Sedimentary Rocks

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Assignments

Chernicoff, Chapter 6, "Sedimentation and Sedimentary Rocks."

Reminders

Copies of the mineral template are available from a paper tray at the entrance to my office in Rm 202.

Reading Focus Questions

Read the entire chapter. Study the illustrations. Focus your attention on the following questions. Be prepared to answer any of these questions should they occur on a quiz or on the final exam. For multiple choice questions select the single best answer. (Parenthetical notes are my remarks of related facts not found in the textbook.)

 

  1. True or False? Sedimentary rocks are the most abundant and massive component of the solid globe as a whole.

     

  2. True or False? Sedimentary rocks are exposed on the Earth's land surface more than any other kind of rock.

     

  3. True or False? Coal, fresh underground water, and the source of our cement are all found principally in formations of sedimentary rocks.

     

  4. Two types of sedimentary rock are detrital and chemical (study Fig 6-1).
    1. Which type is formed from the breakdown of previously existing solid rock?
    2. Glacial debris is an example of which type?
    3. Halite (salt deposits) is an example of which type?

     

  5. All of the following statements are true EXCEPT:
    1. Detrital and chemical sediments often arise from the same source.
    2. Vast quantities of sediment finally settle in the oceans.
    3. The majority of sediment is derived from preexisting rocks.
    4. Chemical sediments are distinguished by composition rather than texture.

     

  6. True or False? Wind is a more selective sorter of particles than glacial ice.

     

  7. True or False? The term sedimentary structure refers to the arrangement of atoms in the detrital material.

     

  8. Graded bedding of sediment occurs when particles settle out of:
    1. wind
    2. glacial ice
    3. running water
    4. still water

     

  9. True or False? Cross-beds always slope toward the down current direction.

     

  10. True or False? Sedimentary rocks may preserve ripple marks shaped by the current flow at the time of deposition.

     

  11. True or False? Fossil mudcracks are narrower at the top and grow broader at their base.

     

  12. True or False? Lithification is the cementation of sediment particles.

     

  13. True or False? All detrital rocks are clastic.

     

  14. Study the terms given in Table 6-1.

     

  15. Most sedimentary rocks are:
    1. shales or mudstones
    2. sandstones
    3. conglomerates
    4. limestones

     

  16. All of the statements about sandstones are true EXCEPT:
    1. Sandstones are the coarsest of the detrital rocks
    2. Sandstones hold much of the world's crude oil
    3. Sandstones act as a reservoir for much of our drinking water
    4. Sandstones make good building stone

     

  17. Greywackes are:
    1. inorganic limestones
    2. sandstones containing both quartz and feldspars
    3. shales used in the manufacture of grey building stones
    4. grey-green dolostones

     

  18. Conglomerates and breccias are distinguished by the difference in their:
    1. matrix material
    2. cementing substance
    3. particle size
    4. particle shape

     

  19. True or False? Rock fragments in breccias have usually been transported farther from their place of origin than the fragments in conglomerate.

     

  20. Study Table 6-2.

     

  21. Dolostone is a sedimentary rock:
    1. found mainly in cold climates
    2. composed mainly of silica
    3. composed of calcium-and-magnesium carbonates
    4. created by great pressure and heat

     

  22. What is Lake Bonneville?

     

  23. All of the following may be inorganic chemical sedimentary rocks EXCEPT:
    1. arkoses
    2. limestones
    3. cherts
    4. evaporites

     

  24. Because of its relatively ______ solubility, _________ precipitates first in an evaporite.
    1. high; gypsum
    2. high; halite
    3. low; gypsum
    4. low; halite

     

  25. Sedimentary rocks consisting largely of silica (SiO2) and having microscopic crystals are known as:
    1. limestone
    2. chert
    3. dolostone
    4. evaporites

     

  26. True or False? Halite is an organic chemical sedimentary rock.

     

  27. True or False? Organic chemical sedimentary rocks are derived from living organisms.

     

  28. Most organic limestone is formed...
    1. in cold Arctic water
    2. in warm shallow-marine water
    3. by the accumulation of wind-blown organic particles
    4. by deep-marine, carbonate-secreting organisms

     

  29. Flint is a type of:
    1. anthracite
    2. chert
    3. soft coal
    4. inorganic sedimentary rock

     

  30. What sedimentary rock is the main component of the White Cliffs of Dover?

     

  31. Which form of coal is the most compact and dense, and has the least amount of original plant structure remaining intact?
    1. anthracite
    2. peat
    3. bituminous coal
    4. lignite

     

  32. What is meant by "facies"? Study Figure 6-19.

     

  33. True or False? Some of the Earth's highest mountains contain sedimentary rock that was deposited in a marine environment.

     

  34. See "For Further Thought" on page 125; questions 2, 3, 4, and 5.

     

Class Agenda