Sedimentary Rock: Sedimentary rocks are secondary rocks that are formed by the

deposition and subsequent cementation of the sediments of other pre-existing rocks

(such as igneous rock) that are created by weathering and erosion at the earth's
surface and within bodies of water. Example – Conglomerate is formed from
Gravel.

Characteristics of Sedimentary Rock

 They are layered. Layering of sediment records history of sedimentary

process, climate, tectonics, life, etc.
 Sedimentary rocks only make up 5% of the Earth's crust, but cover about
75% of the surface of the earth.
 The raw material for sedimentary rocks comes from weathering.
 Most sedimentary rocks are formed by the lithification of weathered rock
debris that has been physically transported and deposited.

Weathering

Definition: Weathering is a process of breaking down of rocks and minerals on the

earth’s surface into transportable fragments. There are two types of weathering :-

Mechanical Weathering: This type of weathering involves the physical

disintegration of rock. The process produces smaller rock particles that have the
same composition as the parent material. Clastic sediments are created from
mechanical weathering.

Chemical Weathering: This type involves the decomposition of rock. This

process transforms the parent material chemically, and releases mineral grains.
Produces ions in the solution.

Sediment: Sediments are mass of organic, inorganic or naturally formed

fragments of solid material. Sediments are created from the weathering of other
rock or mineral.
Characteristics of Sediments

 Raw materials for sedimentary rocks.

 Derived from weathering of parent rocks.
 Creates sedimentary rock by deposition and cementation.
 Sediments are angular, sub-angular, sub-rounded, rounded, well rounded in
shape.

Types of Sediments

There are three types of sediment. I) Clastic II) Biogenic and III) Chemical.

Clastic or Detrital Sediment: Clastic sediments are composed of fragments of

rock. In fact, a 'clast' is the word we use to describe a rock fragment. These
fragments are chipped away or weathered from pre-existing rocks due to natural
forces that act on them, such as water, ice and wind. Due to this constant eroding
or rubbing away at the preexisting rocks, we sometimes see clastic sediments
going by the name of detrital, which means to rub away. This type of sediments are
transported/deposited by mechanical process.

Detrital sediment is classified according to size. Detrital sedimentary rocks can

contain a wide range of sizes, from mud to boulder…..

 Boulder > 256 mm

 Cobble 64 to 256 mm
 Pebble 2 to 64 mm
 Sand 1/16 to 2 mm
 Silt 1/256 to 1/16 mm
 Clay < 1/256 mm ***
Biogenic Sediment: Sediment consisting of the small shells or casts secreted
(precipitated) by organisms, such as foraminifera, diatoms and Coral reefs.
Biogenic sediments are created from the life activities of organisms. Limestone and
Coal are the examples of rocks that contains biogenic sediments.

Chemical Sediment: Chemical sediments are different because they aren’t made
up of fragments that got weathered or broken down. They are composed of mineral
crystal that form out of solution. It’s formed of material dissolved during chemical
weathering and deposited by biological or non-biological chemical reactions.

Sediments are eroded/transported by water, wind, ice and gravity.

The materials contained by Sediments

 Clay minerals.
 Quartz.
 Calcite and dolomite  chemical.
 Feldspars.
 Fe oxides and sulfides  chemical.
 Salts and gypsum  chemical.
 Volcanic debris (Tephra).
 Organic matter – bioclastics.

Tephra is fragmental material produced by a volcanic eruption regardless of

composition, fragment size or emplacement mechanism.

Sediment Rock

Gravel Conglomerate

Sand Sandstone

Silty Mud Siltstone

Clayey Mud Shale

Matrix: Matrix is the finer grains or material that surrounds the larger clasts. It
consist of either clay, silt and sand.

Cement: Cement is dissolved substance that bounds the sediments. It can be

Calcareous or Siliceous.