Sedimentary Rocks Formation Processes

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

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

Weathering and sediment accumulation (correct)

Tectonic plate movement

Heat and pressure metamorphism

Volcanic eruptions

How are sediments transported to depositional basins?

Through earthquakes

Through mass-transport processes and fluid-flow processes (correct)

By volcanic activity

By the movement of tectonic plates

What is the result of deposition in the formation of sedimentary rocks?

Formation of metamorphic rocks

Accumulation of sand, gravel, and mud (correct)

Subduction of tectonic plates

Crystallization of minerals

Subaerial weathering

What initiates the transportation of sediments from weathering sites to valley floors?

Mass-transport processes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a process involved in the formation of sedimentary rocks?

Subduction Signup and view all the answers

What kind of processes would move sediment from valley floors to depositional basins at lower elevations?

Fluid-flow processes Signup and view all the answers

What geological processes do sediments deposited in basins undergo?

Diagenesis Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a type of lithified sedimentary rock resulting from burial diagenetic processes?

Conglomerate Signup and view all the answers

Which scientific field studies climates throughout geological time?

Paleoclimatology Signup and view all the answers

What does paleogeography study and describe?

Physical geography of Earth's past Signup and view all the answers

Which field of study focuses on the characteristics of ancient oceans?

Paleooceanography Signup and view all the answers

What type of minerals has economic significance and can be found in sedimentary rocks?

Oil and gas Signup and view all the answers

What is the process through which rocks are broken down and sediment is formed?

Weathering Signup and view all the answers

Sedimentary rocks are formed by the compaction and cementation of which material?

Sediment Signup and view all the answers

What type of weathering takes place when rocks are split into smaller pieces without changing their composition?

Physical weathering Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a way in which sediment may be formed?

Weathering and erosion of pre-existing rocks Signup and view all the answers

Where do approximately 75% of rocks exposed at the Earth's surface come from?

Sedimentary rocks Signup and view all the answers

What are clues to the environment in which sediment was deposited?

Grain size, shape, composition, and sediment color Signup and view all the answers

What type of weathering involves the breakdown of rock due to the action of living organisms?

Biological weathering Signup and view all the answers

Which type of weathering involves chemical reactions that lead to changes in the composition of rocks?

Dissolution Signup and view all the answers

What type of weathering involves rocks breaking into flat sheets along joints that parallel the ground surface due to pressure release?

Exfoliation Signup and view all the answers

Which weathering process involves rock breakdown through the expansion and contraction of minerals due to heat and cooling?

Thermal expansion Signup and view all the answers

What mechanism do lichens use to break down rocks?

Secretion of acids Signup and view all the answers

Why do minerals such as halite, gypsum, and calcite dissolve in water during chemical weathering?

Due to their solubility Signup and view all the answers