SEDIMENTS AND

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Depositional
environments
 Depositional environments

• The type of sedimentary rock deposited and the sedimentary

structures produced are factors of the depositional environment.

• A depositional environment is a geographic and/or geomorphic

area where deposition of sediments is possible.
 Depositional environments

Continental Marine
Fluvial Continental shelf
Desert Continental slope
Lake Deep-sea
Glacial Coastal
Delta
Tidal flat
Beach
 Depositional environments

• Each environment has distinctive physical, chemical, and biological

characteristics.

• Sedimentary rocks commonly exhibit a set of textures and structures

that may be characteristic for a depositional environment.
 Sedimentary facies
• A sedimentary facies refers to the sum of lithological, physical and biological
characteristics of a sedimentary unit.

• It is a distinctive rock type that broadly corresponds to a particular depositional

environment or mode of origin.

• e.g. fluvial channel facies, overbank facies, shelf facies, turbidite facies
 Sedimentary facies

• A facies in a sedimentary succession can change vertically due to a change of

the depositional environment with time.

• A facies can change laterally due to a change from one depositional

environment to another.
 Facies models

• Facies models are schematic 3D-representations of specific depositional

environments that serve as norms for interpretation and prediction.
Rhythmic bedding
Massive
bedding