Rock Quarry
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are formed from the remains of older rocks that have been worn away.
Layer upon layer of rock pieces may be gathered together in one place by water, wind or ice. Many were originally part of the sea bed and also contain fossils of shells and tiny sea creatures. Over thousands of years, the weight of the layers above presses the bottom layers together so hard that they join together into solid rock again. It’s a bit like squeezing damp soil together to make a solid ball.
Sedimentary rocks:
- Conglomerate
- Limestone
- Sandstone
- Chalk
Sedo is Latin for settle down. Sedimentary rocks are formed, remember, when the remains of other rocks are deposited (laid down) as sediments. Chalk, for example, is the slow build-up of the skeletons of millions, billions, zillions of tiny sea creatures.
Have you been paying attention?
Here is ‘The story of sedimentary rocks’ illustrations showing the processes which lead to the formation of sedimentary rock
