Chapter 6 – Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks

Formation of Sedimentary Rocks Much of Earth is covered in sediments Sediments are pieces of solid material that have been deposited on Earth’s surface by wind, water, ice, gravity, or chemical precip When these sediments get “cemented” together, they form sedimentary rocks This occurs from weathering and erosion

Weathering This is the process where the Earth’s crust is continually getting worn away by a set of physical and chemical processes Chemical weathering is when minerals in a rock are dissolved or otherwise chemically changed Physical weathering is when minerals remain chemically unchanged – they just break off Weathering produces rock and mineral fragments known as clastic sediments These sediments range in size

Evidence of Past Life During lithification, parts of organisms are replaced by minerals and turned into rocks