Sandstone is defined by being mostly or wholly composed of _____-sized grains.
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sand
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A formation is defined as ____.
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A rock unit that is distinct and laterally traceable
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Which of these rock types are clastic sedimentary rocks?
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- conglomerate
- sandstone
- shale
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Match the resource found in sedimentary rocks with its most common, current societal use.
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- groundwater: fresh supplies essential to life
- petroleum: transportation and energy
- coal: electrical energy
- salt: food, medicine, industry
- limestone (cement): construction
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Clastic sedimentary rocks are classified primarily on the basis of _____.
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sediment size
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A(n) _____ occurs when the sea retreats because sea level drops and/or land is uplifted.
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regression
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Match the environmental depositional shift to its correct description.
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Transgression:
- the sea moves inland
- facies shift towards land
Regression:
- facies shift away from land
- the sea moves out
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Breccia and conglomerate are the coarsest types of sedimentary rocks. Match the rock type to the shape of clast.
Which of these resources are contained in sedimentary rocks?
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- salt
- water
- coal
- uranium
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As boulders are moved downstream and weathering breaks them into smaller clasts, they first become cobbles, then pebbles, and finally _____ or smaller particles.
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sand
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Sedimentary rocks are usually comprised of material that comes primarily from _____.
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other locations
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Geologists use characteristics such as bedding, mudcracks, and color preserved in sedimentary rocks to determine _____.
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the environment in which the rocks were deposited
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What are the three types of beds formed by sedimentary layers?
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- cross
- graded
- parallel
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_____ is the term used to describe the size range of clasts in a sedimentary deposit or rock.
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Sorting
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Loose sand on the continental shelf or shelf slope that becomes unstable and flows downslope as a thick slurry of sediment and water is known as _____.
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a turbidity current
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Limestone and other related sedimentary rocks are also called _____ rocks because they are composed of carbonate ions bonded to other elements.
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carbonate
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Fluvial refers to _____.
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the processes and sediment of streams and rivers
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Match the sedimentary environment to the description that best fits it.
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- mountain: steep gradients, vigorous erosion, and fluvial systems confined by bedrock
- dry climates: wind moving sand and fine particles and forming large sand dunes
- delta: formed by sediments piling up where a river enters a standing body of water
- wet environments: soil saturated by water with vegetation adding to the available sediment
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Match the predominant sediment size to its rock type.
Identify from the following list possible environments or conditions that can lead to the formation of clay or silt deposits
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- chemical weathering of soils
- windblown material generated by glaciers
- floodplains of river systems
- bottoms of lakes
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Loose sediment hardens, or lithifies, into _____ rocks.
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sedimentary
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The _____ of a sea across a region that was previously dry is caused by a rise in sea level and/or the lowering of the land surface.
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transgression
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In warm, shallow, marine environments, corals and other marine life typically construct ____.
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reefs
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Categorize both conglomerate and breccia by the depositional environments in which they would most likely form.
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Conglomerate:
- river
- beach
Breccia:
- rock slide deposit
- alluvial fan
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Different environments tend to produce sandstones that _____.
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reveal clues about their differing origins
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Which of the following processes would be most likely to form the well-rounded clasts found in a conglomerate rock sample?
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- wave action along a beach
- a long distance of transport
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_____ begins after sediment is buried. Pressure pushes clasts together and forces out excess water.
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Compaction
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Shallow coastal accumilations of sand that rise above the sea as long, narrow islands are called _____.
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barrier islands
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Match the sedimentary rock name with the description that is best fit.
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- Conglomerate: rounded pebbles and cobbles with sand and finer particles between the larger clasts
- Breccia: angular pebbles and cobbles with sand and finer particles between the larger clasts
- Sandstone: sand-sized particles of varying mineral content
- Siltstone: silt-sized particles, mostly containing quartz
- Shale: very fine-grained clay minerals
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Loose fragments of rocks and minerals are referred to as _____.
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clasts
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Clastic sedimentary rocks are usually comprised of sediment that comes mainly from other locations.
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true
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Match the type of chemical weathering with the best example.
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- dissolution: soluble minerals break apart in a weak acid
- oxidation: metal rust forms from some minerals containing iron
- hydrolysis: clay minerals form from silicate minerals exposed to a weak acid
- biological reactions: bacteria consume parts of some rocks
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Place in order the sedimentary facies created during a sea transgression. Put the layer as you would see them in cross section, with the layer formed first on the bottom and the youngest layer on top.
