Podcast
Questions and Answers
Where are terrigenous sediments typically seen on the globe?
Where are terrigenous sediments typically seen on the globe?
on continental margins
What is the source of terrigenous sediments?
What is the source of terrigenous sediments?
erosion of land, volcanic eruptions, and blown dust
Give examples of terrigenous sediments.
Give examples of terrigenous sediments.
Quartz sand, clays, and estuarine mud
Other than continental margins, where do you see terrigenous sediments?
Other than continental margins, where do you see terrigenous sediments?
What is biogenous sediment?
What is biogenous sediment?
What is the source of biogenous sediment?
What is the source of biogenous sediment?
Give examples of biogenous sediment.
Give examples of biogenous sediment.
Where are biogenous sediments distributed?
Where are biogenous sediments distributed?
Where do you find siliceous ooze dominating?
Where do you find siliceous ooze dominating?
What is hydrogenous sediment?
What is hydrogenous sediment?
Hydrogenous sediment is also called ___
Hydrogenous sediment is also called ___
What is the common source of hydrogenous sediment?
What is the common source of hydrogenous sediment?
Give examples of hydrogenous sediments.
Give examples of hydrogenous sediments.
What is the distribution of hydrogenous sediments?
What is the distribution of hydrogenous sediments?
What are cosmogenous sediments?
What are cosmogenous sediments?
Give examples of cosmogenous sediments.
Give examples of cosmogenous sediments.
What type of sediment is the least abundant?
What type of sediment is the least abundant?
What are the two major sources of cosmogenous sediments?
What are the two major sources of cosmogenous sediments?
What is the distribution of cosmogenous sediments?
What is the distribution of cosmogenous sediments?
Occasionally, cosmogenous sediment includes _____
Occasionally, cosmogenous sediment includes _____
Microtektites:
Microtektites:
Where might you see manganese nodules (representative of hydrogenous sediments)?
Where might you see manganese nodules (representative of hydrogenous sediments)?
Where might you see phosphorite nodules (representative of hydrogenous sediments)?
Where might you see phosphorite nodules (representative of hydrogenous sediments)?
Hydrogenous sediments usually accumulate ______
Hydrogenous sediments usually accumulate ______
When might you see rapid deposition of hydrogenous sediment?
When might you see rapid deposition of hydrogenous sediment?
What is the second-most abundant marine sediment?
What is the second-most abundant marine sediment?
Most organisms that produce biogenous sediments _____
Most organisms that produce biogenous sediments _____
Biogenous sediments are most abundant where ___, such as ____
Biogenous sediments are most abundant where ___, such as ____
Which covers a larger area of the ocean floor: terrigenous or biogenous sediments?
Which covers a larger area of the ocean floor: terrigenous or biogenous sediments?
Which sediments dominate in total volume?
Which sediments dominate in total volume?
What is the source of the quartz and clay that makes up terrigenous sediments?
What is the source of the quartz and clay that makes up terrigenous sediments?
What are the two most common components of terrigenous marine sediments?
What are the two most common components of terrigenous marine sediments?
Describe quartz.
Describe quartz.
____ sands washed from adjacent land are important components of the sediments along continental margins.
____ sands washed from adjacent land are important components of the sediments along continental margins.
What is feldspar?
What is feldspar?
What is the chief component of soils?
What is the chief component of soils?
How is clay carried to the ocean?
How is clay carried to the ocean?
Clays will settle _______
Clays will settle _______
What percentage of all ocean floor area do terrigenous sediments cover?
What percentage of all ocean floor area do terrigenous sediments cover?
What percentage of all ocean floor area do biogenous sediments cover?
What percentage of all ocean floor area do biogenous sediments cover?
What percentage of all ocean floor area do hydrogenous sediments cover?
What percentage of all ocean floor area do hydrogenous sediments cover?
What percentage of all ocean floor area does cosmogenous sediments cover?
What percentage of all ocean floor area does cosmogenous sediments cover?
Terrigenous sediments are delivered by ___
Terrigenous sediments are delivered by ___
Describe the cycle involving terrigenous sediments.
Describe the cycle involving terrigenous sediments.
What is the main source of terrigenous sediments?
What is the main source of terrigenous sediments?
Clays are more likely to be found ___ in the oceans.
