Lecture 6: Sedimentary Environments

This flashcard set covers sedimentary rocks, including their classification, formation environments, and the effects of sea level changes. It explains how sedimentary rocks are categorized, where they form, and how sea level fluctuations impact their development.

Basin

a depression in the crust covering a large area; deeper part in crust or ocean.

Subsidence

the sinking of land due to weight of deposits or continued deposition.

Tectonic setting

applied stress that influences the formation of sedimentary rocks.

Turbidity current

fast-moving, sediment-laden flow of water down underwater slopes.

Craton

stable interior of a continent where the oldest rocks are found.

Shield

old crystalline basement rock exposed at the surface.

Orogenic belts

elongated regions deformed by compressional forces.

Depositional environment

geographic location where sediments accumulate.

Till

unsorted sediment deposited directly by a glacier.

Lithofacies

part of a rock body indicating depositional environment.