1. Sedimentary Rocks
A sedimentary rock is formed by the accumulation and compaction of sediments (rock pieces, minerals, animal parts, or chemical precipitates)

2. Sediments are derived from weathering of rocks
Chemical weathering – dissolution or decomposition of minerals grains due to chemical reactions

3. Bowen’s Reaction Series: The last minerals to crystallize are the most resistant to weathering.
Susceptible to weathering
Resistant to weathering

4. Mechanical weathering – Breakage of rock due to cracking, scratching, crushing, freezing, thawing, and abrasion

5. There are 3 different types of sediments
Detrital (clastic) sediments – Pieces of eroded rock fragments and minerals grains. Sediments of this type form Detrital Sedimentary Rocks

6. There are 3 different types of sediments
Detrital (clastic) sediments – Pieces of eroded rock fragments and minerals grains. Sediments of this type form Detrital Sedimentary Rocks
Chemical sediments – Minerals precipitated from water due to chemical reactions (ex. calcite, gypsum, halite). These sediments form Chemical Sedimentary Rocks

7. There are 3 different types of sediments
Detrital (clastic) sediments – Pieces of eroded rock fragments and minerals grains. Sediments of this type form Detrital Sedimentary Rocks
Chemical sediments – Minerals precipitated from water due to chemical reactions (ex. calcite, gypsum, halite). These sediments form Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
Biochemical sediments – Mineral remains of organisms or minerals precipitated due to biological processes (ex. shells, plant fragments, carbon). Sediments of this type form Biochemical Sedimentary Rocks

8. Detrital sedimentary rocks are classified according to their grain characteristics:
Size of the grains: refers to the range of sizes of the individual sediment pieces found within the rock. Can be divided into three categories:
coarse-grained
Boulder, cobble, pebble, gravel
medium-grained
Sand
fine-grained
Silt, clay

9. Classification of Clastic Sedimentary Rocks based on grain sizes
Category: Coarse Medium Fine
Sediment: Boulder | Cobble | Pebble | Sand | Silt | Clay
Size (mm):
Rock Name: Conglomerate Sandstone Siltstone Shale
Conglomerate
Sandstone
Shale

10. A depositional environment is any place where sedimentary rocks form
Environments can be characterized as high, medium or low energy

11. The larger the pieces being moved, the higher the energy of the environment
Mountain river, alluvial fan = high energy
Swamp, deep ocean = low energy
The more the pieces are being moved about, the higher the energy of the environment
Swash zone of beach = high energy
Floodplain, playa lake = low energy

12. Stream Processes

13. The water in all streams, large or small, can flow in two ways:
Laminar flow – The simplest type of flow. Streamlines do not cross, typically seen in slow moving waters
Turbulent flow – Complex flow pattern in which streamlines cross and form eddies. Typically seen in fast moving streams

14. Streams transport a variety of sediment as either suspended load or bed load

15. Most sand grains within a stream are transported by the process of saltation. This is the intermittent jumping of particles, and the smaller the particle, the higher it jumps and the farther it travels

16. Experimental work has shown that there is a relationship between the velocity of a stream and the size of particles it can erode, transport, and deposit. This is called Hjulstrom’s curve

17. The term stream valley encompasses both the actual stream channel and its floodplain

18. The two main types of stream channel patterns are braided and meandering
Braided streams are characterized by
High sediment load
Variable discharge
High gradient
Relatively young in age

19. Meandering streams are characterized by:
Low Sediment Load
Low Gradient
Meanders change shape
Old, mature stream

20. Over time meanders change shape because on the cut bank side sediment is being eroded and along the point bar side deposition is occurring

22. As streams flood natural levees are built up
As streams flood natural levees are built up. Sometimes the levees build up so high that the floodplain level is below the stream level

23. The longitudinal profile of a stream is generally always concave upward, with the steepest section being near the streams head, and leveling out near the mouth

24. A delta is a fan shaped body of sediment that gets deposited at the mouth of a stream entering an ocean or lake. As the stream enters a standing body of water, deposition of the coarsest sediment occurs first

25. Over time deltas build forward, and occasionally the main channel will shift to distributaries with shorter routes. This has occurred several times along the Mississippi delta

26. Alluvial fans are similar to deltas in that they are fan shaped and formed from the sudden deposition of material, but alluvial fans are located at mountain fronts