Clays are more likely to be found ___ in the oceans.
Globally, where do you see a large portion of siliceous ooze?
Globally, where do you see a large portion of siliceous ooze?
Most sediment deposits are composed of ___
Most sediment deposits are composed of ___
How are neritic sediments different from the deeper basin floor sediments?
How are neritic sediments different from the deeper basin floor sediments?
Pelagic sediments:
Pelagic sediments:
What constitutes gravel?
What constitutes gravel?
What does compaction of gravel create?
What does compaction of gravel create?
What constitutes sand?
What constitutes sand?
What does compaction of sand create?
What does compaction of sand create?
What is silt composed of?
What is silt composed of?
What does compaction of silt create?
What does compaction of silt create?
What is clay composed of?
What is clay composed of?
What does compaction of clay create?
What does compaction of clay create?
Mudstone is also called __
Mudstone is also called __
What is the order of grain diameter between marine sediments (smallest to largest)?
What is the order of grain diameter between marine sediments (smallest to largest)?
What is the only thing with a grain diameter as large as boulders?
What is the only thing with a grain diameter as large as boulders?
Mud grain diameter lies between those of ____ and ____
Mud grain diameter lies between those of ____ and ____
Glacial sediment grain diameter is very broad.
Glacial sediment grain diameter is very broad.
What is the basis of sediment classification?
What is the basis of sediment classification?
____ is a strong function of sediment size.
____ is a strong function of sediment size.
Sediment is sorted into ____
Sediment is sorted into ____
How long does it take for sand to settle 4 km deep?
How long does it take for sand to settle 4 km deep?
How long does it take for silt to settle 4 km deep?
How long does it take for silt to settle 4 km deep?
How long does it take for clay to settle 4 km deep?
How long does it take for clay to settle 4 km deep?
How long will granules take to settle 4 km deep?
How long will granules take to settle 4 km deep?
How long will pebbles take to settle 4 km deep?
How long will pebbles take to settle 4 km deep?
How long will cobbles take to settle 4 km deep?
How long will cobbles take to settle 4 km deep?
What are the primary effects on the type of terrigenous sediments that end up in the oceans?
What are the primary effects on the type of terrigenous sediments that end up in the oceans?
How does elevation of source region affect types of terrigenous sediments in the ocean?
How does elevation of source region affect types of terrigenous sediments in the ocean?
How does elevation change as you enter the ocean?
How does elevation change as you enter the ocean?
The higher the elevation of a source region, the higher the potential for ____
The higher the elevation of a source region, the higher the potential for ____
How does weathering affect terrigenous sediments in the ocean?
How does weathering affect terrigenous sediments in the ocean?
Which latitudes would you expect lots of weathering to happen, and thus more terrigenous sedimentation deposition in oceans?
Which latitudes would you expect lots of weathering to happen, and thus more terrigenous sedimentation deposition in oceans?
Why is the highest precipitation weather regime not exactly at the equator?
Why is the highest precipitation weather regime not exactly at the equator?
When will precipitation dominate an environment?
When will precipitation dominate an environment?
Which latitude regions have precipitation greater than evaporation?
Which latitude regions have precipitation greater than evaporation?
Which latitude regions have evaporation greater than precipitation?
Which latitude regions have evaporation greater than precipitation?
The majority of weathering is chemical.
The majority of weathering is chemical.
The amount of mechanical weathering is highest in ____ areas that are _____
The amount of mechanical weathering is highest in ____ areas that are _____
As you go from areas of high relief to plains, mechanical weathering ____
As you go from areas of high relief to plains, mechanical weathering ____
As you go from tropical to arctic, which areas have the highest weathering?
As you go from tropical to arctic, which areas have the highest weathering?
Which areas have absolutely zero chemical weathering?
Which areas have absolutely zero chemical weathering?
How many types of sandstones are there?
How many types of sandstones are there?
What are some different types of materials being transported?
What are some different types of materials being transported?
What is tuff?
What is tuff?
What types of sandstones are there?
What types of sandstones are there?
What type of material would you expect to be transported the shortest distance from its source?
What type of material would you expect to be transported the shortest distance from its source?
What river discharges the most sediment per year, globally?
What river discharges the most sediment per year, globally?
Which rivers in North America discharge some of the most sediment globally?