Match the nearshore or ocean sedimentary environment to its description
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- Deep Seafloor: dominated by fine dust of windblown origin and the remains of single-celled organisms
- Lagoons: mixed sand and mud of fluvial origin derived from land and coral and sand from reefs
- Tidal Flats: low areas alternately covered by water and exposed to the air
- Barrier Island: long, narrow accumulation of sand located parallel and near to the shoreline
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Chemical reactions affect a rock by breaking down its minerals, causing new minerals to form, or by removing soluble material from the rock. Those reactions include _____.
The pieces of rock that collect at the bottom of steep slopes are known as _____.
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talus
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Sandstone is common because _____.
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sand occurs in many environments
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The four major causes of physical weathering are _____.
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- thermal expansion
- near-surface weathering
- frost and mineral wedging
- biological activity
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Earth materials that are soluble in water or react to a weak acid commonly have what type of appearance?
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- grooved
- pitted
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Place in correct vertical order the sedimentary facies created during a sea regression.
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1.) beach sandstone
2.) mud
3.) limestone
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Match the attribute found in sedimentary rocks to the type of information it provides.
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- Bed Thickness: small or large depositional events
- Color: formed on land or in the water
- Clast Size: distance of transportation
- Fossils: formed on land or in the water, and type of climate
- Cross beds: direction of wind or water current
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Glaciers cause massive amount of _____ of the underlying material, therby producing a lot of sediment.
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erosion
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The cross beds shown here indicate what about the environment the sandstone was deposited in?
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water/wind flowed from right to left
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Sediment is often formed from ions in solution. The ions are _____ by inorganic chemical reactions or biological activity.
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precipitated
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Chemical weathering of feldspars often leads to the formation of _____ minerals.
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clay
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Turbulent, underwater masses of flowing sand, mud, and water are called _____ currents.
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turbidity
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Sedimentary environments on land differ because of variations in _____.
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- local geology
- topography
- amount of water
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By studying ancient sedimentary rocks, scientists can better understand modern _____ processes.
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environmental
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The most common clastic sedimentary rocks are made of the clasts that are _____.
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fine grained (smaller than sand)
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Match the nonclastic sedimentary rock with the process by which it typically forms.
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- rock salt and gypsum: evaporation
- dolostone: chemical replacement
- chert and iron-rich formations: precipitation
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The angular clasts typical of breccia indicate what about the distance of transport?
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it represent a short distance of transport
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Identify the factors that strongly influence the size, shape and/or sorting of sedimentary clasts.
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- strength of current
- sediment supply
- steepness of slope
- agents of transport
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The _____ of a sediment particle is affected by transportation as abrasion removes the rough edges and creates a rounder fragment.
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shape
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This type of carbonate rock is formed when magnesium replaces calcium in limestone to form a different mineral.
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dolostone
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A soft, very fine-grained limestone formed via the accumulation of the calcium carbonate remains of microorganisms is known as _____.
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chalk
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Limestone is formed _____ by organisms such as coral that extract calcium cabonate from the water to form their shells and skeletons.
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- in reefs
- in seawater
- in oceans
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Most of the exposed surface of Earth is covered with _____.
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sediment and sedimentary rock
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Compaction causes sediment to become _____.
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- more compact
- more dense
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Travertine is a type of _____ that forms through precipitation in springs, lakes, and caves.
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limestone
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A sandstone with a history that can be traced to beach deposits will likely include sand and _____.
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- pebbles and larger clasts
- pieces of shells
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The contact between the shale, which dominates the bottom part of this sedimentary sequence, and the sandstone, which dominates the upper part, is best described as _____.
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gradational
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Carbonate rocks found in _____ environments are commonly massive, gray in color, and are erosion-resistant, whereas carbonate rocks found in _____ environments are often pitted, holey, and very fractured.
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dry; wet
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Match the rock with its environment of deposition. (see phone for picture)
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- C (shale and limestone): shallow sea
- A (red sandstone): large sand dune
- B (tan sandstone with shells): beach sand
- D (breccia): mountainous area
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The two main processes by which sediment is produced are _____.
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physical and chemical weathering
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A(n) ______ is formed by the sheltering of nearshore water from wave action by a reef or islands. The sheltered water is commonly shallow, quiet, and perhaps warm.
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lagoon
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Most of the material contained within nonclastic sedimentary rocks consists of __________.
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- materials formed through biological activity such as making shells or other hard parts
- minerals precipitated from solution as water evaporates
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The largest sand dunes in dry climates can stretch __________.
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hundreds of kilometers
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Streams and rivers located in the ______ are characterized by steep gradients and bedrock canyons.
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mountains
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Because shales and siltstones are easily eroded, the areas where they are exposed typically ________.
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have soft slopes and soil cover
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Almost all sedimentary rocks contain layers. Those layers can be best described by which of the following statements?
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- vary in how well boundaries are defined
- vary in lateral continuity
- vary in thickness
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