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Geology & Earth Sciences vocabulary · Rocks & Minerals

Sedimentary rock

Meaning in geology & earth sciences, with examples

/ˌsedɪˈmentəri rɑːk/nounCore term

In geology & earth sciences, sedimentary rock means: Rock formed when sediment such as sand, mud or shells is laid down in layers, then buried, pressed together and cemented over time.

In Turkish: tortul kayaç, sedimanter kayaç

How it is used

Covers sandstone, shale, limestone, conglomerate and salt deposits. Geologists study sedimentary rocks for fossils, past environments, groundwater, oil and gas. Typical features are bedding, ripple marks, cross-bedding and fossils.

Example sentences

  1. Most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks.

  2. The valley walls show a thick sequence of sedimentary rocks laid down in a shallow sea.

Common collocations

  • sedimentary sequence
  • sedimentary basin
  • clastic sedimentary rock
  • sedimentary layers
  • sedimentLoose particles such as sand, mud, gravel, shells or plant matter that are carried by water, wind or ice and settle in a new place.
  • limestoneA sedimentary rock made mostly of calcium carbonate in the form of the mineral calcite, often built from the shells and skeletons of sea creatures.
  • stratumA single layer of sedimentary rock or sediment with similar features throughout, separated from the layers above and below it. The plural is strata.
  • fossilThe remains or traces of a plant or animal that lived long ago, preserved in rock, such as shells, bones, leaf impressions or footprints.
  • depositionThe process by which sediment carried by water, wind or ice is dropped and builds up, for example when a river slows down.

More terms: Rocks & Minerals

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