
• Deposition
– Settling and coming to rest of transported material
– Accumulation of chemical or organic sediments,
typically in water
– Environment of deposition is the location in which
deposition occurs
Deep sea floor •
Beach •
Desert dunes •
River channel •
Lake bottom •
Geological processes that lead to the
creation of sedimentary rocks
• Preservation
– Sediment must be preserved, as by burial with additional
sediments, in order to become a sedimentary rock
• Lithification
– General term for processes converting loose sediment into
sedimentary rock
– Combination of compaction and cementation
Classification of Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks are classified based on their origin into:
[Link] ROCKS (detrital/clastic):
- Most common sedimentary rock type
- Produced from rock fragments, that come from pre-existing
rocks
- classified by grain size
[Link] ROCKS:
- Have crystalline textures
- Form by precipitation of minerals from solution
- Classified by using chemical composition.
3. BIOCHEMICAL ROCKS:
- Produced by accumulation of biological debris, from remains of
organisms, such as in swamps and marshes.
- Classified by using chemical composition
SIMPLIFIED CLASSIFICATION OF SEDIMENTA ROCKS
100 Geo
Grain Size Mud
Origin Gravel Sand
Silt Clay
> 2 mm 2 - 1/16 mm 1/16 – 1/256 mm < 1/256 mm
Breccia Sandstone Siltstone Claystone
Mechanical Conglomerates Arkose Shale
Calcareous Siliceous Evaporites
Chemical
Limestone Flint Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O)
Dolostone Chert Anhydrite (CaSO4)
Rock Salt (NaCl)
Calcareous Siliceous Carbonaceous Phosphate
Bio-Chemical
Fossiliferous limestone Diatomite Peat Phosphate
Chalk Coal
Coquina
100 Geo
[Link] Rocks
Based on the average grain size of the sediments, (The
largest diameter of the grain)
Clastic rocks are classified as: Gravel, sand, Silt and Clay
Grain Size Mud
Origin Gravel Sand
Silt Clay
> 2 mm 2 - 1/16 mm 1/16 – 1/256 mm < 1/256 mm
Breccia Sandstone Siltstone Claystone
Mechanical Conglomerates Arkose Shale
[Link] Rocks
GARVEL: (grain size > 2 mm)
All sediments and fragments of rocks above size of
2 mm irrespective of composition and shape are
called gravels.
Further classified as :
BOULDERS ( grain size >256mm )
COBBLES ( grain size btwn 256-16 mm)
PEBBLES ( grain size <16-4 mm )
GRANULE ( grain size <4- 2 mm )
[Link] Rocks
(WENTWORTH CLASSIFICATION)
[Link] Rocks
GARVEL: (grain size > 2 mm)
[Link] Rocks
– Breccia composed of coarse, angular
rock fragments cemented together
– Conglomerate composed of rounded
gravel cemented together
– roundness indicates the constituent
gravels were transported to some
distance
– heterogeneous mixture - no definite
composition
[Link] Rocks
• Sandstone
– Medium-grained clastic sedimentary rock
– mechanically formed of Arenaceous group.
– Silica in the form of Quartz is the dominant
mineral constituent of most sandstones
– Composition: -quartz ( SiO2 ), feldspar
– most abundant sedimentary rocks found in upper 15 km of
the crust
– 15% of total sedimentary rocks
– Types determined by composition
• Quartz arenite - >90% quartz grains
• Arkose - mostly feldspar (> 25%) and quartz grains
[Link] Rocks
• Siltstone
– Slightly finer-grained than sands
– Of silt-sized grains
• Claystone
– Predominantly clay-sized grains
– Rich in clay minerals
• Shale
– Fine-grained clastic sedimentary rock
– Splits into thin layers (fissile)
– Sediment deposited in lake bottoms, river
deltas, floodplains, and on deep ocean floor,
(in all depositional environments)
• Mudstone
– Silt- and clay-sized grains;
– massive/blocky
[Link] Rocks
• Formed by precipitation of minerals from solution
• Classified by using chemical composition into :
• Calcareous Sediments/Rocks
• Silliceous Sediments/Rocks
• Evaporites
Calcareous Siliceous Evaporites
Chemical Limestone Flint Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O)
Dolostone Chert Anhydrite (CaSO4)
Rock Salt (NaCl)
[Link] Rocks
• Calcareous
– Limestone is composed mainly of calcite
• Formed as inorganic, precipitates out of marine water
• Often contain easily recognizable fossils
• most common non-clastic sedimentary rocks
• Composition: calcite ( CaCO3)
[Link] Rocks
• Carbonates
– Dolostone is composed mainly of dolomite
• Chemical alteration of limestone in Mg- rich water solutions
(dolomitization)
. Composition: dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2
. Rusty , commonly associated with limestone
. Occur as intervening layers between limestone formations
[Link] Rocks
Siliceous
Composed almost of cryptocrystalline silica
• CHERT
– A variety of light color
– A rock of siliceous composition
– Consists mainly of chalcedony and
fine- grained quartz
– Occurs as beds and layers or nodules
and concretions within other
sedimentary rocks, especially
limestone deposits .
