Formation Of Sedimentary Rock Essay Example
Formation Of Sedimentary Rock Essay Example

Formation Of Sedimentary Rock Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (679 words)
  • Published: April 27, 2017
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Sedimentary rock is produced the moment mineral substance or residues of flora and fauna remain out of water, air or ice. It comprises approximately ¾ of the earth’s ground region and the majority of the ocean bed (Tucker, 2001 & Wiley.

com, 2008). In some areas, these rocks have been forming for no less than 3 ½ billion years (Tucker, 2001 & Wiley. com, 2008). Origin and Formation of Sedimentary Rocks For the most part, sedimentary rock begins forming the moment particles of clay, silt, or sand lie in river valleys or on the underneath lakes and seas (Tucker, 2001 & Wiley. om, 2008).Annually, these mineral deposits accumulate and develop large, flat layers which are referred to as beds or strata.

The beds, which vary from one and the other in makeup or texture, differentiate sedimentary from igneous

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as well as metamorphic rocks. Following several years, the layers of fine silt and clay are compressed into rock beds squeezed together by the mass of other beds on top of them. The water the drips gradually in beds of rough sand and gravel, pile up mineral cement in these grains, bonding the beds together to mold rock.Where the earth’s layer is distorted or weather – beaten, large regions of covered sedimentary rock can be unearthed. There are sedimentary rocks which develop at some stage in water evaporation. For instance, layers of rock salt were produced in bays cut off from the deep or in some cases, at saltwater lakes.

While the confined water evaporated, beds of salt rocks were remains. Generally, fossils are unearthed in sedimentary rocks. The fossils are formed as sediments coat dead flora and fauna (Tucker

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2001 & Wiley. com, 2008). When the sediments transformed to rock, either the remnants or the profile of the flora and fauna were preserved.

There is a limestone which totally consists of fossil remains. Three Categories and Distinguishing Features of each type of Sedimentary Rocks Clastic rock is produced from solid grains which are weather – beaten from earlier rocks. Chemical and biochemical rocks are deposits which are advance from water either by means of chemical or biochemical or biological methods (Tucker, 2001 & Wiley. com, 2008).

The fundamental structural compositions of clastic sedimentary rocks are deposits, rocks, and mineral remains formed the moment rocks break up on the earth’s surface (Tucker, 2001 & Wiley. om, 2008).They form in three stages that involve the production, transportation, and deposition of residues. Chemical sedimentary rocks are produced from a solution as a product of varying physical conditions.

Customarily, the solution is sea water. These mineral deposits are dissolved from rocks on the continents and carried to the seas by solution in rivers. Mineral deposits dissolved in salt water are precipitated the moment water evaporates to produce rocks such as gypsum and halite (Tucker, 2001 & Wiley. com, 2008). Evaporation naturally happens in controlled basis in dry climates.Thick salt sediments signify that there must have been a steady source of additional salt water to guarantee the stable deposition of salts.

These rock kinds are known as evaporates. Biochemical sedimentary rocks require the behaviors of living creatures that cause mineral deposits to be formed as a product of a solution or are made up of the remnants of lifeless organisms. The bones of some microorganisms gather on the sea bed to produce chalk.

Breakdown may produce sands or mud to create medium to fine grained limestone. These rocks are occasionally referred to as organic sedimentary rocks (Tucker, 2001 & Wiley. com, 2008).

Kinds of Sedimentary Rocks Shale is the most usual kind of sedimentary rocks. It is composed of compacted mud, which is a blend of clay and silt. Silt is made up of fine grains of mineral substance. Limestone consists mainly of calcium carbonate. Cement consists of limestone with a small amount of shale combined. Sandstone, is made up of sand and conglomerate, consists of sand or gravel grains (Tucker, 2001 & Wiley.

com, 2008). The sand or gravel grains found in sandstone as well as in conglomerate are glued together by mineral cement. Coal, which is totally made up of compacted flora residues, is a main source of fuel.

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