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Bedding identification and geology

The layered arrangement of sedimentary rocks, where each bed or stratum represents a distinct episode of deposition separated from adjacent beds by bedding planes. Bedding is the most fundamental structural feature of sedimentary rocks, and its orientation, thickness, and character record information about depositional environment, energy conditions, and paleocurrent directions. Cross-bedding, graded bedding, and rhythmic bedding are important subtypes with specific interpretive significance. Field: sedimentology. Example: The red sandstones of Zion National Park display large-scale cross-bedding sets over 10 m tall, recording the migration of ancient sand dunes in a Jurassic desert environment.. Related terms: Stratum, Cross-bedding, Lamination, Bedding plane.

Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:41.970235+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Bedding mean in geology?
The layered arrangement of sedimentary rocks, where each bed or stratum represents a distinct episode of deposition separated from adjacent beds by bedding planes. Bedding is the most fundamental structural feature of sedimentary rocks, and its orientation, thickness, and character record information about depositional environment, energy conditions, and paleocurrent directions. Cross-bedding, graded bedding, and rhythmic bedding are important subtypes with specific interpretive significance.
What is an example of Bedding?
The red sandstones of Zion National Park display large-scale cross-bedding sets over 10 m tall, recording the migration of ancient sand dunes in a Jurassic desert environment.
Which earth-science field uses the term Bedding?
Bedding is used in sedimentology.
Which terms are related to Bedding?
Related terms in this reference are Stratum, Cross-bedding, Lamination, Bedding plane.

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