Topic > Essay on Lithification of Sediments - 677

Lithification of loose sediments forms sedimentary rocks. Sedimentology is linked to the basic sciences, which are biology, chemistry and physics. The fossils that are deposited in rocks are biological in nature and atmospheric agents, diagenesis and the formation of indigenous sediments concern chemistry. Sediment transport and deposition are linked to physics (Richard, 1988). Clastic rocks are the most common type of sedimentary rocks. Clastic rocks are composed of clasts or fragments of rock that are affected by weathering and erosion. Geologists used to identify sediments by looking at the structure and composition of the sediments, grain sizes, grain morphology, and more. Sediment maturity concepts are the different types of maturity, the morphology of sediment grains, and the environment in which the sediments are deposited. Sediment maturity is due to sediment transport and environment. There were two types of sediment maturity, grain texture and rock composition. Grain textures were grain roundness, sediment grading, and the presence of clay (Bokman, 1955). The definition of roundness was the ratio of the average radius of the corners and edges to the maximum radius of the inscribed circle (Richard, 1988). The rounding of the grains was due to the energy, duration and transport mechanism. Grain surface structures can be angular and rounded. Quartz was the most abundant mineral. We can use quartz for example to classify the surface structure of grains. The angular quartz grains would present conchoidal fractures and could form in a glacial environment. The water-deposited quartz grain had rounded grains and grooved surfaces caused by the impact of other sediments (Richard, 1988). Quartz grain in aeoli...... half of the paper ......d equal grain sizes. The low-energy environment produces immature sediments that have angular and varying grain sizes. The sediments deposited in the downstream stream were more mature than upstream. Barham Reference. M. (2014). Lesson 1: Practices and pores. Retrieved from https://lms.curtin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-2860556-dt-content-rid-11036745_1/courses/312247-FacSciEng-6792727/L1_Particles%26Pores_SS201_2014.pdfBarham. M. (2014). Practice 1: Unconsolidated sediments. Retrieved from https://lms.curtin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-2860565-dt-content-rid-11036754_1/courses/312247-FacSciEng-6792727/SS201_2014_SeAMENTOlogy_Practical_1.pdfBokman. J. (1955). Sandstone classification: relation to composition and texture. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 25, 201-206. DOI:10.1306/74D7044D-2B21-11D7-8648000102C1865DRichard. C. (1988). Applied sedimentology. London, UK: Academic Press.