Sedimentary Rocks

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
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS: are the secondary rocks which are
formed from the loose fragments or
detrital or clastic sediments produced
by weathering of older rocks.

Almost 90% of earth crust is made up of igneous rocks

75% of land surface on the earth is covered by thin veneer
of sediments or sedimentary rocks.
These sediments are transported and deposited by river
water, wind or by movement of glacial ice. Transportation
is either in suspension or in solution.
When settle down on the beds of ocean, river and lakes
undergo compaction/cementation for millions of years to
form SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
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
 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)
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. Eg. Failure of St. Francis dam, US.
 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
Shale-fissile water 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
 CE IMPORTANCE
When shales are saturated with water under pressure they
are likely to produce slippery foundation for any structure-
therefore not suitable for CE structures
eg. Lafayette dam of US constructed on argillaceous rocks
sunk by 20 feet.
Srisailam Dam in Andhra Pradesh (One of the 12th largest
Hydroelectric Projects in the India) faced similar problem,
however, precautions were take by grouting to stop the
seepage along the weak zones.
Because of its impermeable and porous nature it acts as cap
rocks in the occurrence of Oil and Gas.
 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)
 Economic importance of Evaporites

SALT: other then daily use of salt for cooking,

it is used
For production of Paper,
Soap
Detergents
Antiseptics
As chemical for dyeing etc.

GYPSUM: is used for plaster and in

manufacturing construction materials.
 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
Chalk: which is made up of foraminefera is very fine grained
Fossiliferous Limestone: which medium to coarse grained, as it
is formed out of cementation of Shells.
 Chalk

used as a building stone and in the manufacture of lime, carbon

dioxide, and cement.
Massive and compact lst. Are competent to support CE-structure
However, if it occur in huge thickness then it is not advisable,
because of its typical CAVING character.
Sedimentary structures
Bedding is most imp.
Feature of a sed. Rock
Beds are usually > 1 cm
Laminae < 1 cm
Orientation of bedding
helps in knowing the
paleo-current direction
of the old rivers
GRADED BEDDING
Medium-coarse sandy
lithounit (cross stratified)

Fine gravelly lithounit

Laminated layers of fine silt and clay

Cross-stratified sst.
Paleo-flow from
right to left
 Sand Dunes
Typical cross stratification in
Ripple marks
 Biogenic structures

Foot prints Snake Trails

Mud cracks