1) Sedimentary Rock Formation Sedimentary rock formation begins with igneous, metamorphic, or other sedimentary rocks.

When these rocks are exposed at the earths surface they begin the long slow but relentless process of becoming sedimentary rock. Formation involves the following steps 1.Weathering All rocks are subject to weathering. Weathering is anything that breaks the rocks into smaller pieces or sediments. This can happen by the forces of like wind, rain, and freezing water. 2.Deposition The sediments that form from these actions are often carried to other places by the wind, running water, and gravity. As these forces lose energy the sediments settle out of the air or water. As the settling takes place the rock fragments are graded by size. The larger heavier pieces settle out first. The smallest fragments travel farther and settle out last. This process of settling out is called deposition. 3.Erosion The combination of weathering and movement of the resulting sediments is called erosion. 4.Lithification Lithification is the changing of sediments into rock. There are two processes involved in this change. They are compaction and cementation. Compaction occurs after the sediments have been deposited. The weight of the sediments squeezes the particles together. As more and more sediments are deposited the weight on the sediments below increases. Waterborne sediments become so tightly squeezed together that most of the water is pushed out. Cementation happens as dissolved minerals become deposited in the spaces between the sediments. These minerals act as glue or cement to bind the sediments together.The process of sedimentary rock formation takes millions of years to complete only to begin a new cycle of rock formation.

2) Types of sedimentary rocks Based on the processes responsible for their formation, sedimentary rocks can be subdivided into four groups: clastic sedimentary rocks, biochemical (or biogenic) sedimentary rocks, chemical sedimentary rocks fourth category for "other" sedimentary impacts, volcanism, and other minor processes. rocks formed by

Clastic sedimentary rocks Clastic sedimentary rocks are composed of silicate minerals and rock fragments that were transported by moving fluids (as bed load, suspended load, or by sediment gravity flows) and were deposited when these fluids came to rest. Clastic rocks are composed largely of quartz, feldspar, rock (lithic) fragments, clay minerals, and mica; numerous other minerals may be present as accessories and may be important locally. Conglomerates and breccias Conglomerates are dominantly composed of rounded gravel and breccias are composed of dominantly angular gravel. Sandstones Sandstone classification schemes vary widely, but most geologists have adopted the Dott scheme, which uses the relative abundance of quartz, feldspar, and lithic framework grains and the abundance of muddy matrix between these larger grains. Mudrocks Mudrocks are sedimentary rocks composed of at least 50% silt- and clay-sized particles. These relatively fine-grained particles are commonly transported as suspended particles by turbulent flow in water or air, and deposited as the flow calms and the particles settle out of suspension

Biochemical sedimentary rocks Biochemical sedimentary rocks are created when organisms use materials dissolved in air or water to build their tissue. Examples include:

Most types of limestone are formed from the calcareous skeletons of organisms such as corals,mollusks, and foraminifera. Coal which forms as plants remove carbon from the atmosphere and combine with other elements to build their tissue. Deposits of chert formed from the accumulation of siliceous skeletons from microscopic organisms such as radiolaria and diatoms.

Chemical sedimentary rocks Chemical sedimentary rock forms when mineral constituents in solution become supersaturated and inorganically precipitate. Common chemical sedimentary rocks include oolitic limestone and rocks composed of evaporite minerals such as halite (rock salt), sylvite, barite and gypsum

3) Metamorphism Metamorphism is the solid-state recrystallization of pre-existing rocks due to changes in physical and chemical conditions, primarily heat, pressure, and the introduction of chemically active fluids. Mineralogical, chemical andcrystallographic changes can occur during this process. Changes at or just beneath Earth's surface due to weathering and/or digenesis are not classified as metamorphism. Solid state changes in sedimentary or igneous rocks. Takes place within the crust and in response to the agents of metamorphism Agents of Metamorphism 1) Heat a) frictional sliding of plates b) radioactivity c) gravitational compression

2) Pressure a) burial (lithostatic) b) directed pressure due to tectonism 3) Chemically Active Fluids a) Water - circulates in response to heat generated by cooling magmas. Exchanges ions between the solution and the rock through which it is travelling.