Which rivers in North America discharge some of the most sediment globally?
Where would you expect the most runoff to the Pacific Ocean to come from (top 2)?
Where would you expect the most runoff to the Pacific Ocean to come from (top 2)?
Where would you expect the most runoff into the Indian Ocean to come from?
Where would you expect the most runoff into the Indian Ocean to come from?
Where would you expect most of the glacial sources of sediment to come from?
Where would you expect most of the glacial sources of sediment to come from?
Where is the largest sediment discharge into the Atlantic Ocean to come from?
Where is the largest sediment discharge into the Atlantic Ocean to come from?
Where is the second largest sediment discharge river into the Atlantic?
Where is the second largest sediment discharge river into the Atlantic?
Where does the Colorado dump its sediment?
Where does the Colorado dump its sediment?
Study Notes
Terrigenous Sediments
- Found primarily on continental margins.
- Source includes erosion of land, volcanic eruptions, and blown dust.
- Examples include quartz sand, clays, and estuarine mud.
- Also present in abyssal plains and polar ocean floors.
Biogenous Sediments
- Composed of biological origin material; organisms deposit calcareous or siliceous residues.
- Source is organic, originating from hard parts of marine organisms.
- Examples include calcareous and siliceous oozes.
- Dominant over deep-ocean floor distributions.
Hydrogenous Sediments
- Formed by precipitation of dissolved minerals from seawater; also known as authigenic sediment.
- Commonly sourced from bacteria.
- Examples are manganese nodules and phosphorite deposits.
- Found mixed with more dominant sediments and accumulate slowly.
Cosmogenous Sediments
- Of extraterrestrial origin; least abundant sediment type.
- Examples include tektite spheres and glassy nodules.
- Two main sources are interplanetary dust and impacts from large asteroids or comets.
- Typically present in very small proportions (< few ppm) mixed with other sediments.
Microtektites
- Translucent, oblong glass particles formed from meteor impacts.
Sediment Distribution and Composition
- Terrigenous sediments cover about 45% of ocean floor area; biogenous sediments cover about 55%.
- Hydrogenous sediments cover less than 1%, while cosmogenous sediments are negligible (< 0%).
- Terrigenous sediments are delivered by rivers, coastal erosion, wind, volcanoes, glaciers, and icebergs.
Sedimentation Processes
- The sedimentation cycle involves the erosion of mountains, transport via rivers, and eventual deposition on ocean floors.
- The primary source of terrigenous sediments is rivers.
- Clays are more prevalent in the abyssal zone, while siliceous ooze is found along the northern coast of Antarctica.
Sediment Types and Compaction
- Gravel (boulders, cobbles, pebbles, granules) compacts to form conglomerates.
- Sand (varying sizes) compacts to form sandstone.
- Silt compacts into siltstone, and clay compacts into mudstone (also known as shale).
Grain Size and Sediment Mobility
- Order of sediment grain diameter from smallest to largest: clay < silt < sand < gravel < boulders.
- Mechanical weathering is the most common form of weathering; highest in tropical, elevated areas.
- Sediment is classified based on size and origin, influencing sediment mobility.
Weathering and Erosion
- Weathering, especially mechanical, increases sediment transport to oceans.
- Tropical regions have greater terrigenous sedimentation due to higher precipitation.
- Precipitation must exceed evaporation for major sediment deposition, particularly around the equator and between 40-60 degrees latitude.
Major Rivers Discharging Sediment
- The Hwang Ho (Yellow River) discharges the most sediment globally, approximately 2100 million tonnes/year.
- In North America, the Mississippi and Colorado Rivers are significant sediment contributors.
- The Amazon is the largest sediment discharger into the Atlantic Ocean; the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus rivers discharge into the Indian Ocean.
Glacial Sources
- Major glacial sediments come from Antarctica, Greenland, and the Canadian Arctic.
Summary
- Most sediment deposits consist of a mixture of biogenous and terrigenous particles, with occasional contributions from hydrogenous or cosmogenous sources.
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Description
Explore the different types of sediments found in oceans, including terrigenous, biogenous, hydrogenous, and cosmogenous sediments. This quiz covers their origins, examples, and distributions across various oceanic environments. Test your knowledge on how these sediments contribute to marine geology.
