Sedimentary Rocks

Dead Horse Point, Utah

Dr. R. B. Schultz

What are sedimentary rocks and what do they represent? Sedimentary rocks are those that represent the material record of environments in the form of rock layers or strata that once existed on earth. There are two (2) types of sedimentary rocks, based on their textures: Clastic (also called Detrital)-- form from deposition of solid grains; classified based on grain size: conglomerate, sandstone, and shale Chemical -- form from minerals precipitating out of water and usually involves some sort of chemical reaction; classified based on mineral content: limestone, bituminous coal are examples. Why are sedimentary rocks important? Sedimentary rocks contain information about what earth surface environments were like in the past. Possess natural resources including important fossil fuels. Where are sedimentary rocks found? Sedimentary environments (also referred to as depositional environments) environments are places where sediments accumulate usually in nearly horizontal layers. There are three (3) very general sedimentary environments:
Continental (on a landmass) Near shore/shallow water (a transition between continental and ocean) Deep marine water

Importance of Sedimentary Rocks

Bauxite: ore of aluminum

How can we detect what type of depositional environment a sedimentary rock formed in? Controls on sedimentary environments: Sedimentary rocks may contain fossils Fossils tell us what type of environment the rock around the fossil formed in What are some specific types of depositional environments? Continental Sedimentary Environments Glacial: deposits may have wide range of grain sizes (poorly sorted). Fluvial (river): mostly sand, better (not perfectly) sorted) Lacustrine (lake): muddy, thin layers on lakebed Aeolian (wind blown): silt and sand dunes produces thick crossbeds; best sorted Marine (Nearshore) Sedimentary Environments (Transitional) Deltas: where rivers empty into the sea; clastic sediments are deposited Beaches: deposits of sand at the coast; brought in by wave action Shelf: sand, mud or limestone sediments just offshore in shallow water Reefs: build-up of skeletal limestone (calcite) secreted by marine organisms Marine (Offshore) Sedimentary Environments (Deep Sea) Slope and rise: rise steep drop off and gentle slope offshore; mixed clastics Deep marine: very finely layered limestone mud; marine snow

So how do we interpret a sedimentary rock sample? Observe characteristic in rock texture, sedimentary structures, and fossils Try to match features found in modern environments, i.e., Florida Bay, Belize, and the Bahamas currently produce marine limestones What are examples of sedimentary rock characteristics and their associated textures? Clastic Sedimentary Rocks Classification based on grain size Conglomerate (rounded grains): poorly-sorted, well-rounded; looks gravelly Breccia (angular grains): poorly-sorted, angular grains; looks gravelly Sandstone: Sandstone grains of sand (usually quartz and feldspar) Shale: mud compressed into a rock; many colors; always flat and layered Chemical Sedimentary Rocks Classification based on composition Limestone: made mostly of calcite; fizzes with acid; usually fossils present Dolomite (dolostone): made mostly of the mineral dolomite; some acid fizz Evaporites: various mineral salts that precipitate from evaporating water (ex: halite, gypsum, calcite) Bituminous Coal: Coal organics (carbon) compressed into peat then lithified into coal

Conglomerate

Breccia (pronounced Bretcha)

Sandstone

Coquina (crushed shells)

Formation of Coal Types

Anthracite Coal

What are the processes that go into making sedimentary rocks? All of the processes that go into making sedimentary rocks are collectively referred to as diagenesis. It may occur at or very near surface, but more commonly occurs after sediments are buried. Diagenetic Processes Weathering and Erosion: from pre-existing rocks Transportation: movement from one place to another (by wind, water, or ice) Compaction: due to pressure; making into flat layers Cementation: precipitation of minerals around sediments (commonly quartz or calcite are precipitated as cement) Lithification: compaction and squeezing out of fluid to make final solid rock into large layers

Diagenesis
Weathering and Erosion of pre-existing rocks and minerals

Transportation by Water,ice, or wind

Deposition (Sediment is laid down)

Compaction
Cementation by silica or calcite

Recrystallization
Lithification

Other terms associated with sedimentary geology:

Sorting - terms referring to the range of particle sizes in clastic rocks (well- or poorly-sorted) Roundness - degree of smoothness of particle edges and sphericity. (Well-rounded and angular)

Poorly-sorted

Moderately well-sorted

Well-sorted

What is a sedimentary structure and what does it tell us?

Sedimentary structures provide valuable clues as to deposition. Most basic is simple bedding (layering effect of sedimentary rocks). Ripple marks: undulations on a sand surface produced by wind or water (asymmetrical or symmetrical) Cross-bedding: inclined layering produced in sand by ripples or dunes at an angle to the horizontal Mud cracks (desiccation cracks): polygonal pattern of cracks produced on the surface of mud as it dries. Raindrop imprints: circular pits produced by the impacts of rain on soft mud Tracks: footprints of organics, example is dinosaur footprints. Trails are caused as organism crawls through mud or sediment. Burrows: excavations made by organisms in soft sediment commonly filled with different sediment Stromatolites: mound-like structures formed when sediment is trapped by blue-green algae. Oldest life form on Earth.

Stromatolites

Cross bedding

Mud cracks

Modern ripple marks

Ancient ripple marks

Raindrop imprints

Tracks

Burrows

Key Terminology
Texture Chemical Environment of deposition Fossil fuels Weathering Transportation Compaction Lithification Sorting Formation Stromatolites Clastic Sedimentary environment Natural resources Diagenesis Erosion Deposition Recrystallization Cementation Roundness Cross bedding Sedimentary structures