Research

GEO237
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Dr. Abdulbaset mohammed

Created by:

Saif bader almuliky

441102132
 INDEX:
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Sedimentary rocks

Weathering 9

Transport 10

Deposition 11

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Erosion

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 Sedimentary rocks

Sedimentary rocks(1) are types of rock that are

formed by the accumulation or deposition
of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface,
followed by cementation.
Sedimentation is the collective name for
processes that cause these particles to settle in
place.
The particles that form a sedimentary rock are
called sediments, and may be composed
of geological detritus (minerals) or biological
detritus (organic matter).

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 Picture (1)

The geological detritus originated

from weathering and erosion of existing rocks, or from
the solidification of molten lava(2) blobs erupted by
volcanoes.

The geological detritus is transported to the place of

deposition by water, wind, ice or mass movement,
which are called agents of denudation.

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 Picture(2)

l detritus was formed by bodies and parts (mainly

shells) of dead aquatic organisms, as well as their fecal
mass, suspended in water and slowly piling up on the
floor of water bodies (marine snow)(3).

Sedimentation may also occur as dissolved minerals

precipitate from water solution(3).

Picture(3)

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The study of sedimentary rocks and rock strata provides
information about the subsurface that is useful for civil
engineering, for example in the construction of roads,
houses, tunnels, canals or other structures.

Sedimentary rocks are also important sources of natural

resources including coal, fossil fuels,drinking water and
ores.

Sedimentary rocks are formed when sediment is deposited

out of air, ice, wind, gravity, or water flows carrying the
particles in suspension.

This sediment is often formed when weathering and

erosion break down a rock into loose material in a source
area.

The material is then transported from the source area to

the deposition area.

The type of sediment transported depends on the geology

of the hinterland (the source area of the sediment).

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 However, some sedimentary rocks, such as evaporites, are
composed of material that form at the place of deposition.
The nature of a sedimentary rock, therefore, not only
depends on the sediment supply, but also on the
sedimentary depositional environment in which it formed

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 Weathering
Weathering(4) describes the breaking down or
dissolving of rocks and minerals on the surface of the
Earth. Water, ice, acids, salts, plants, animals, and
changes in temperature are all agents of weathering.
Weathering describes the breaking down or dissolving
of rocks and minerals on the surface of the Earth.

Picture(4)

Water, ice, acids, salts, plants, animals, and changes

in temperature are all agents of weathering.
Weathering and erosion constantly change the
rocky landscape of Earth. Weathering wears away
exposed surfaces over time. The length of exposure
often contributes to how vulnerable a rock is to
weathering. Rocks, such as lavas, that are quickly
buried beneath other rocks are less vulnerable to
weathering and erosion than rocks that are exposed to
agents such as wind and water.

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 Transport
Sediment transport(5) is the movement of solid
particles (sediment), typically due to a combination of
gravity acting on the sediment, and/or the movement of
the fluid in which the sediment is entrained.

Sediment transport occurs in natural systems where

the particles are clastic rocks (sand, gravel, boulders,
etc.), mud, or clay; the fluid is air, water, or ice; and the
force of gravity acts to move the particles along the
sloping surface on which they are resting.

Sediment transport due to fluid motion occurs

in rivers, oceans, lakes, seas, and other bodies of
water due to currents and tides.

Picture(5)

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 Deposition
Deposition(6) is the geological process in
which sediments, soil and rocks are added to
a landform or landmass. Wind, ice, water,
and gravity transport previously weathered surface
material, which, at the loss of enough kinetic energy in
the fluid, is deposited, building up layers of sediment.

Deposition occurs when the forces responsible for

sediment transportation are no longer sufficient to
overcome the forces of gravity and friction, creating a
resistance to motion; this is known as the null-point
hypothesis.
Deposition can also refer to the buildup of sediment
from organically derived matter or chemical processes.
For example, chalk is made up partly of the
microscopic calcium carbonate skeletons of
marine plankton, the deposition of which has induced
chemical processes (diagenesis) to deposit further
calcium carbonate.
Similarly, the formation of coal begins with the
deposition of organic material, mainly from plants,
in anaerobic conditions.

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 Erosion
Erosion(7) is the geological process in which earthen
materials are worn away and transported by natural
forces such as wind or water.
A similar process, weathering, breaks down
or dissolves rock, but does not involve movement.

Erosion is the opposite of deposition, the geological

process in which earthen materials are deposited, or
built up, on a landform.

Most erosion is performed by liquid water, wind, or ice

(usually in the form of a glacier).
If the wind is dusty, or water or glacial ice is muddy,
erosion is taking place.

The brown color indicates that bits of rock and soil are
suspended in the fluid (air or water) and being
transported from one place to another. This transported
material is called sediment.

Picture(7)

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Sources and references:

Sedimentary rock - Wikipedia

weathering | National Geographic Society

Deposition (geology) - Wikipedia

Sediment transport - Wikipedia

erosion | National Geographic Society

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