EAPS 100: Planet Earth

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Textbook Reading

Chapter 3.1-3.7: Rocks and Sediments (p. 68 -83)

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 Goals for this Module

You should be able to accomplish the following tasks…

• Distinguish crystalline from clastic rocks, explain how each forms, and relate
these processes to mineral shapes

• Explain how sedimentary particles (clasts) are formed through weathering

• Describe how sedimentary particles are transported and deposited into

sedimentary beds

• Explain how chemical weathering of rocks provides the building blocks for
carbonates and limestones

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Rocks!

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 Rocks vs. Minerals

Rocks are aggregates

of minerals.

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 Rock Textures
The different shapes and ways that minerals are
arranged in a rock can tell you about how the
rock formed.

Crystalline Rocks Clastic Rocks

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Crystalline Rocks
Crystalline rocks are
composed of interlocking
minerals. They are typically
formed through
solidification from a liquid
(either a magma or water)
or through exposure of a
Crystalline Rocks
rock to high temperatures
Clastic Rocks
and pressures.
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Crystalline Rocks
In the picture to the left the
rock formed through
solidification of a magma.
Notice that the big crystals
are well formed. This is
because they were not
restricted by space when
they formed in the magma
Crystalline Rocks and could take on their
Clastic Rocks

mineral’s ideal form.

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Crystalline Rocks

However, the smaller

crystals grew to form
irregular shapes because
their growth was limited to
the space between the
larger crystals as the
Crystalline Rocks
magma fully solidified.
Clastic Rocks

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Clastic Rocks

Clastic rocks are

composed of pieces of
rock or individual minerals
that have been eroded from
other rocks and deposited
together. These pieces of
weathered rock are called
Clastic Rocks clasts.
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Clastic Rocks

Notice that the different

clasts in this rock are
rounded. This rounding
suggests that they
experienced quite a bit of
abrasion as they were
eroded and moved away
Clastic Rocks from their source.
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 The Rock Cycle
Formation of crystalline
Formation of magma igneous rock.
(liquid rock).

Generation of Clasts
through weathering.

Formation of crystalline
metamorphic rocks.

Formation of clastic
sedimentary rocks. 12
Weathering and Making Clasts

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 Life as a Rock

The Earth’s surface is a cruel, cruel place for most

rocks. Water, ice, wind, biology, and gravity are all
working to rip rocks apart and/or dissolve them.

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Mechanical Weathering

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 Weathering and Creation of Sediment

Rock breaks down to smaller and smaller pieces through

mechanical weathering.
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 Weathering and Creation of Sediment

Mechanical weathering creates free pieces of rock that can move

independently and become sedimentary clasts. It also increases the
total surface area of the rock making it more susceptible to chemical
weathering. 17
Chemical Weathering
Minerals can also chemically
break down when exposed to
water, oxygen, and chemicals
made by biological activity.
Instead of creating clasts, this
process actually dissolves the
minerals into their constituent
elements, which can then be
transported in water as charged
atoms or molecules (ions).
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 Chemical Weathering

Because chemical weathering is

accomplished through reactions
with minerals it occurs mostly on
the surface of a rock. Thus, as
mechanical weathering breaks a
rock down into smaller and smaller
pieces it is actually increasing the
surface area for chemical
weathering to occur.

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Mass Wasting

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Mass Wasting

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 Gravitational Potential Energy

Sediment, water, ice, etc. are all working to reduce their potential energy
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Rock Falls

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Angle of Repose

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Angle of Repose

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 Slope Stability

Things that can affect slope stability include

1) Water!

2) A temporary change in position (earthquake waves)

3) Presence or absence of plant roots

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Rockslides

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Debris Flow

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Debris Flow

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 Mass Wasting Damage
From the perspective of sediment (clast) transport, rock slides
and debris flows get the process started by initially moving
clasts down hill. However, there are practical considerations
about this process for human safety and infrastructure design.

Houses destroyed (43 deaths)

Infrastructure severely damaged

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 Considerations in Your Own Life
Steep Slopes with Little to No Vegetation = High Risk

Moderate Slopes with Heavy Vegetation = Low to Moderate Risk

Low Slopes with Heavy Vegetation = Very Low Risk

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Sediment Transport and Deposition

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 Gravitational Potential Energy

Sediment, water, ice, etc. are all working to reduce their potential energy
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Gravitational Potential Energy
Water (along with sediment)
will tend to move towards a
location that minimizes its
potential energy.

Ocean basins are big holes…

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 Sediment Transport
Sediment production

Sediment

Deposition
Sediment Transport

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Sediment Production (siliciclastics)
High potential energy. Boulders can
be wedged off and swept downhill.

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Sediment Movement by Streams

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Sediment Movement by Streams

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Sediment Movement by Streams

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Weathering During Transport

Mechanical abrasion and

breaking continue as clasts are
transported. Chemical
weathering can also continue
as clasts are moved through
rivers and streams.

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 Clast Size
The result of weathering at the source and
during transport is a variety of clast sizes.

Sand

Large rock cobbles Clay (Mud)

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 Energy and Clast Movement
The different size clasts can be moved
with varying difficulty by rivers and
streams. Which do you think is easiest to
be moved by water?
Sand

Large rock cobbles Clay (Mud)

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Sediment Movement by Streams

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Sediment Deposition

Deposition

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Sediment Deposition

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Sediment Deposition

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 Delta Sedimentation

Ocean

Deep Marine Deposits

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Fluvial/Deltaic Sedimentary Rock

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Fluvial/Deltaic Sedimentary Rock

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 Delta Sedimentation

Ocean

Deep Marine Deposits

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Sediment Deposition

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Deep Water Sedimentary Rocks

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Fossil Formation

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 Sediment Deposition
Sedimentary layers are deposited
over broad, flat areas

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Biogenic Sedimentation

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Dissolved Ions

Remember that chemical

weathering leads to dissolved
ions. These are charged atoms
or molecules that can be
transported in solution within
rivers and streams.

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Dissolved Solids in the Ocean

The ocean is 3.5%

dissolved solids! These
are charged atoms and
molecules that are
ultimately derived from
the weathering of
rocks.

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Dissolved Solids

Dissolved solids provide the raw

materials for the organisms that
make shells from calcium
carbonate (CaCO3)

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 Carbonate Formation

Ultimately, the formation of calcium carbonate creates a solid out of

Ca+ cations and CO2 gas via a series of chemical reactions. This is
important because the formation or dissolution of calcium carbonate
minerals has a direct effect on the long-term level of CO2 in Earth’s
atmosphere. Indeed, rocks made out of calcium carbonate are a major
repository of CO2 within the Earth’s crust.

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Biogenic Sedimentation

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Limestone Successions

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Biogenic Sedimentation

Great Barrier Reef, Australia

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