SedimentaryRock

SedimentaryRocksare
formedbypressure,
heat,anddryingout.
Sedimentsdonot
necessarilyhavetobe
undertremendous
pressuretobecome
sedimentaryrock(as
seeninthelab).

SedimentaryRock

SedimentaryRock
TheEarthsCrustismadeupofsolidbedrock.(Bedrockis
solidrockthatisconnectedcontinuouslydownintothe
Earthscrust,ratherthanexistingasseparatepiecesor
massessurroundedbyloosematerials

SedimentaryRockarebyfarthemost
commonrocktypeintheuppercrust
Whyisthis?

SedimentaryRock
Rocksarebrokendownbyweathering
http://www.learner.org/interactives/rockcycle/cha
nge3.html
Sedimentistransportedbywind,water,orglaciers
toanewsite,whereitisdepositedinlayers.Over
time,thesedimentsareburiedandpressed
together,orcompacted.Eventually,thesediment
iscementedtogethertoformnewrocks,knowas
sedimentaryrock.Thisprocesstakesmillionsof
years

SedimentaryRockusuallylayered,thatresultsfromtheconsolidationor
lithificationofsediment,forexampleaclasticrocklikesandstoneora
chemicalrocklikerocksalt,oranorganicrocklikecoal(U8).
SedimentaryRockareeitherMarine(depositedintheocean)ornonmarine
(depositedonthecontinents).Ifmarinesedimentaryrockarepresent,thearea
musthavebeenbelowsealevel.

SedimentaryRock
PhysicalandChemical
processeswork
togethertoconvert
exposedbedrock
Siliciclasticand
Chemical

SedimentaryRock

Clasticfragmentsofrocksandmineralsthathavebeenphysicallytransportedanddepositedandthenconvertedinto
rock

ChemicalDirectprecipitationofmineralsfromasolution.Onlychemicalsedimentaryrocksareaffectedby
chemical(vinegar/acid),allothersarenotaffected,unlesstheacidisstrongenough.

OrganicRemainsofplantsandanimalsthathavebeenconvertedintorock

ClasticSedimentaryRock

ClasticSedimentaryRock:asedimentaryrockmadeupofmostlyoffragmentsderivedfrompreexistingrocksand
transportedmechanicallytotheirplacesofdeposition.(U8)
ClasticSedimentaryRockaremadeupmostlyoffragments,calledclaststhatareerodedfromother
rocks.
ClayorMud(Smallest1/16mmorsmaller
Sand(1/16to2mm)
Gravel(pebblestoboulders,biggerthan2mm)

ChemicalSedimentary

Rocksconsistofmaterialsthat
haveprecipitatedfromthe
oceanwaterorlakewater(Utah
orDeathValley).Remember
Onlychemicalsedimentary
rocksareaffectedbychemicals
(U9)

Precipitation:theprocessof
formingsolidmineral
constituentsfromasolutionby
evaporation(U9)

OrganicSedimentaryRock

asedimentaryrockconsisting
mainlyoftheremainsof
organisms(U10).
Consistsofthemineralcalcite,
acalciumcarbonatemineral
withtheformulaCaCO3
OrganicSedimentaryRock
formswhenplantsinswamps
withrichvegetationdieandare
buriedbytheremainsoflater
plants

CompactionandCementation

CompactionandCementation
Compaction:Thereductioninbulkvolumeorthicknessoffinegrained
sedimentsowingtoincreasingweightofoverlayingmaterialthatis
continuallybeingdeposited(U11)
Cementation:Theprocessbywhichsedimentsareconvertedintorock
bytheprecipitationofamineralcementamongthegrainsof
sediment(U11)
Lithificationistheprocessofsedimentthatgraduallybecomes
convertedtosolidrock.Thisiscalledlithified

Classification
Classification,orthegroupingororderingof
objectsbysimilarfeatures,ismeanttomakeit
easierforpeopletothinkaboutanddiscusswhat
theyareinvestigating
Distinguishingfeaturesoftherocksampleswill
includethingslikethesizeofgrains,theshapeof
thegrains,whatthegrainsaremadeof,ifthereare
anyvisiblefossils,andhowtherockfeelsand
eventastes.

Vocabulary
KeyVocabulary:SedimentaryRock,
Compaction,Cementation,Bedrock,
ClasticSedimentaryRock,Clast,
PrecipitationChemicalSedimentary
Rock,AndOrganicSedimentaryRock