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Sedimentary rock identification and geology

Rock formed at or near the Earth's surface by the accumulation and lithification of sediment clastic sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and shale , the precipitation of minerals from solution chemical sedimentary rocks such as limestone, evaporites , or the accumulation of biological material biogenic sedimentary rocks such as coal and chalk . Sedimentary rocks cover approximately 75% of the Earth's land surface but constitute only about 5% of the crust by volume. Field: sedimentology. Example: The sedimentary rocks of the Grand Canyon record over 1.5 billion years of Earth history, from Proterozoic sandstones at the base to Permian limestones at the rim, with each layer preserving evidence of its depositional environment.. Related terms: Igneous rock, Metamorphic rock, Lithification, Stratum.

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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
2026-03-30T15:19:42.096023+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 Sedimentary rock mean in geology?
Rock formed at or near the Earth's surface by the accumulation and lithification of sediment clastic sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and shale , the precipitation of minerals from solution chemical sedimentary rocks such as limestone, evaporites , or the accumulation of biological material biogenic sedimentary rocks such as coal and chalk . Sedimentary rocks cover approximately 75% of the Earth's land surface but constitute only about 5% of the crust by volume.
What is an example of Sedimentary rock?
The sedimentary rocks of the Grand Canyon record over 1.5 billion years of Earth history, from Proterozoic sandstones at the base to Permian limestones at the rim, with each layer preserving evidence of its depositional environment.
Which earth-science field uses the term Sedimentary rock?
Sedimentary rock is used in sedimentology.
Which terms are related to Sedimentary rock?
Related terms in this reference are Igneous rock, Metamorphic rock, Lithification, Stratum.

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