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Difficulty: MediumRocks, Minerals, and Soil

Over long periods, successive layers of weathered rock fragments, silt, and sand accumulate in river deltas and lake basins. As newer layers deposit on top, the underlying sediments are compressed under pressure and bound together by dissolved minerals precipitating from groundwater. Which geological process transforms these loose sediments into solid rock?

  1. A
    Metamorphism
  2. LithificationAnswer
  3. C
    Crystallization
  4. D
    Solidification

Answer

Lithification is the geological process that transforms loose sediment into solid sedimentary rock through compaction and cementation.
Lithification is the collective geological process by which loose mineral grains and rock fragments undergo compaction under overlying weight and cementation by precipitating groundwater minerals, hardening them into solid sedimentary rock.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the geological mechanism described in the scenario.
The scenario describes accumulating sediments experiencing weight-induced compression (compaction) and mineral precipitation from groundwater (cementation).
Identifying the specific physical and chemical changes taking place distinguishes sedimentary processes from igneous or metamorphic ones.
2
Match these combined mechanisms to the appropriate scientific term.
Compaction and cementation together define the process of lithification.
Lithification is the formal geological term for the hardening of unconsolidated sediment into sedimentary rock.

Key Concept

Sedimentary rock formation via compaction and cementation (lithification)
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Rocks, Minerals, and Soil

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