Sedimentology Lecture 1

Basics Sedimentology
UNIT-1
Transportation of sediments and formation of sedimentary
rocks by mode of river water- deposition on the continent and
on the ocean floor.
Fluvial
deposits
Marine deposits
IMPORTANCE OF SEDIMENTARY ROCK
Present is the key to the past
Helps in knowing depositional environment viz.
marine (ocean deposits), fluvial (river deposits),
aeolian (wind deposits), glacial, estuarine,
Lacustrine (lake deposits) etc.
Helps in knowing the provenance (i.e. source area
of the sediments); change in climatic conditions
i.e. in knowing and understanding old
climate=paleoclimate.
TYPES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Clastic rocks Chemical & Organic rocks
Sandstones
Conglomerates
Breccia
Shale/mudstones
Carbonate rocks Organic rocks
Form basically from Form due to

Evaporitic rocks decomposition of
CaCO3 both by
chemical leaching and organic remains
These rocks are formed
by organic source under temperature
due to evaporation of saline
(biochemical) eg. and pressure eg.
water (sea water)
Limestone; dolomite Coal/Lignite etc.
eg. Gypsum, Halit
(rock salt)
CLASTIC ROCKS
formed from broken rock fragments weathered
and eroded by river, glacier, wind and sea
waves. These clastic sediments are found
deposited on floodplains, beaches, in desert and
on the sea floors.
solidify Clastic rocks
Clastic rocks are classified on the basis of

the grain size: conglomerate, sandstone,
shale etc.
GRAIN SIZE
Gravel Sand Silt Clay

>256-2 mm 2- 0.062 mm 0.062-0.004 mm <0.004 mm
Boulder: >256mm
Cobble: 64-256 mm
Pebble: 4-64 mm
Granule: 2-4mm
Fine gravel
Sediment transported by
Suspension load is when sediments are carried in suspension
(usually fine-grained sediments that can be carried along easily by
the flow)
Bed load is when the forward force of the moving current acts
more directly on the larger particles at the bottom as it pushes,
rolls, and slides them along
Saltation is more complex and usually affects sand-sized particles.
Here, the particles are sucked up by eddies into the flow, travel
with the flow for a while, and then fall back to the bottom
Krumbein (1934) introduced a logarithmic
transformation of the scale which converts the
boundaries between grades to whole numbers.
= -log2 d(mm)
Clastic rocks mainly
comprise broken
fragment of older
rock they are also
know as Terrigenous
rocks
Matrix: Cement:
is the finer grains dissolved
or material that substance
surrounds the
that bounds
larger clasts. It
the
consist of either
clay, silt and sand. sediments.
1. Calcareous
2. siliceous
Fine-gravel/
Any rock fragment Granule
(size is > 4 mm=Pebble) (size <4mm)
Roundness
Degree of roundness helps in knowing the distance of transportation
Angular clasts- short distance transport from the source

Rounded clasts- long distance transport
When clastic fragments are Similarly when angular clasts
cemented or undergo consolidation undergo consolidation they are
they are called called BRECCIA
CONGLOMERATES
Sorting of the sediments also suggest the mode of deposition and transportation.
Long distance transport= well-rounded and well-sorted sediments,

Short distance transport = poorly sorted angular grains.
Also helps in knowing the energy conditions of the river.
DIFFERENT CATERGORIES OF CLASTIC ROCKS
RUDACEOUS ROCKS: made up of rounded or sub-

rounded Pebbles and cobbles eg. conglomerate
ARENACEOUS ROCKS: made up of mainly sand eg.

Sandstone. These rocks are either accumulated by
wind action or deposited under water action or marine
or lake environment
ARGILLACEOUS ROCKS: made up of clay size

sediments eg. Shale, mudstones, siltstones.
IMPORTANCE
CONGLOMERATE comprise clastic sediments like
pebbles and cobbles (heterogeneous)
If the cementation is good (voids between the clasts) = then the

conglomerate will be hard and competent hence act as strong
foundation, but not good rock for ground water source.
However, if the cementation is poor = it makes the rock more porous

with high porosity = act as good reserve for ground water (aquifer),
but is undesirable at the site for foundation of major CE structures.
Due to heavy seepage along the conglomerate may result in failure by

sliding.
Cementation:
Cementing material is usually secondary Silica
(Siliceous cement), Calcium carbonate
(Carbonate cement), Iron rich (ferruginous
cement)
Cement itself to some extent is the source of
weakness in the sedimentary rocks
Because cementing material and the clastic

sediments are usually of different
composition, leading to heterogeneity in their
physical characteristics.
Hence such rock will not behave homogeneously under stress,
resulting into development of cracks or fissures which develops
in cementing material.
If the cement is Calcium Carbonate- it is undesirable, because

it is susceptible to dissolve in Carbon-dioxide in water
However, if cementation process continuous for longer span of
time= cementation will become more complete, which reduce
the porosity and permeability in the rock mass and increase
competence.
Shape of grains: i.e. if coarser grains are rounded or

subrounded=cement material will not have firm grip=such
rocks behave as incompetent rocks
SANDSTONE:
Made up of sand grains dominantly of Quartz and
Feldspars, where quartz is highly resistive to
weathering
Cementation plays similar role in this rock as seen in
conglomerate
However, Siliceous cement are best and highly
desirable for CE purposes, also the ferruginous sst.
Different type of Sst. (based on their composition)
Quartz Sst. Arkose (Feldspar)
Graywacke/lithic arenite
SHALE
Shales are clastic rocks, made up
mainly fine silt/clay
They are most abundant
sedimentary rocks, accounts for
about 80% of them
Often contain fossils
Mostly hydrous aluminum silicate
in composition = from weathered
feldspars
Deposition takes place under low
fluvial regime or under weak water
Shale-fissile current. Eg. Offshore or in Lagoon
Shales are made of fine well sorted silt and clayey sediments, where
normally one can expect high porosity and permeability.
But due to surface tension phenomenon of water and extremely fine

intergranular space shales are impermeable, hence does not yield water
when tapped
Classification of sandstone
EVAPORITIC ROCKS
These rocks are formed within the a depositional basin
from chemical substances dissolved in the seawater or
lake water.
Gypsum Halite
CaSO4.2H20 (NaCl)
CARBONATE ROCKS
Limestone: It is a non-clastic rock formed either
chemically or due to precipitation of calcite (CaCO3)
from organisms usually (shell). These remains will result
in formation of a limestone.
Limestones formed by chemical precipitation are usually

fine grained, whereas, in case of organic limestone the
grain size vary depending upon the type of organism
responsible for the formation

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Basics Sedimentology

Form basically from Form due to

solidify Clastic rocks

Clastic rocks are classified on the basis of

Gravel Sand Silt Clay

Angular clasts- short distance transport from the source

Long distance transport= well-rounded and well-sorted sediments,

RUDACEOUS ROCKS: made up of rounded or sub-

ARENACEOUS ROCKS: made up of mainly sand eg.

ARGILLACEOUS ROCKS: made up of clay size

If the cementation is good (voids between the clasts) = then the

However, if the cementation is poor = it makes the rock more porous

Due to heavy seepage along the conglomerate may result in failure by

Because cementing material and the clastic

If the cement is Calcium Carbonate- it is undesirable, because

Shape of grains: i.e. if coarser grains are rounded or

Quartz Sst. Arkose (Feldspar)

But due to surface tension phenomenon of water and extremely fine

Limestones formed by chemical precipitation are usually

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