Skip navigation.

Sand & gravel quarry

Sand & Gravel 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
  • Coal
  • 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

Stage 1 - Rock is broken off the hills and mountains by the weather Stage 2 - The rock gets into the rivers and streams, the pebbles sand and gravel are carries out to sea Stage 3 - The pebbles, sand and gravel settle on the sea bed, stuff that settles on the sea bed is called sediment, Over millions of years the sediment builds up and gets squashed together to make sedimentary rock