S E D I M E NTARY ROC

KS
WHAT ARE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS?

Sedimentary rocks are formed from pre-existing rocks or

pieces of once-living organisms. They form from deposits that
accumulate on the Earth's surface. Sedimentary rocks often
have distinctive layering or bedding. Sedimentary rocks actually
cover 75% of the Earth's surface!
WHAT ARE SEDIMENTARY ROCKS?

In most places on the surface, the igneous rocks which

make up the majority of the crust are covered by a thin veneer
of loose sediment, and the rock which is made as layers of this
debris get compacted and cemented together.
 HOW IT’S MADE

WEATHERING DEPOSITION EROSION LITHIFICATION COMPACTION

“IT IS A PROCESS THAT TAKES MILLIONS OF YEARS”

 MAIN TYPES OF
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
MAIN TYPES

Clastic : your basic sedimentary rock. Clastic sedimentary

rocks are accumulations of clasts: little pieces of broken up
rock which have piled up and been "lithified" by compaction
and cementation.
These sedimentary rocks are composed of the solid products of
weathering (gravel, sand, silt, and clay) cemented together by
the dissolved weathering products.
LITHIFY : transform (a sediment or other material) into stone.
MAIN TYPES

Chemical : many of these form when standing water

evaporates, leaving dissolved minerals behind. These are very
common in arid lands, where seasonal "playa lakes" occur in
closed depressions. Thick deposits of salt and gypsum can form
due to repeated flooding and evaporation over long periods of
time.
MAIN TYPES

Organic : any accumulation of sedimentary debris caused by

organic processes. Many animals use calcium for shells, bones,
and teeth. These bits of calcium can pile up on the seafloor
and accumulate into a thick enough layer to form an "organic"
sedimentary rock.
EXAMPLES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
EXAMPLES

NAME

Limestone
is a carbonate sedimentary rock that is
often composed of the skeletal
fragments of marine organisms such as
coral, foraminifera, and molluscs. Its
major materials are the minerals calcite
and aragonite, which are different crystal
forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
Sandstone
is a sedimentary rock composed
of sand-size grains of mineral,
rock, or organic material. It also
contains a cementing material
that binds the sand grains
together and may contain a
matrix of silt- or clay-size particles
that occupy the spaces between
the sand grains.
 Importances of sedimentary rocks

Sedimentary rocks have great economic importance

Oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium as energy resources
Sand and gravel for construction from sediment
Sandstone and limestone are used for building stone
Rock gypsum is used to make plaster
Limestone is used to make cement
Salt is used for flavoring
Phosphate-bearing sedimentary rocks are used for fertilizer
Quartz sand is used to make glass
To name a few.
End of slide