– Hard, compact rocks
[Link] Rocks
Siliceous
Composed almost of cryptocrystalline silica
FLINT
– A variety of Chert, but of dark
color
[Link] Rocks
• Evaporites
– Form from evaporating saline waters (sabkhas,
lagoons).
– Minerals crystallized as water dried up.
– Common examples are:
- rock gypsum CaSO4 .2H2O
- rock anhydrite ,
- rock salt
[Link] Rocks
• Evaporites
ROCK SALT
– mineral halite (NaCl)
– white in purest form, greyish, yellowish or reddish in impure
state
[Link] Rocks
• Evaporites
GYPSUM ROCKS
– composed of the mineral gypsum CaSO4.2H2O
– White - other shades like yellow, red or dark gray due to
impurities
– result of evaporation of waters rich in sulfate salts
– associated with rock-salt, independent deposits are also
common
[Link] Rocks
• Evaporites
ANHYDRITE
– granular aggregate of mineral anhydrite CaSO4
– hydration on anhydrite would give gypsum
– Used as a raw material in the manufacture of fertilizers,
cement , plaster of Paris.
[Link] Rocks
Biochemical rocks
Formed from the accumulation of plant or animal
debris.
Calcareous Siliceous Carbonaceous Phosphate
Bio-Chemical
Fossiliferous limestone Diatomite Peat Phosphate
Chalk Coal
Coquina
[Link] Rocks
• Fossiliferous Limestone
• formed from accumulation of animal
completed tests
[Link] Rocks
Calcareous
• Coquina
– composed either wholly or almost entirely of the transported,
abraded, and mechanically-sorted fragments of different types
of molluscan shells
[Link] Rocks
Calcareous
• Chalk
– A biological (organic) limestone derived from the tiny calcium
carbonate shells of foraminifera ..
[Link] Rocks
Siliceous
• Diatomite
- A biological (organic) material derived from tiny
siliceous shells of diatoms (single–celled algae)
- No reacts with HCl
- Very light in weight
[Link] Rocks
Carbonaceous
• Peat
– A heterogeneous mixture of more or
less decomposed plant (humus)
material, formed within burial
processes.
– Deposited in water with low oxygen
content (i.e., stagnant )راكد.
– Found on the sites of former
swamps and wetlands.
– Formed of 55% carbon+ wooden
fibers.
– First stage of coal formation
[Link] Rocks
Carbonaceous
• Coal (lignite)
– Sedimentary rock forming from compaction
of decayed plant material
- As peat is buried it compresses and eventually
changes to form coal
- Formed of 55-72% carbons
Stages of coal formation
PEAT
LIGNITE
BITUMINOUS
ANTHRACITE
[Link] Rocks
Phosphates
• Phosphate Rocks
– Any rock with high phosphorus
content.
– A group of calcium phosphate
minerals
– The primary source for
phosphorus in phosphate
fertilizers, which are vital to
agriculture
– 80 % of the world’s current
production of phosphate is
mined from sedimentary
deposits
Sedimentary Rock Lab.
