Sedimentary Processes and Structures
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary process involved in the formation of sedimentary rocks?

  • Erosion
  • Metamorphism
  • Diagenesis
  • Lithification (correct)

Which type of weathering involves the physical breakdown of rocks without changing their chemical composition?

  • Biological weathering
  • Physical weathering (correct)
  • Chemical weathering
  • Differential weathering

What is the classification criterion for clastic sedimentary rocks?

  • Location and formation time
  • Color and density
  • Mineral content and grain size (correct)
  • Chemical composition and texture

Which of the following is NOT a type of sedimentary rock?

<p>Igneous rock (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which sedimentary structure indicates that conditions changed during the deposition process?

<p>Bedding (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the total sum of physical and chemical changes that occur to sediment after it is deposited?

<p>Diagenesis (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of sedimentary rock forms predominantly from organic material?

<p>Coal (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What process is described by the compaction and cementation of sediment?

<p>Lithification (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of sediment is commonly found in mountain stream environments during low-flow conditions?

<p>Cobbles and boulders (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the sediment deposition in alluvial fan environments?

<p>Cone-shaped wedges of sediments (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of environment is associated with wind-blown, well-sorted sand dunes?

<p>Desert environments (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is typically found in river environments related to sediment deposition?

<p>Channelized sediment transport (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What sediment type accumulates in deeper waters of lake environments?

<p>Well-sorted muds (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What process leads to the accumulation of sediment in marine delta environments?

<p>Decrease in river velocity (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which environment would you expect to find skeletons of planktonic organisms forming chalk or chert?

<p>Deep-marine environments (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes rift basins from other types of sedimentary basins?

<p>They are located at divergent plate boundaries. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of sedimentary structure is formed by the gentle piling of sand on the crest and slipping down the steep face?

<p>Cross beds (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a characteristic of turbidity currents?

<p>They result in the formation of graded beds. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do ripple marks indicate about the environmental conditions?

<p>They reflect the flow velocity and grain size in sandy sediments. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which type of environment are sediments transported and deposited by moving glacial ice?

<p>Glacial environments. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How are formations described in geology?

<p>They can be mapped and recognized over large regions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which condition is indicated by the presence of mud cracks?

<p>Alternating wet and dry terrestrial conditions. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do scour marks result from?

<p>The drag of debris along a riverbed. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes graded beds formed by turbidity currents?

<p>They exhibit a grading from coarse to fine sediment upward. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Diagenesis

  • Describes the changes that occur to sediment after deposition, such as lithification, dissolution, recrystallization, and bacterial action

Sedimentary Structures

  • Features that help understand conditions during deposition
  • Examples include bedding, stratification, ripple marks, dunes, cross bedding, graded beds, mud cracks, and scour marks

Bedding and Stratification

  • Sedimentary rocks are often layered in beds, separated by bedding planes
  • Bedding reflects changing conditions during deposition, like variations in transporting medium, sediment source, or grain size

Ripple Marks

  • Ridges and troughs formed perpendicular to flow in sandy sediments
  • Used to determine flow direction

Dunes

  • Larger versions of ripple marks, ranging from 50 cm to over 100 m
  • Form due to wind or water currents

Cross Bedding

  • Created by the movement of ripples and dunes
  • Shows the direction of ancient winds or currents

Turbidity Currents

  • Occur in deep basins with pulses of turbid water
  • Form graded beds where coarse material settles first, followed by medium and then fine material

Mud Cracks

  • Form when wet mud dries out, indicating alternating wet and dry environments

Scour Marks

  • Created when debris is dragged along the bottom of a river or stream

Depositional Environments

  • Places where sediments accumulate, characterized by unique energy regime, sediment transport, and biological components
  • Examples include glacial, mountain stream, alluvial fan, desert, river, lake, delta, shallow-water carbonate, and deep-marine environments

Glacial Environments

  • Sediments are transported and deposited by glacial ice
  • Often contain glacial till, a poorly sorted mix of all grain sizes

Mountain Stream Environments

  • Carry large clasts during floods, resulting in coarse conglomerate deposits

Alluvial Fan Environments

  • Cone-shaped sediments deposited at mountain fronts due to rapid decrease in stream velocity

Desert Environments

  • Characterized by wind-blown sand, resulting in well-sorted sandstones with large cross beds

River Environments

  • Show evidence of channelized sediment transport, with sand and gravel filling channels, and fine sediments deposited on floodplains

Lake Environments

  • Form from large bodies of freshwater, with coarser sediments near shore and fine muds deposited in deeper water

Marine Delta Environments

  • Occur where rivers enter the sea, resulting in sediment accumulation and various sub-environments

Shallow-Water Carbonate Environments

  • Form in tropical, warm, clear, shallow marine waters, with lagoons, reefs, and mud deposits

Deep-Marine Environments

  • Accumulate fine sediments like silt and clay, resulting in shale, chalk, and chert

Sedimentary Basins

  • Areas where sediments accumulate, with thicknesses ranging from zero to 20+ km
  • Form due to tectonic processes, such as rifting or passive margins

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Description

Explore the fascinating world of sedimentary processes and structures through this quiz. Learn about diagenesis, bedding, stratification, and features like ripple marks and dunes. Test your understanding of how these elements reveal past environmental conditions and flow directions.

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