sedimentary rock and the production of sediment 沉积.pdfVIP

Sedimentary Rock and the Production of Sediment Sedimentology = scientific study of sediments and sedimentary rocks. Includes production of sediment, transport, deposition, lithification. Provides the basis for geological interpretations of earth-surface signals. Stratigraphy = scientific study of sedimentary strata Sedimentary rocks have an average thickness of about 1800 m on the continents. This thickness is quite variable, with some areas like the Canadian Shield having no cover of sedimentary rocks, and other areas, like the Louisiana and Texas Gulf coasts, having more than 20,000 m of sedimentary rock cover. About 66% of all continental areas have a cover of sedimentary rocks. Older sedimentary rocks are exposed over a smaller area than younger sedimentary rocks. Over 40% of the exposed sedimentary rocks are younger than Cretaceous in age. I. Three Rock Types: Sedimentary, Metamorphic, Igneous II. Types of Sedimentary Rocks: A. Clastics (fragmental) – Detrital Particles – Derived from pre- existing rocks – Derived external to the depositional basin 1 B. Chemical: Allochemical Particles biochemical origin Ooids, fossil fragments, pellets, pelagic tests (siliceous and calcareous) C. Chemical: Orthochemical Components Chemical Precipitates Secondary cement Primary chemical sediments: halite, etc D. Organic Particulate Material (detrital organic matter ) terrestrial and particulate marine pelagic Coal Structureless gypsum. 2 III. Class sizes: GRAIN SIZE SCALES FOR SEDI