Wharrean Angelo Abas

BSCE 2-A

1. It is the study concerned especially with the composition, characteristics, and origins of sediments and sedimentary
rocks.

Sedimentary Petrology

2. Give 5 descriptions of sedimentary rocks.

Sedimentary Rocks are:

- Rocks which form at low temperatures and pressures at the surface of Earth owing to deposition by water, wind,
or ice.

- Characterized particularly by the presence of layers, although layers are also present in some volcanic and
metamorphic rocks, and by distinctive textures and structures.

- Cover roughly three-fourths of Earth’s surface.

- Has a special genetic significance because their textures, structures, composition, and fossil content reveal the
nature of past surface environments and life forms on earth.

- Many sedimentary rocks contain minerals and fossil fuels that have economic significance (e.g. petroleum, natural
gas, coal, salt, phosphorus, sulphur, iron, and other metallic ores.

3. What are some of the conditions for the environments of formation for sedimentary rocks?

Sedimentary rocks forms in any part of the earth's surface physically chemically and biologically distinct from adjacent
terrain. it is usually defined by fauna and flora, geology, ceomorphology, climate weather, temperature, and if sub-
aqueous, the depth, salinity, and current system of the water these environments of formation could be a site of
erosion non-deposition or deposition

4. A series of steps usually have to happen in order for sedimentary rocks to be formed. What are these steps?

Weathering Transportation Diagenesis

Erosion Deposition

5. It is defined as the chemical alteration, physical, and biological breakdown of rock during exposure to the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Weathering

6. Among the chemical weathering processes, which is involved in the formation of karst topography?

Chemical weathering processes are Involved in the production of karst topography. One of the chemical weathering
processes Is dissolution, which refers to the process by which a mineral entirely dissolves in water. Chemical
weathering is particularly effective on rocks containing magnesium carbonate or calcium carbonate minerals.
Karst topography is a kind of natural environment formed mostly by chemical weathering by water, which culminates
in caves, sinkholes, cliffs, and steep-sided hills known as towers. These characteristics occur as a result of water
absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the ground to generate carbonic acid.

7. It refers to the weakening and subsequent disintegration of rock by plants, animals and microbes.

Biological weathering

8. It is the process of breaking down exposed rocks and transporting them to a sink or a basin for deposition via
various agents of transport.

Erosion

9. How does distance affect the smoothness of sediment grains?

- the greater the distance traveled, the more rounded the sediment particles will be. grains with smooth surfaces
are rounded. the farther sediments are transported, the rounder they become.

- the lesser the distance traveled, the more angular the sediment particles will be. if the grains are rough, with lots
of edges and corners, then they are referred to as angular.

10. How does grain size and energy of transport affect deposition?

sediments are transported only when there is enough energy in the transporting medium, for example, when a stream
is flowing rapidly enough to carry a given size of sedimentary particle. steep mountain streams can move large boulders
during spring flood but these boulders will never be transported out into a placid lowland river. so the largest
sediments (boulders, cobbles, and pebbles) which survive the weathering process, tend to be deposited near to their
source, for example at the point where a mountain stream flows out onto a valley floor. sediments of a given size are
deposited whenever they move into an environment with insufficient energy to transport them. for example, silt
carried by a flooding river will settle out in the quiet backwaters outside the river banks (perhaps enriching someone's
farmland - while wrecking their home.

11. Differentiate the three sedimentary environments.

-Terrestrial / Continental

Continental depositional environments are dominated by clastic sedimentary rocks, largely because of their proximity
to the source of the sediments. Glacial depositional environments are controlled mostly by the weathering and erosion
by glaciers and glacial meltwater

-Transitional (Shoreline)

Transitional environments, more often called shoreline or coastline environments, are zones of complex interactions
caused by ocean water hitting land. The sediment preservation potential is very high in these environments because
deposition often occurs on the continental shelf and underwater.

-Marine

Most of the ocean consists of deep-marine depositional environments. These areas are beyond the reach of most
clastic sediment other than the dust carried by the wind. Therefore, the sediment is being produced chemically and
biologically within the ocean.
12. What is metamorphic Petrology?

Metamorphic petrology is concerned with field relations and local tectonic environments; the description and
classification of metamorphic rocks in terms of their texture and chemistry, which provides information on the nature
of the premetamorphic material; the study of minerals and their chemistry (the mineral assemblages and their
possible reactions), which yields data on the temperatures and pressures at which the rocks recrystallized; and the
study of fabrics and the relations of mineral growth to deformation stages and major structures, which provides
information about the tectonic conditions under which regional metamorphic rocks formed.

13. Give a brief definition of metamorphic rocks.

The metamorphic rocks are secondary rocks formed from pre-existing igneous, sedimentary, and/or prior metamorphic
rocks, which are subjected to physicochemical conditions (P, T, and chemical active fluids) higher than that at the
earth’s surface

- The yielded metamorphic rocks differ than the original ones in mineralogy, structure (textures), and/or chemical
composition.

- Metamorphism should occur in solid state.

14. What are the two types of metamorphism? Give a short explanation for each.

Contact Metamorphism

Contact metamorphism is the name given to the changes that take place when magma is injected in the surrounding
solid rock (country rock).

Because temperatures are highest when magma meets rock, the most transformation occurs there. A contact
metamorphism aureole occurs around cooling igneous rock. Aureoles may display various degrees of metamorphism from
the contact region to unaltered country rock. Metasomatism at the contact zone may produce ore minerals.

Regional Metamorphism

Regional Metamorphism occurs when rocks are buried deep in the crust. This is commonly associated with convergent
plate boundaries and the formation of mountain ranges. Because burial to 10 km to 20 km is required, the areas
affected tend to be large.

Continental crust is most metamorphic. Near most regions, rocks can be metamorphosed at deep, but the possibility
is greatest in the roots of mountain ranges, when new sedimentary rock is buried to vast depths.

15. What is the role of plate tectonics in the formation of metamorphic rocks?

The forces at work during plate tectonic processes are what give rise to the formation of metamorphic rocks.
Differential stress, friction, shearing, compressive stress, folding, and faulting are all caused by the collision of plates,
as well as subduction and the sliding of plates along transform faults. These processes also lead to an increase in
heat flow.