SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Chapter 7
Dr. Adly Kh. Al-Saafin
Eng’g. / Env. Geology
Earth Sciences Dept.
KFUPM - Dhahran
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
 Why Sedimentary Rocks?...
1. Sedimentary rocks;
rocks represent 5% of
the Earth’s crust by volume.
2. Sedimentary rocks contain evidence
of past environments:
environments (i.e: Origin,
Transportation, Dating,…….)
3. Sedimentary rocks are important for
economic considerations because
they may contain (i.e.: Coal, Oil/Gas,
Minerals, Groundwater)
 OUTLINE
I. Origin of Sedimentary Rocks
II. Formation of Sedimentary Rocks
III. Classification of Sedimentary Rocks
IV. Common Types of Sedimentary Rocks
V. Sedimentary Environments
VI. 1ry. Structures associated with
Sedimentary Rocks.
I. Origin of Sedimentary rocks
Sedimentary Rocks were derived from the soil
particles that resulting from all rock types by
effect of weathering.
 II. Formation of Sedimentary Rocks
1. Weathering,

2. Transportation, 
3. Deposition, and 
4. Lithification


FORMATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
(1. Weathering)

1. Sedimentary rocks are products of

mechanical and chemical
weathering.
 Physical Weathering
 Chemical Weathering
Rocks Weathering Residual + Soluble ions
1 2 3 4 5
 FORMATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
(2. Transportation)

2. Processes of Transportation:
 Transportation agents:
 Wind
 Water
 Ice

1 2 3 4 5
 Sizing & Sorting by Transport
NOTICE:
NOTICE
Relationship between current
velocity & particle size, shape, and
sorting.
Physical weathering during
transport leads to size reduction,
and rounding of fractions.
Types of Sorting
FORMATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
(3. Deposition)

3. Sedimentation (Depositional):
Thick piles of sediments can be
accumulated in sedimentary
basins.
Sediments are loose particulate-material
(e.g. gravels (pebbles), sand, clay)
clay

1 2 3 4 5
 Sediment
Characteristics
FORMATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
(4. Lithification)

4. Lithification:
Sediments become “sedimentary
rocks” lithification which
rocks through lithification,
involves:
 Cementation, and
 Compaction

1 2 3 4 5
Clastic Lithification
Turning sediment into rock!!

Many changes occur to sediments

after deposition as:
 Lithification
 Recrystallization
 Diagenesis: all chemical, physical,
and biological changes that take
place after sedimentation.
 Review Questions

1. What processes are involved in the

production of sediments?
sediments
2. What processes are involved in the
creation of sedimentary rock from
sediments?
sediments
 Classification of
Sedimentary Rocks
Rock Type Classification Based on:
Mineralogical Composition
Igneous
Texture
Source
Sedimentary Grain Size
Chemical Composition
III. Classification of Sedimentary
Rocks
Sedimentary rocks are classified into
two major groups based on source +
texture + type of material:
1. Detrital Sedimentary Rocks
2. Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
i. Inorganic (Chemical)
ii. Organic (Biochemical)
 Types of Sediments &
Sedimentary Rocks

Rocks Weathering Residual + Soluble ions

 Detrital (fragments) sediments  Detrital SRs

Chemical Sediments (Crystals):

 Inorganic sediments
 Chemical SRs
 Biochemical sediments
 Textures of Sediments &
Sedimentary Rocks
Two major (Textures) are used in the
classification of sedimentary rocks:
1. Detrital (Clastic)
• fragments and particles
– All detrital rocks have a Clastic Texture
2. Chemical (Inorganic & Biochemical)
• interlocking crystals (look-like an
igneous rocks)
 Composition of sediments and
sedimentary rocks
 Detrital (Clastic); made of solid grains or
fragments derived from other rocks by
Mechanical Weathering.
 Chemical;
Chemical made of mineral crystals
precipitated from solutions and/or
chemical residues by:
 Chemical Processes (e.g. evaporation or
replacement).
 Biochemical Activities that are made of
accumulation of organic matter from either
plants or animals.
 Classification & Naming of
Sedimentary Rocks
Classification & naming the
Sedimentary Rocks require
knowledge of its Source, Texture
and Composition

Detrital (Clastic) Chemical

Sedimentary Rocks Sedimentary Rocks

inorganic Biochemical
SRs
SRs
 IV. Common Types of
Sedimentary Rocks
Sediment originates from Mechanical
and/or Chemical Weathering.
 Rock Types:
1. Detrital rocks – transported sediment
as solid particles.
2. Chemical rocks – sediment that was
once in solution, and found in
crystallized form.
1. Detrital (Clastic)
Sedimentary Rocks
Textures of Clastic Sediments &
Sedimentary Rocks
 Grain size:
 Gravel
 Sand Processes of
 Silt Sedimentary rocks
 Clay formation contribute to
 Grain shape: textural features….
 Angular
 Rounded
 Grain arrangement:
 Poorly, moderately, and well sorted
C

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1. Detrital Sedimentary Rocks
 Constituents of Detrital
Sedimentary Rocks
 Particle size & Shape are used to
distinguish among the various types of
detrital rocks.
 Major constituents of detrital rocks
include:
 Quartz
 Feldspars
 Micas
 Clay minerals
 Types & Characteristics of Detrital
Sedimentary Rocks
Common Detrital Sedimentary Rocks:
Rocks
i. Shale
 Very fine (Mud-sized) particles
in thin layers that are commonly
referred to as laminea.
 Most common sedimentary
rock.
 Shale with plant remains

