Key Idea.
Section 1
Pressure and Compaction
Turning loose sand into hard rock requires immense physical force. As new layers of sediment pile up, their heavy weight crushes the layers buried beneath them.
This process, known as compaction, squeezes the sediment grains tightly together, reducing the empty space between them. While compaction makes the layers dense, the material still needs a binding agent to become true rock.
Section 2
Cementation
The transformation into sedimentary rock is completed by a chemical process. Water carrying dissolved minerals flows through the tiny gaps between the compacted sediment grains.
Over time, these minerals crystallize and act as a natural glue, binding the particles together. This process, called cementation, solidifies the loose debris into a rigid, durable material known as sedimentary rock.
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Section 1
Pressure and Compaction
Turning loose sand into hard rock requires immense physical force. As new layers of sediment pile up, their heavy weight crushes the layers buried beneath them.
This process, known as compaction, squeezes the sediment grains tightly together, reducing the empty space between them. While compaction makes the layers dense, the material still needs a binding agent to become true rock.
Section 2
Cementation
The transformation into sedimentary rock is completed by a chemical process. Water carrying dissolved minerals flows through the tiny gaps between the compacted sediment grains.
Over time, these minerals crystallize and act as a natural glue, binding the particles together. This process, called cementation, solidifies the loose debris into a rigid, durable material known as sedimentary rock.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter