Sedimentary Rocks and Depositional Environments

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to sedimentary rocks, their formation, and environmental indicators.

Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed by the accumulation and lithification of sediment. They provide valuable information about past conditions on Earth.

Clastic Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks formed from weathered and eroded fragments of pre-existing rocks.

Lithification

The process of turning sediments into sedimentary rock through burial, compaction, and cementation.

Mature Clastic Sediments

Sediments that are far from the source and typically consist of well-sorted, rounded grains.

Immature Clastic Sediments

Sediments that are near the source and often consist of poorly sorted, angular grains.

Evaporites

Chemical sedimentary rocks that form through the evaporation of water, leading to the deposition of minerals like halite.

Biochemical Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks that are formed from the accumulation of organic materials, such as shells from marine organisms.

Mud Cracks

Geological features indicating drying conditions where mud has been exposed to air and cracked.

Fossiliferous Limestone

A type of limestone that contains fossils and formed from the accumulation of shell debris or the remains of organisms.

Cross-Bedding

Sedimentary structures formed by the deposition of sediment at an angle to the horizontal, indicating current direction.

Ripple Marks

Sedimentary features that indicate the action of currents or waves in a sedimentary environment.