Chapter Six

Sediments & Sedimentary Rocks

Sediment
Sediment - loose, solid particles originating from:
Weathering and erosion of pre-existing rocks
Chemical precipitation from solution, including
secretion by organisms in water

Classified by particle size

Boulder - >256 mm
Cobble - 64 to 256 mm
Pebble - 2 to 64 mm
Sand - 1/16 to 2 mm
Silt - 1/256 to 1/16 mm
Clay - <1/256 mm

SEDIMENTATION AND SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

I. INTRODUCTION
IMPORTANCE OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS:
i) 75% OF ROCKS EXPOSED AT THE EARTHS SURFACE
ii) SOURCE OF FOSSIL FUELS, IRON AND ALUMINUM
ORES, ALUMINUM ORES, AND GROUNDWATER
iii) RECORD OF EARTHS HISTORY

TYPES OF SEDIMENT

II ORIGIN OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS:

A. INTRODUCTION
1. REVIEW OF WEATHERING PROCESSES:
2. CLASSIFICATION OF SEDIMENTS
a) DETRITAL SEDIMENT: PREEXISTING FRAGMENTS OF PREEXISTING
IGNEOUS, SEDIMENTARY AND METAMORPHIC ROCKS
b) CHEMICAL SEDIMENT: PRECIPITATED FROM WATER OR EXTRACTED
BY ORGANISMS AND DEPOSITED LATER
B. SEDIMENT TRANSPORT AND TEXTURE
1. INTRODUCTION
i) TRANSPORTATION AND DEPOSITION OF CHEMICAL
SEDIMENTS
ii) TRANSPORTATION AND DEPOSITION OF DETRITAL
SEDIMENTS

2. GRAIN SIZE CONTROLLED BY:

a) NATURE OF PARENT ROCKS

b) NATURE AND ENERGY LEVEL OF TRANSPORT MEDIUM

1) SORTING
WELL-SORTED: WIND MOST SELECTIVE
POORLY-SORTED: GLACIERS AND FLOODING
RIVERS SORT
POORLY
2) CURRENT VELOCITY

Grain size
3) GRAIN SHAPE -

DEPENDS ON:

a) TRANSPORT MEDIA: SWIFTLY FLOWING RIVERS

BOUNCE PEBBLES

AND SAND GRAINS AROUND VIGOROUSLY

b) DISTANCE FROM PARENT ROCK (AT THE BASE IF A

GLACIER MAY

BE GROUND TO A ROCKY POWDER)

c)MINERAL HARDNESS:

Sediment in a Stream

C. SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURES:
1. BEDDING (STRATIFICATION): ARRANGMENT OF SEDIMENT
PARTICLES INTO DISTINCT LAYERS
a) CHANGES IN SEDIMENT:
b) CHANGES IN TRANSPORT ENERGY
2. GRADED BEDDINGS: SEDIMENT LAYER (FORMED BY A SINGLE
DEPOSITONAL EVENT) IN WHICH PARTICLE SIZE VARIES
GRADUALLY WITH THE COARSEST PARTICLES ON THE BOTTOM

Development of a bedding plane

Develop. Bedding plane-contd.

Develop. Bedding plane contd.

Graded bedding of sediment

Development of cross-bedding

Cementation & Recrystallization

4. CEMENTATION: PRECIPITATION OF DISSOLVED IONS IN THE PORE

SPACE

a) CALCIUM CARBONATE

b) SILICA

c) IRON COMPOUNDS

5.CLASTIC TEXTURE: FORMED BY COMPACTION AND CEMENTATION OF

SEDIMENT PARTICLES HAS CLASTIC TEXTURE

6.RECRYSTALLIZATION: RECRYSTALLIZATION OF CERTAIN UNSTABLE

MINERALS INTO NEW, MORE STABLE MINERALS

III. CLASSICATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS:

DETRITAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS:

MUDSTONES
SANDSTONES
CONGLOMERATES
BRECCIAS

A. DETRITAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS:

1. INTRODUCTION: CLASSIFICATION BASED ON
PARTICLE SIZE
a) ALL DETRITAL ROCKS ARE CLASTIC
b) SAND AND SILT PREDOMINANTLY QUARTZ
c) FINER-SIZED PARTICLES OF CLAY MINERALS

2. MUDSTONES
a) MORE THAN HALF OF ALL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
b) CONTAIN THE SMALLEST PARTICLES (0.004 mm IN DIAMETER)
c) ENVIRONMENTS OF DEPOSITION: LAKES, LAGOONS, DEEP OCEAN
BASINS, RIVER FLOODPLAINS
d) COLOR VARIETY OF SHALE REPRESENTS MINERAL COMPOSITION
e) PRACTICAL USES OF SHALE: BRICKS, CERAMICS, CEMENT, AND OIL
SHALE

3.SANDSTONES:
a) 25% OF ALL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
b) SANDSTONE PARTICLES (1/16-2 MM IN DIAMETER)
c) PRACTICAL USES OF SANDSTONES: BUILDINGS AND RESERVOIR
FOR FOSSIL FUELS AND GROUNDWATER
4.CONGLOMERATES AND BRECCIAS
a) GRAINS LARGER THAN 2 MM
b) CONGLOMERATES HAVE ROUNDED GRAINS
c) BRECCIAS HAVE ANGULAR GRAINS

B. CHEMICAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

1.

INORGANIC CHEMICAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

a) LIMESTONE (INORGANIC)
i) FORMATION
ii) OOLITIC LIMESTONE
iii) TUFA
iv) TRAVERTINE

Cross-bedding & mudcracks

3. CROSS-BEDDING: SEDIMENTARY LAYERS DEPOSITED AT AN
ANGLE TO THE UNDERLYING SET OF BEDS
4. SURFACE SEDIMENTARY FEATURES
a) RIPPLE MARKS: SMALL SURFACE RIDGES PRODUCED WHEN
WATER OR WIND FLOWS OVER SEDIMENT AFTER IT IS
DEPOSITED
b) MUDCRACKS: OCCUR ON THE TOP OF A SEDIMENT LAYER
WHEN MUDDY SEDIMENT DRIES AND CONTRACTS

Origin of mud cracks

Asymmetric and symmetric ripples

D. LITHIFICATION: TURNING SEDIMENT INTO

SEDIMENTARY ROCK
1. DEFINITION OF DIAGENESIS: CHANGES IN THE
SEDIMENT DUE TO INCRESED HEAT, PRESSURE, AND
CIRCULATING GROUNDWATER
2. DEFINITION OF LITHIFICATION: END RESULT OF
DIAGENESIS

3. COMPACTION: DIAGENETIC PROCESS BY WHICH

THE WEIGHT OF OVERLYING MATERIALS REDUCES
THE VOLUME OF SEDIMENTARY BODY

Lithification of sediment

Initial deposits of flat/tabular clay

Formation of ooliths

Locations of subsurface evaporite

Formation of coal from swamp deposits

Formation of coal contd.

Common geological environment

Geology at a glance

Marine sedimentary environment

Sedimentary facies formation

Sedi. Facies formation contd.

Landword Migration

Chapter Summary

% of sedimentary rocks in outer 10 miles

Basic classification of sedimentary rocks
Most sedi. Rocks Chemical or detrital
Definition of sedimentary rocks
Sorting by wind, glaciers (well sorted vs poor sorting)
Degree of sedimentary particle rounding
Bedding plane, sedimentary structure, occurrence
Diagenesis, Lithification, Cementation
Composition of detrital sedimentary rocks
Environment deposition of shale
Breccia and Conglomerate
Oolitic Limestone
Definition of Sedimentary Facies Characteristics that distinguish one
from another