Simple Classification
1. Name
2. Origin: Clastic, Chemical, Biochemical
3. Grain Size...
4. Chemical Composition
5. Mineral Composition
6. Notice (Fossils, Compaction,
Cementation, water solution,
evaporation)
DESCRIPTION OF DSEDIMENTARY ROCKS
No. Origin Grain Size Chem. Comp. Min. Comp. Notes Rock Name
1 Anhydrite
2 Arkose
3 Breccia
4 Chalk
5 Chert
6 Claystone
7 Coal
8 Conglomerate
9 Coquina
10 Diatomite
11 Dolomite
12 Flint
13 Gypsum
14 Limestone
15 Peat
16 Phosphate
17 Rock salt
18 sandstone
19 Shale
20 Siltstone
21
DESCRIPTION OF DSEDIMENTARY ROCKS
No. Origin Grain Size Chem. Comp. Min. Comp. Notes Rock Name
1 Chemical Anhydrite
2 Arkose
3 Breccia
4 Chalk
5 Chert
6 Claystone
7 Coal
8 Conglomerate
9 Coquina
10 Diatomite
11 Dolomite
12 Flint
13 Gypsum
14 Chemical ----- Calcareous Calcite HCl, Marine Limestone
15 Peat
16 Phosphate
17 Rock salt
18 sandstone
19 Shale
20 Siltstone
21
DESCRIPTION OF DSEDIMENTARY ROCKS
No. Origin Grain Size Chem. Comp. Min. Comp. Notes Rock Name
1 Chemical Anhydrite
2 Arkose
3 Mechanical > 2 mm --------- - ---------- Angular grains Breccia
4 Chalk
5 Chert
6 Claystone
7 Coal
8 Conglomerate
9 Coquina
10 Diatomite
11 Dolomite
12 Flint
13 Gypsum
14 Chemical --------- Calcareous Calcite HCl, Marine Limestone
15 Peat
16 Phosphate
17 Rock salt
18 sandstone
19 Shale
20 Siltstone
21
DESCRIPTION OF DSEDIMENTARY ROCKS
No. Origin Grain Size Chem. Comp. Min. Comp. Notes Rock Name
1 Chemical Anhydrite
2 Arkose
3 Mechanical > 2 mm -------- - ------- Angular grains Breccia
4 Chalk
5 Chert
6 Claystone
7 Biochemical ---------- Carbonaceous ------- organic Coal
8 Conglomerate
9 Coquina
10 Diatomite
11 Dolomite
12 Flint
13 Gypsum
14 Chemical ----- Calcareous Calcite HCl, Marine Limestone
15 Peat
16 Phosphate
17 Rock salt
18 sandstone
19 Shale
20 Siltstone
21
DESCRIPTION OF DSEDIMENTARY ROCKS
No. Origin Grain Size Chem. Comp. Min. Comp. Notes Rock Name
1 Chemical Anhydrite
2 Arkose
3 Mechanical > 2 mm ------------------ - --------- Angular grains Breccia
4 Chalk
5 Chert
6 Claystone
7 Biochemical -------- Carbonaceous ------- organic Coal
8 Conglomerate
9 Coquina
10 Diatomite
11 Dolomite
12 Flint
13 Gypsum
14 Chemical ----- Calcareous Calcite HCl, Marine Limestone
15 Peat
16 Phosphate
17 Chemical - Evaporites Halite Cubic crystals Rock salt
18 sandstone
19 Shale
20 Siltstone
21
SIMPLIFIED CLASSIFICATION OF SEDIMENTA ROCKS
100 Geo
Grain Mud
Size Gravel Sand
Origin Silt Clay
> 2 mm 2 - 1/16 mm 1/16 – 1/256 mm < 1/256 mm
Breccia Sandstone Siltstone Claystone
Mechanical Conglomerates Arkose Shale
Calcareous Siliceous Evaporites
Chemical Limestone Flint Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O)
Dolostone Chert Anhydrite (CaSO4)
Rock Salt (NaCl)
Calcareous Siliceous Carbonaceous Phosphate
Bio-Chemical
Fossiliferous limestone Diatomite Peat Phosphate
Chalk Coal
Coquina
100 Geo
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