Download Sedimentary Test 2 Review Guide

Name: KEY
Earth & Environmental Systems Science
Unit III: Section 3: Sedimentary Processes
Test 2 Review Guide
Sedimentary Test 2 Review Guide
Making Sedimentary Rocks
1. What vocabulary word describes turning sediment into solid rock?
Lithification = compaction + cementation
2. List and describe the processes to form sediment and then a sedimentary rock in order?
- Weathering – breaking down
- Erosion – moving/transporting sediment
- Deposition – putting sediment into place
Sediment MADE!
Lithification: Turning sediment into a solid rock
-Compaction – generally through burial and reduces pore space
-Cementation – gluing sediment together using a mineral water solution
Sedimentary Rock MADE!
3. What acts as glue to form Clastic and Bioclastic textured sedimentary rocks?
Water moves through soil and rocks and dissolves minerals along the way. The mineral water solution settles in
the sediment, the water evaporates, and the minerals are left behind to bind sediment.
Uniformitarianism and Stratigraphy
4. What geological principle states that the same processes that operate today also operated in the past?
Uniformitarianism – James Hutton
5. List and describe the 3 laws of Stratigraphy:
-Law of Horizontal Deposition – Sediment is deposited and lithified in flat layers
-Law of Superposition – oldest layers are on the bottom and youngest is on the top
-Law of Cross-cutting – anything that cuts across sedimentary layers (faults or igneous intrusions) are younger
than the layers that they cut across
6. What is an unconformity?
Any process that disturbs sedimentary layers
7. List and describe the 3 types of unconformities:
-Angular – beds are tilted (by plate tectonics), weathered and eroded, and new beds are placed on top at a
different angle
-Nonconformity – Igneous beds eat through sedimentary beds from the bottom
-Disconformity – Sedimentary beds are missing due to weathering and erosion generally drawn as a straight
squiggly line.
8. The oldest layer in an undisturbed bed of sedimentary rocks will be at the _____ (bottom/top) of the sequence.
9. List the type of unconformity and symbol of an eroded bed.
Disconformity – straight squiggly line
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Name: KEY
Earth & Environmental Systems Science
10. List rocks youngest to oldest:
Unit III: Section 3: Sedimentary Processes
Test 2 Review Guide
youngest
__A__
__2__
__1__
__B__
__F__
__C__
__D__
__E__
oldest
2
1
-
List and describe any unconformities:
Angular – None
Nonconformity – C
Disconformity – 2 is the actual unconformity; B would be an example bed that is eroded
Identifying Sedimentary Rocks
11. Fill in the table below to show how the sediment size changes as you move from the continent to the ocean?
Why does this occur?
When the streams flow into the oceans/lakes they begin to slow down. The more still the water the smaller the
sediment that is deposited.
Continent 
Nearshore 
Offshore 
Offshore
Pebble/Gravel
Sand
Clay
Microscopic Organisms
Sediment Size
Type of Sedimentary Rock
Conglomerate/
Breccia
Sandstone/
Siltstone
Argellacious Shale
(calcite shells)
Limestone
Symbol
12. Give a quick description of the three classifications of sedimentary rocks and their matching textures:
Terrestrial
-Terragenic – Clastic – inorganic sediment that is compacted and glued together
-Chemical – Crystalline – sediment that is chemically changed (evaporation/precipitation) to solidify and made of
minerals and impurities
-Organic – Bioclastic – organic (once living) sediment is compacted and glued together
13. How is the formation process of a chemical sedimentary rock different from Terragenic and Organic
Sedimentary Rocks? The sediment is chemically changed and turns closer to its mineral derivative but also
contains impurities
Environment
Rock Formed There
Formation Description
Classification-Texture
Carbonaceous Shale Swamps – waters are still depositing clay
Terragenic – Clastic
Swamps/Marshes
Swamps – lots of vegetation that decays and
Bituminous Coal
Organic – Bioclastic
Saltwater Lakes
Rock Salt
Conglomerate
Nearshore Coastal Clastics
Marine
Nearshore Coastal
Sandstone
Coquina
Limestone
Offshore
Argillaceous Shale
compacts
Saltwater – water is evaporated leaving a salt
deposit with impurities
Rivers slow down as they flow into oceans and
deposit largest particles first
Rivers really slow down and wave action cause
these middle sized sediment to be deposited
Seashells a brought in off the continental shelf
by waves, broken down, and cemented.
Microscopic organisms with calcite shells die,
the shell falls to the oceanfloor, and is
chemically changed to create a rock
Deep ocean waters are very still and clay
particles settle
Chemical – Crystalline
Terragenic – Clastic
Terragenic – Clastic
Organic – Bioclastic
Chemical – Crystalline
Terragenic – Clastic
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Name: KEY
Earth & Environmental Systems Science
Unit III: Section 3: Sedimentary Processes
Test 2 Review Guide
Bituminous Coal
Composition:
Classification:
Texture:
Environment:
Conglomerate
Composition:
Classification:
Texture:
Environment:
Coquina
Composition:
Classification:
Texture:
Environment:
Limestone
Composition:
Classification:
Texture:
Environment:
3
Name: KEY
Earth & Environmental Systems Science
Rock Salt
Unit III: Section 3: Sedimentary Processes
Test 2 Review Guide
Composition:
Classification:
Texture:
Environment:
Sandstone
Composition:
Classification:
Texture:
Environment:
Argillacious Shale
Composition:
Classification:
Texture:
Environment:
Carbonaceous Shale
Composition:
Classification:
Texture:
Environment:
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