Sedimentary rocks are formed through the weathering and erosion of pre-existing rocks, transport of sediment, and cementation. Weathering breaks rocks into fragments, erosion transports the fragments, and burial/compaction under pressure binds the fragments together into sedimentary rock. There are three main types of sedimentary rocks - clastic rocks formed from fragments, bioclastic rocks formed from living organisms, and chemical rocks formed from mineral precipitation. Key features include fossils, ripple marks, and mud cracks.

1. Earth Science

2. Sedimentary Rocks
 A sedimentary rock is made up of pieces or
fragments of other rocks.
 Rocks can be broken up through the process
of Weathering and or Erosion.
 Once broken down into fragments or
sediments, those fragments need to be
buried, compacted and cemented together.

3. Parts of Sedimentary Rocks
 Sediments
 Fragments of any types of rocks formed by the
process of weathering – transported by erosion
 Weathering is the breaking down of rocks into
fragments while Erosion is the removal of those
fragments by wind, water, ice and gravity
 Water can transport sediments down stream (as
shown in this animation – click) and they are
deposited according to size. The smallest sediments
travel the furthest.

4. ESRT
 Page 6 – shows how much stream velocity is
required to move different size particles

5.  Process of Weathering
 Types of weathering
 Chemical
 Where the end product has been changed. Can’t
get it back to it’s original form.
 Mechanical
 Changing size, color and or shape of rocks, but
NOT changing its composition

6. Types of sedimentary Rocks
 Clastic rocks – made up of fragments of other rocks
Sandstone –
made from particles of sand
 Types – sandstone, siltstone, shale, conglomerate
 Bioclastic – made up of fragments of once living
things. Coquina –
 Types –Limestone – Bituminousmade from sea shells
Coal
 Chemical – formed from minerals that precipitate or
evaporate out of solution.
 Types – Rock salt, Gypsum, Dolostone

7. Key Features of Sedimentary
Rocks
 Fossils
 Ripple marks
 Geode
 Mud cracks

8. Metamorphic Rocks
 Formed through the process of Heat and or
Pressure. Click !!
 Minerals may be enlarged, recrystalized or new
minerals may appear.
There are two areas where heat and or pressure are
common occurrences
 Contact metamorphism
 Formed when magma underground heats up the rocks
(but doesn’t melt them) in direct contact with the heat
source.
 Regional metamorphism
 Wide scale area usually associated with plate collisions

9. Features of Meta Rx
 Foliation
 Mineral Alignment
 When minerals align themselves
through the process of metamorphism.
 Parent Rock
 Where the original rock came from
 For example Gneiss was Granite
 Quartzite was sandstone