1

Sedimentary Rocks
The Rock Cycle
Sediments
Sediments: Loose grains and chemical
residues.
Rock fragments
Mineral grains
Parts of plants and animals
Rust (e.g., hydrated iron oxide)
Sediments accumulate to form a
sedimentary unit.
Sediment Formation
Chemical Weathering: Decomposition or
dissolution of Earth materials.
Olivine Iron oxide & magnesium oxide residues
Feldspar & Micas Clay
Physical (Mechanical) Weathering: Physical
disintegration of Earth materials for form clasts
of rock fragments & mineral grains.
2
Sediment Types
Clastic sediment: Sediment formed from
fragmented rock and mineral debris produced by
weathering and erosion.
aka: Detrital
Chemical sediment: Sediment formed by the
precipitation of minerals dissolved in lake, river,
or sea water.
Biogenic sediment: Sediment that is primarily
composed of plant and animal remains, or which
precipitates as a result of biologic processes.
aka: Biochemical
Clastic Sediments
Size of clasts (fragments) is the primary
basis for classification.
Other properties include shape, angularity,
and size range (sorting).
Can be broken pieces of just about any
rock/mineral material.
Grain Sizes (Wentworth Scale)
Clay
Silt
Sand
Gravel
Sediment
Mud
<1/256
>1/256
<1/16
>1/16
<2
>2
Diameter
(mm)
Too small too see. Feels smooth
(like chalk dust) between fingers or
in teeth. Slick when wet.
Too small to see individual grains.
Felt as tiny gritty grains between
fingers or in teeth.
Grains are visible. Feels gritty
between fingers.
Includes granules, pebbles, cobbles,
and boulders.
Comments
Shape/Angularity of Clasts
3
Size Range Chemical Sediments
Sediment formed by the precipitation of
minerals dissolved in lake, river, or sea
water.
1. Plants and animals alter the chemistry of
water
Increased CO
2
causes calcium carbonate
(CaCO
3
) to precipitate out
Common way for chemical limestone to form
Evaporation can exceed input of fresh water
[salts] increases and precipitation occurs
Chemical Sediments
Sediment formed by the precipitation of
minerals dissolved in lake, river, or sea
water.
2. Evaporation can exceed input of fresh water
[salts] increases and precipitation occurs
Examples include
Mono Lake, California
Great Salt Lake, Utah
Mono Lake, California
4
Salt Lake, Utah
Chemical Sediments
Common minerals include:
Gypsum
Halite
Hematite
Limonite
Calcite
Dolomite
Cryptocrystalline quartz
Biogenic Sediments
Sediment that is primarily composed of
plant and animal remains, or which
precipitates as a result of biologic
processes.
Includes hard parts: shells, bones, teeth
Forms biogenic limestone
Includes plant fragments: wood, roots, leaves
Forms coal
Sedimentary Rocks
Lithification: The group of processes by
which loose sediment is transformed into
sedimentary rock.
Compaction
Cementation
Recrystallization
5
The Rock Cycle Compaction
Compaction: Reduction in pore space in
a sediment as a result of the weight of
overlying sediments.
Cementation
Cementation: The process in which
substances dissolved in pore water
precipitate out and form a matrix in which
grains of sediment are joined together.
6
Recrystallization
Recrystallization: The formation of new
crystalline mineral grains from old ones.
Sometimes smaller crystals form into bigger
crystals.
(example of polymorphs)
Sedimentary Rock Types
Clastic
Chemical
Biogenic
7
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
Shale
Siltstone
Sandstone, usually dominated by
quartz
Rounded =Conglomerate
Angular =Breccia
Sedimentary Rock
Clay
Silt
Sand
Gravel
Sediment
Mud
<1/256
>1/256
<1/16
>1/16
<2
>2
Diameter
(mm)
Mudstone
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
Conglomerate/Breccia:
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
Sandstone:
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
Siltstone (mudstone):
8
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
Shale (mudstone):
Clastic Rocks Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
Formed by the cementation of chemical
precipitates
Most include only one mineral
Classification is based upon mineral type
9
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
Classification is based upon mineral type
Gypsum =Rock Gypsum
Halite =Rock Salt
Calcite =Limestone
Dolomite =Dolostone
Fe-bearing minerals =Ironstone
Microcrystalline quartz =Chert
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
Rock Gypsum/Rock Salt
Rock Gypsum Rock Salt
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
Limestone/Dolostone
Limestone (travertine)
Dolostone
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
10
Biogenic Sedimentary Rocks
Limestone is most abundant
Formed from lithified shells and other marine
organisms
Some deposited as calcite
Most deposited as aragonite which alters to calcite
Peat: A biogenic sediment that forms from the
accumulation and compaction of terrestrial plant
remains.
Coal: A combustible rock fromed from the
lithification or plant-rich sediment (peat).
Biogenic Sedimentary Rocks
Limestone is most abundant
Calcarenite Limestone
Biogenic Sedimentary Rocks
Peat and Coal
Biogenic Sedimentary Rocks
11
Limestone Overlap
Aci d
Tests