Stone Science
Sedimentary rocks (scientific)
Scientific terms for sediments and sedimentary rocks: grain size, sorting, structures, and depositional environments.
Classification
How sedimentary rocks are named
Names reflect grain size, composition, and cement—plus structures like bedding and cross-bedding.
Siliciclastic vs. carbonate
Siliciclastic (quartz/feldspar/lithics) vs. carbonate (calcite/dolomite) systems have different naming conventions.
Grain size terms
Clay/silt/sand/gravel → shale/siltstone/sandstone/conglomerate or breccia.
Sorting & rounding
Well-sorted vs. poorly sorted; rounded vs. angular—clues to transport distance and energy.
Structures & fossils
Bedding, laminations, ripples, mud cracks, bioturbation, fossils—used as scientific descriptors.
Sedimentary examples
Bedding, layering, and textures commonly used in scientific descriptions.
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