Sedimentary Rocks (GEOG 1120-001)

Name all 9 Sedimentary Rocks

Conglomerate, Fossiliferous Limestone, Chalk, Crystalline Limestone, Shale, Quartz Sandstone, Breccia, Rock Salt, and Siltstone

What are the 3 types of sedimentary rock textures?

Clastic, Bioclastic, and Crystalline

What does clastic mean?

Rocks composed of pre-existing rock fragments are cemented together

What does bioclastic mean?

Rocks composed of an accumulation of pre-existing organic fragments, such as shell, coral, or plant remains

What does crystalline mean?

Form as mineral crystals grow by precipitation from solution at or near the Earth's surface

What are the 5 clastic rocks?

Conglomerate, Shale, Quartz Sandstone, Breccia, and Siltstone

What are the 2 bioclastic rocks?

Fossiliferous Limestone and Chalk

What are the 2 crystalline rocks?

Crystalline Limestone and Rock Salt

How does a clastic rock's dominant grain-size reveal depositional environment energy levels?

Higher energy can transport big and small sediments, while low energy can transport small sediments only

What does fissile mean?

Rocks or minerals that can split easily into thin layers, sheets, or slabs along natural planes of weakness

What is the difference between shale and siltstone?

Shale is a fissile rock meaning they break along their bedding planes, while siltstone does not have bedding planes

What are the 3 sedimentary rocks that effervesce?

Fossiliferous Limestone, Chalk, and Crystalline Limestone (the limestone family)

What are the differences between the compositions of chalk and fossiliferous limestone?

The sizes, types, and species of the organic remain that form them

Why can crystalline limestone and rock salt not form in similar environments?

Crystalline limestone is formed in warm, steady water in tropical locations while rock salt is formed in deserted environments

What rock is this and what are its properties (texture - if clastic, grain-size and sorting - and depositional environment)?

Conglomerate

• Clastic

• Gravel-Sized Grains

• Poorly Sorted

• Landslides (high energy, short distance)

What rock is this and what are its properties (texture - if clastic, grain-size and sorting - and depositional environment)?

Fossiliferous Limestone

• Bioclastic

• Reefs and Coral

What rock is this and what are its properties (texture - if clastic, grain-size and sorting - and depositional environment)?

Chalk (Limestone)

• Bioclastic

• Shallow seas along continental margins

What rock is this and what are its properties (texture - if clastic, grain-size and sorting - and depositional environment)?

Crystalline Limestone

• Crystalline

• Warm, shallow seas

What rock is this and what are its properties (texture - if clastic, grain-size and sorting - and depositional environment)?

Shale

• Clastic

• Silt and Clay

• Well-Sorted

• Lake or delta (low energy, long distance)

What rock is this and what are its properties (texture - if clastic, grain-size and sorting - and depositional environment)?

Quartz Sandstone

• Clastic

• Sand-Sized Grains

• Well-Sorted

• Beaches or deserts (low energy, short distances)

What rock is this and what are its properties (texture - if clastic, grain-size and sorting - and depositional environment)?

Breccia

• Clastic

• Gravel-Sized Grains

• Poorly Sorted

• Landslides (high energy, short distance)

What rock is this and what are its properties (texture - if clastic, grain-size and sorting - and depositional environment)?

Rock Salt

• Crystalline

• Hot areas where evaporation exceed precipitation

What rock is this and what are its properties (texture - if clastic, grain-size and sorting - and depositional environment)?

Siltstone

• Clastic

• Silt and Clay

• Well-Sorted

• Lake or delta (low energy, long distance)