Sedimentary rocks

Sedimentary rocks are formed by deposition

of weathering products carried by
transporting agents to basins of deposition.
They cover nearly three quarters of the
Earth's surface, but in a small thickness
which accounts for about 5% only of the
crust and rocks by volume. Though small in
amount, they include rocks and ores of
economic important e.g. limestone,
phosphate, coal and iron ores. Only three
kinds account for about 90% by volume of
the sedimentary rocks, these are the
mudstones (and shale), the sandstones and
the limestone. Sedimentary rocks are
classified, according to their mode of
formation, into detritus rocks, chemical rocks
and biogenic and biochemical rocks.

First: clastic-detritus sedimentary

rocks:
They are classified according the size of their
dominant fragments in their solid
components into the following classes:
Gravels: composed of rounded
fragments more than two millimeters
in diameter. When gravels are lithified
and consolidated by cementation, the
rock is known as conglomerate.
Sands: Sands are composed of grains
ranging from 2 mm to 62 microns in
diameter, most of these grains is
Quartz and the lithified rock are known
as sandstone. From these sand
deposits are the sand dunes in
deserts.
Mud: It is a sediment composed of a
mixture of silt and clay both are
usually mixed together to form mud
deposits as in case of Egyptian soil
(Nile alluvium soil). When mud

becomes consolidated, it is known as

mudstone which usually acquires
lamination and fissility as a result of its
grains compacting and then it is
known as shale or laminated mud.

Second: chemical sedimentary

rocks:
Chemical sedimentary rocks are formed by
precipitation of the dissolved load of soluble
salts in water. This precipitation is due to
evaporation of water and the increase of
salts concentration. The most famous
chemical deposits are limestone, gypsum
and table salt. Man made use of this
phenomenon and extracted table salt from
sea water by water evaporation in artificial
reservoirs. Dolomite is another common
chemical sedimentary rock. It consists of the
mineral dolomite.

Third: organic Biogenic and

Biochemical sedimentary Rocks:
Organic sedimentary rocks are made of
organic materials. Coal is the best example.
Coal forms when plants in swamps with a lot
of vegetation die and are buried by the
remains of later plants. The plant material
becomes compacted. Over time, the weight
of overlying sediment turns the vegetation
into rock.

Sedimentary Rock Formation

Sedimentary rock formation begins with
igneous, metamorphic, or other sedimentary
rocks. When these rocks are exposed at the
earths surface they begin the long slow but

relentless process of becoming sedimentary

rock.
Weathering: All rocks are subject to
weathering. Weathering is anything
that breaks the rocks into smaller
pieces or sediments. This can happen
by the forces of like wind, rain, and
freezing water.
Deposition: The sediments that form
from these actions are often carried to
other places by the wind, running
water, and gravity. As these forces
lose energy the sediments settle out
of the air or water. As the settling
takes place the rock fragments are
graded by size. The larger heavier
pieces settle out first. The smallest
fragments travel farther and settle out
last. This process of settling out is
called deposition.
Erosion: The combination of
weathering and movement of the
resulting sediments is called erosion.

 Lithification: Lithification is the

changing of sediments into rock. There
are two processes involved in this
change. They are compaction and
cementation.
Compaction: Compaction occurs
after the sediments have been
deposited. The weight of the
sediments squeezes the particles
together. As more and more sediments
are deposited the weight on the
sediments below increases.
Waterborne sediments become so
tightly squeezed together that most of
the water is pushed out.
Cementation: Cementation happens
as dissolved minerals become
deposited in the spaces between the
sediments. These minerals act as glue
or cement to bind the sediments
together.

Sedimentary Environments
Sedimentary rocks are formed from
sediments that are deposited in various
places at Earths surface.
Limestone is usually deposited in a
shallow ocean.
Sandstone can also be deposited in a
shallow ocean. However, it can form in
a beach, desert, or river as well.
Coal is usually formed in swamps.

Sedimentary Rocks and

Climate
Sedimentary rocks can tell you about past
climates.
Sandstone that was deposited as
desert sand dunes records a time
when the area was dry.
Limestone suggest deposition in
warm, shallow oceans.

 Coal forms in tropical to subtropical

climates.