Types of Sedimentary Rocks

What is the primary mechanism by which minerals are redeposited to form chemical sedimentary rocks?

What is the characteristic that distinguishes breccia from conglomerate?

What is the primary source of organic material in organic sedimentary rocks?

What is the common industrial application of organic sedimentary rocks?

What is the characteristic of chemical sedimentary rocks that distinguishes them from other types of sedimentary rocks?

What is the primary agent responsible for the formation of conglomerate?

What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes shale from other sedimentary rocks?

What is the primary source of limestone?

What is the term for the process of adding minerals to water that comes into contact with sand grains, forming a solid rock?

Which type of sedimentary rock is formed from the accumulation of silt and clay particles in sedimentary basins?

What is the characteristic of mudstone that distinguishes it from shale?

What is the primary mechanism by which sand grains are transported to their depositional site?

Chemical Sedimentary Rocks

Form by chemical precipitation, which begins when water dissolves minerals from rocks and carries them away from their source.
Minerals are redeposited or precipitated when the water evaporates.

Organic Sedimentary Rocks

Form from the accumulation and compaction of organic material, such as plant and animal remains.
Typically rich in carbon and contain various organic compounds, including hydrocarbons.
Important sources of energy, such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
Used in industrial applications, such as cement and fertilizer production.

Types of Sedimentary Rocks

Breccia

A type of clastic sedimentary rock composed of large angular fragments (over 2 mm in diameter).
Fragments have not been transported long enough to be rounded and smoothed.

Conglomerate

Forms from the cementing of rounded cobble and pebble-sized rock fragments.
Formed by river movement, ocean wave action, or weathering products washed downstream.

Sandstone

Forms when calcium carbonate, silica, or iron is added to water, cementing sand-sized grains together.
Formed by the action of moving water, wind, or ice.
Transformed into a solid rock.

Shale

A fine-grained sedimentary rock with splitting capability (fissility).
Contains both silt and clay particles, with a smooth surface.
Accumulates on lake bottoms, river deltas, floodplains, and quiet parts of the ocean floor.

Siltstone

Accumulates in sedimentary basins worldwide.
Occurs in various colors (gray, brown, reddish brown) due to grain composition, cement, or subsurface water stains.

Mudstone

A rock containing both silt and clay particles, with the same grain size.
Smooth surface, but lacks shale's fissility and lamination.
Composed of clay minerals, silt-sized particles, and organic material.

Limestone

A biological sedimentary rock formed from accumulated shell, coral, algal, fecal, and organic debris.
Can also form through chemical sedimentary processes, such as calcium carbonate precipitation from lake or ocean water.
Main source is limy ooze formed in the ocean.

Learn about the formation of chemical sedimentary rocks through chemical precipitation and organic sedimentary rocks from the accumulation of organic material. Discover how these rocks are formed and their characteristics.