Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Sedimentary Petrology > Lesson 1: Introduction > Flashcards

Lesson 1: Introduction Flashcards

1
Q

broad scientific discipline that encompasses the study of all kinds of sedimentary rocks. specifically the:
-physiochemical properties
-mineralogy
-composition
-classification
-origin
-etc

A

sedimentary petrology

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

deals with the characterization of individual sediments. specifically:
-sizes
-physiochemical properties
-mineralogy
-depositional history (possible environment during deposition)

A

sedimentology

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

how do you usually start describing sedimentary rocks? and is this under sedimentary petrology or sedimentology?

A

sedimentary petrology.

start larger:
-size
-type, classification
-composition, mineralogy
-physical properties: color, sed features

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

difference between interbedded and intercalated

A

interbedding occurs when different lithologies alternate between layers.

intercalating is a special kind of interbedding in which the lithologies are from different depositional environments that are in close proximity to each other. (a layer gets inserted into an already existing sequence)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what does the sediment size tell about the depositional environment? ex.?

A

the larger the sediment sizes, the higher energy of environments and the closer proximity to the parent rock.

ex. breccias typically indicate upstream depositions with high energies, near the provenance (mountains)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

2 importance of studying sedimentary petrology?

A
  1. genetic significance
    -they reveal the nature of past environments (rocks themselves) and life forms (fossils), thus our only available clues to the earth’s surface history
  2. economic significance
    -metallic ores: iron, gold, uranium
    -nonmetallics: natural gas, coal, sulfur, limestone, sand&gravel, silica for cement
    -placer deposits
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what are placer deposits?

A

heavy minerals that accumulate in basins bc of gravity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what percent do sedimentary rocks roughly cover the earth’s surface?

A

about 3/4 or almost 80%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what are the 3 things that affect the composition of siliciclastic sedimentary rocks?

A
  1. tectonic provenance
  2. kind of depositional basin
  3. depositional conditions present in tectonic setting
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what are the 4 fundamental kinds of constituents?

A
  1. terrigenous siliciclastic particles
  2. chemical/biochemical constituents
  3. carbonaceous constituents
  4. authigenic constituents
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

depositional agents

A

water, wind, ice

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

describe the general process of sedimentary rock formation

A

formation of source rocks (intrusion, metamorphism, volcanism, tectonic uplift) -> weathering & dissolution of soluble constituents (explosive volcanism) -> erosion (transportation) -> deposition ->burial (+temp&pressure) -> diagenesis -> sedimentary constituents that make up the rocks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

sediments derived from terrestrial environments and typically made out of silica

A

terrigenous siliciclastic particles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what are the range of sizes for terrigenous siliciclastic particles?

A

gravel to mud-sized

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

examples of silicates

A

quartz, feldspars, micas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

forms of terrigenous siliciclastic particles

A

clasts (aggregate of minerals) or rock fragments (individual mineral grains)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

rock types that make up terrigenous siliciclastic particles

A

igneous, metamorphic and older sedimentary rocks (as long as dominantly made up of silicate minerals)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

how do secondary minerals (made up of terrigenous siliciclastic particles) form at weathering sites?

A

these minerals, particularly iron oxides and clays minerals, are formed from the recombination and recrystallization of chemical elements released from parent rock during weathering, during fluid phase then transported, not after deposition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

other names for terrigenous silisiclastic particles

A

terrigenous constituents/ siliciclastic grains

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

how are terrigenous siliciclastic particles transported as? and where to? implication?

A

solids to depositional basins (thus extrabasinal origin, however some pyroclastic particles may form within the basin)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what common rocks do terrigenous siliciclastic particles make?

A

sandstone, conglomerates, shales

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

constituents derived from precipitates (minerals or mineral aggregates)

A

chemical/biochemical constituents

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

how do soluble constituents like calcite, gypsum and apatite form in basins?

A

chemical and biochemical processes lead to extraction of these soluble constituents from basin water, then moved about by currents and waves within the basin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

example of chemical biochemical aggregate grains

A

carbonate ooids and pellets

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

aside from soluble constituents, what other precipitates can be formed through chemical and biochemical processes?

A

calcareous and siliceous tests or shells of organisms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

example of intrabasinal sedimentary rocks

A

limestone, cherts, evaporites, phosphorites

27
Q

constituents composed of carbonized residues of terrestrial (marine) plants and animals, and petroleum bitumen

A

carbonaceous constituents

28
Q

three types of carbonaceous constituents

A

humic, sapropelic, bitumens

29
Q

the woody residues of plant tissues

A

humic carbonaceous materials

30
Q

humic carbonaceous materials are the chief component of most what?

