Sedimentary Rocks and Minerals Lecture

These flashcards are designed to help students review key terms and concepts related to sedimentary rocks and minerals.

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed by the accumulation and compaction of mineral and organic particles.

Minerals

Natural solid compounds with a defined chemical composition and specific crystal structure.

Polymorphs

Different minerals that have the same chemical composition but different structures.

Chemical Weathering

A process that alters the composition of minerals, leading to the formation of new minerals and ions.

Evaporites

Minerals that precipitate from evaporating water, such as gypsum and halite.

Clastic Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed from fragments of pre-existing rocks, categorized based on grain size.

Maturity

A measure of a sediment's alteration from its original rock composition, indicated by the percentage of quartz.

Grain Size Classification

The classification of sediments based on their particle sizes, such as boulders, sand, and clay.

Rounding

The process by which sediment grains become rounded due to transport and abrasion.

Sedimentary Structures

Features such as bedding planes and ripple marks that provide clues about the environment of deposition.

Trace Fossils

Fossils that indicate the activity of organisms, such as footprints or burrows.

Bioturbation

The disturbance of sediment by living organisms, which can affect the sediment's texture.

Cross Bedding

Layers of sediment that are deposited at an angle to the main bedding plane.

Graded Beds

Layered sediments that show a gradual change in particle size from bottom to top.

Ripple Marks

Sedimentary structures formed by the movement of water or wind over loose sediment.

Mud Cracks

Cracks that form in dried mud due to desiccation.

Imbrication

The arrangement of sedimentary particles in a direction, typically indicative of flow direction.

Hard Grounds

Surface formed during sedimentary rock formation that can preserve structures like tracks.

Halite

A mineral composed of sodium chloride, commonly known as rock salt.

Slickensides

Polished rock surfaces resulting from faulting and movement.