Figure 7.2
Types & Characteristics of Detrital
Sedimentary Rocks

ii. Sandstone
 Composed of sand-sized particles
 Forms in different environments
 Sorting, shape, and composition of the
grains can be used to interpret the
rock’s history
 Quartz is the predominant mineral
Types & Characteristics of Detrital
Sedimentary Rocks

iii.Conglomerate and Breccia

• Both are composed of
particles greater than 2 mm in
diameter (gravels).
• Conglomerate consists of
large rounded gravels.
• Breccia is composed mainly
of large angular particles.
 Summary
Types of Sedimentary Rocks
 Clastic (Detrital):
 Conglomerate or Breccia
 Sandstone
 Siltstone
 Shale Conglomerate

Classification based on
Grain Size of the mineral
particles Breccia

Sandstone Shale & claystone

Detrital or clastic sedimentary rocks
 2. Chemical
Sedimentary Rocks
Types of Chemical Sedimentary Rocks

Composition Texture
2. Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
 Consist of precipitated material
that was in solution.
solution
 Precipitation of material occurs in
two ways:
i. Inorganic processes (Chemical
origin)
ii. Organic processes (biochemical
origin).
 2. Common Types of Chemical
Sedimentary Rocks
1. Limestone
– Most abundant chemical rock,
rock
– Composed mainly of calcite,
calcite
i. Chemical (Inorganic) Limestones,
ii. Biochemical Limestones such as:
• Coral reefs,
• Coquina (broken shells), and
• Chalk (microscopic organisms).
Coral Reef
 Coquina

Coquina (broken shells)

Fossiliferous limestone
Chalk

Chalk (microscopic
organisms)
 Common Types of chemical
sedimentary rocks

2. Dolostone
– Typically formed of Dolomite.
3. Chert
– Made of microcrystalline quartz,
quartz
– Varieties include flint and jasper
(banded form is called agate).
 Agate

Figure 7.12 A
 Common Types of
chemical sedimentary rocks
4. Evaporites
– Evaporation triggers deposition
of chemical precipitates.
precipitates
– Examples include:
• Rock salt
• Rock gypsum
 Common Types of
biochemical sedimentary rocks
5. Coal
• Different from other rocks because
it is composed of organic material
• Stages of coal formation:
formation
1. Plant material
2. Peat
3. Lignite
4. Bituminous
 Stages in coal formation

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Summary Types of Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
1. Inorganic Sedimentary Rocks:
 Carbonate sedimentary rocks (limestones and
dolostone)
 Evaporites: (Rock Salt, Rock gypsum, etc.)

Classification based on
Mineralogical composition

2. Organic Sedimentary Rocks:

• coals
Classification of Sedimentary Rocks
Detrital (Clastic) SR Chemical SR

Evaporites
V. Sedimentary Environments
Environment is a geographic setting
• Environment:
where sediments are accumulating.
• Sedimentary Environment determines
the nature of sediments that accumulate
(grain size, grain shape, etc.)
etc
Depositional Environments:
 Continental:
Continental (alluvial, desert sand,..).
 Shoreline:
Shoreline (tidal flat, delta, ..).
 Marine:
Marine (shelf, slope, deep sea, …)
V. Sedimentary Environments
Types of sedimentary environments:
1. Continental
– Dominated by erosion and deposition associated
with Streams, Wind (eolian) deposits.

2. Transitional (shoreline)
– Tidal flats
– Lagoons
– Deltas

3. Marine
– Shallow (to about 200 meters)
– Deep (seaward of continental shelves)
Continental, shoreline, and marine
depositional environments
Delta
Sand Dunes
 V. Sedimentary Environments
Sedimentary facies
Different sediments often accumulate
adjacent to each other at the same time.
time
Each unit (called a facies)
facies possesses a
distinctive set of characteristics reflecting
the conditions in a particular environment.
The merging of adjacent facies tends to be a
gradual transition.
transition
Sedimentary facies
 VI. Sedimentary Structures
 Sedimentary structures form in the
basin of deposition, as a result of the
action of natural processes such as:
waves, currents, and drying events
 Sedimentary structures provide
information useful in the interpretation
of the earth history.
history
 VI. Sedimentary Structures
Types of sedimentary
structures:
1. Strata, or beds (most characteristic
feature of sedimentary rocks)
2. Bedding planes
3. Cross-bedding
4. Graded bedding
5. Ripple marks
6. Mud cracks
Beds or Strata
3.
Ripple Marks
Mud Cracks
 Fossils: Evidence of past life

 Fossils are the traces or remains

of prehistoric life preserved in
rock.
 Fossils are generally found in
sediments or sedimentary rocks
(rarely in metamorphic and never
in igneous rock).
rock
Fossils are the traces or remains of
prehistoric life preserved in rock
 Fossils: Evidence of past life

Geologically fossils are important

for several reasons:
1. Aid in interpretation of the geologic
history,
2. Serve as important time indicators,
3. Allow for correlation of rocks from
different places.
Correlation or Matching Rock Layers