31
Q

are the remains of spores, pollen, phytoplankton and zooplankton, macerated plant debris in water

A

sapropelic residues

32
Q

sapropelic residues are the chief constituents of what?

A

cannel coals and oil shales

33
Q

solid asphaltic residues that form from petroleum through the loss of volatiles, oxidation and polymerization

34
Q

why do some siliciclastic rocks occur within the ocean?

A

because seawater has metal ions, i.e Zn, Cu, Fe that come from black smokers

35
Q

what are black smokers?

A

hydrothermal vent chimneys formed by accumulations of iron sulfide (black in color)

36
Q

are secondary constituents formed from precipitation of pore waters during burial diagenesis

A

authigenic constituents

37
Q

what are the three sedimentary rocks that make up the bulk of all sedimentary rock records?

A

mudrocks (shales), sandstones and limestones

38
Q

what kinds of materials are included in authigenic constituents?

A

silicate materials: quartz, feldspar, clay minerals, glauconite
nonsilicate materials: calcite, gypsum, barite, hematite

(they’re never the dominant type tho)

39
Q

3 fundamental types of sedimentary rocks

A
  1. siliciclastic sedimentary rocks
  2. chemical/biochemical sedimentary rocks
  3. carbonaceous sedimentary rocks

further divided into grain size ang siliciclastic

40
Q

in terms of volume how much do sedimentary rocks make up? of the earth’s total and the crust?

A

earth: 0.1%
crust: 11%

41
Q

average thickness of sedimentary shell

A

2.2km, but varies

42
Q

percentage of sedimentary rocks on continents?

A

about 70%, 29% sa earth’s surface

43
Q

percentage of sedimentary rocks on continental shelf and slope?

A

13%, 14% sa earth

44
Q

percentage of sedimentary rocks on ocean floors?

A

17%, 58% sa earth’s surface

45
Q

5 types of sedimentary basins

A
  1. divergent settings
  2. intraplate settings
  3. convergent settings
  4. transform settings
  5. hybrid settings
46
Q

2 basin subtypes under divergent setting sedimentary basins

A
  1. terrestrial rift valleys
  2. proto-oceanic rift troughs
47
Q

3 subtypes of transform setting sedimentary basins

A
  1. transtensional
  2. transpressional
  3. transrotational
48
Q

4 subtypes under hybrid setting sedimentary basins

A
  1. aulocagens
  2. impactogens
  3. successor basins
  4. intracontinental wrench basins
49
Q

7 subtypes under intraplate setting sedimentary basins

A
  1. continental rises and terraces
  2. continental embankments
  3. intracratonic basins
  4. continental platforms
  5. active ocean basins
  6. oceanic islands, aseismic ridges and plateaus
  7. dormant ocean basins
50
Q

10 subtypes under convergent setting sedimentary basins

A
  1. trenches
  2. trench-slope basins
  3. forearc basins
  4. intraarc basins
  5. backarc basins
  6. retroarc foreland basin
  7. remnant ocean basins
  8. peripheral foreland basins
  9. piggyback basins
  10. foreland intermontane basins (broken forelands)
51
Q

commonly associated with bimodal volcanism

A

Terrestrial Rift Valleys

52
Q

Incipient oceanic crust and flanked by young rifted continental margins

A

Proto-Oceanic Rift Troughs

53
Q

Mature rifted continental Margins in intraplate settings at continental-oceanic interfaces

A

Continental Rise and Terraces

54
Q

Progradational sediment wedges formed of rifted continental margins

A

Continental embankments

55
Q

Broad cratonic basins floored by fossil rifts in axial zones

A

Intracratonic Basins

56
Q

Stable cratons covered with thin laterally extensive sediment cover

A

Continental Platforms

57
Q

floored with oceanic crust, no spreading or subduction

A

Dormant ocean basins

58
Q

example of terrestrial rift valleys

A

rio grande rift

59
Q

example of proto-oceanic rift troughs

60
Q

example of active ocean basins

A

pacific ocean

61
Q

Former failed rifts at high angles, which have been reactivated during convergent tectonics

A

Aulacogens

62
Q

rifts formed at high angles to continental margins, without preorogenic history

A

Impactogens

63
Q

Basins formed in intermontane settings following the cessation of local orogenic or taphrogenic activity

A

Successor Basin

Sedimentary Petrology (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions