TERRESTRIAL SEDIMENTARY ENVIRONMENTS

ALLUVIAL FAN FLUVIAL LACUSTRINE DESERT (DUNES) PALUDAL

Rock Type Breccia, Conglomerate Siltstone, Quartz arenite (sandstone) Peat, coal,
conglomerate, sandstone shale, limestone, or gypsum black shale,
arkose, siltstone, shale or evaporites (gypsum) siltstone

Composition Terrigenous Terrigenous Terrigenous, carbonate, Terrigenous or Terrigenous

or evaporite evaporite

Color Brown or red Brown or red Black, brown, Yellow, red, Black, gray,

Grain Size Clay to gravel Clay to gravel Clay to silt or sand Sand Clay to silt
(Fining upward) (Coarsening upward)

Grain Shape Angular Rounded to --- Rounded ---

angular

Sorting Poor Variable Variable Good Variable

Inorganic Cross-bedding Asymmetrical Symmetrical ripples, Cross-bedding Laminated to

Sedimentary ripples,
Structures
graded bedding cross-bedding, lamination, cross-bedding, massive
graded bedding, graded bedding,
tool marks mudcracks,
raindrop prints

Organic or --- Tracks, trails, Tracks, trails, burrows, Tracks, trails Root marks,
Biogenic burrows rare stromatolites burrows
Sedimentary
Structures
Fossils --- Rare freshwater Freshwater shells, --- Plant fossils,
shells,
shells, bones, fish, bones, rare freshwater
bones, plant fragments plant fragments
 TRANSITIONAL SEDIMENTARY ENVIRONMENTS

DELTA BARRIER BEACH LAGOON TIDAL FLAT

Rock Type Sandstone, siltstone, Quartz arenite, coquina Siltstone, shale, limestone, Siltstone, shale,
shale, coal oolitic limestone or gypsum calcilutite,
dolostone or gypsum

Composition Terrigenous Terrigenous or carbonate Terrigenous, carbonate, Terrigenous, carbonate,

or evaporite or evaporite

Color Brown, black, White to tan Dark gray to black Gray, brown, tan
gray, green, red

Grain Size Clay to sand Sand Clay to silt Clay to silt

(Coarsening upward)

Grain Shape --- Rounded to angular --- ---

Sorting Poor Good Poor Variable

Inorganic Cross-bedding, Cross-bedding, Lamination, ripples, Lamination, mudcracks,

Sedimentary graded bedding symmetrical ripples cross-bedding ripples, cross-bedding
Structures

Organic or Trails, burrows Tracks, trails, burrows Trails, burrows Stromatolites,

Biogenic trails, tracks,
Sedimentary burrows
Structures

Fossils Plant fragments, shells Marine shells Marine shells Marine shells
 MARINE SEDIMENTARY ENVIRONMENTS

REEF CONTINENTAL SHELF CONTINENTAL SLOPE & RISE ABYSSAL PLAIN

Rock Type Fossiliferous Sandstone, shale, siltstone, Litharenite, siltstone, and shale Shale, chert,
limestone fossiliferous limestone, (or limestone) micrite, chalk,
oolitic limestone diatomite

Composition Carbonate Terrigenous or carbonate Terrigenous or carbonate Terrigenous

or carbonate

Color Gray to white Gray to brown Gray, green, brown Black,

white red

Grain Size Variable, frameworks, Clay to sand Clay

few to no grains

Grain Shape --- --- --- ---

Sorting --- Poor to good Poor Good

Inorganic --- Lamination, Graded bedding, cross-bedding, Lamination

Sedimentary cross-bedding lamination, flute marks, tool marks
Structures (turbidites)

Organic or --- Trails, burrows Trails, burrows Trails,

Biogenic burrows
Sedimentary
Structures

Fossils Corals, marine shells Marine shells Marine shells, rare plant fragments Marine shells
(mostly
microscopic)