Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Deposition can also refer to the buildup of sediment from organically derived matter or chemical processes. For example, chalk is made up partly of the microscopic calcium carbonate skeletons of marine plankton, the deposition of which induced chemical processes to deposit further calcium carbonate.
In geology, sedimentation is the deposition of sediments which results in the formation of sedimentary rock. The term is broadly applied to the entire range of processes that result in the formation of sedimentary rock, from initial erosion through sediment transport and settling to the lithification of the sediments.
A diagram of various depositional environments. In geology, depositional environment or sedimentary environment describes the combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes associated with the deposition of a particular type of sediment and, therefore, the rock types that will be formed after lithification, if the sediment is preserved in the rock record.
Deposition (geology) – Geological process in which sediments, soil and rocks are added to a landform or landmass; Depositional environment – Processes associated with the deposition of a particular type of sediment; Erosion – Natural processes removing soil and rock; Exner equation – Law of sediment aggradation
A contact can be formed during deposition, by the intrusion of magma, [2] or through faulting or other deformation of rock beds that brings distinct rock bodies into contact. [3] The geologic subdiscipline of stratigraphy is primarily concerned with depositional contacts, [4] while faults and shear zones are of particular interest in structural ...
Relative dating is the science of determining the relative order of past events (i.e., the age of an object in comparison to another), without necessarily determining their absolute age (i.e., estimated age). In geology, rock or superficial deposits, fossils and lithologies can be used to correlate one stratigraphic column with another.
Sediment deposition over a basin with organic material can create a primary component of coal, Vitrinite. High temperatures and pressures associated with Tectonic burial could produce vitrinite from woody organic material thus the presence of vitrinite may be a good indicator for a tectonic burial event.
Sedimentologists apply their understanding of modern processes to interpret geologic history through observations of sedimentary rocks and sedimentary structures. [ 4 ] Sedimentary rocks cover up to 75% of the Earth 's surface, record much of the Earth's history , and harbor the fossil record .