Sedimentary Rocks Contain Clues to Ancient Environments
As climate changes over time, so do environments! For instance, at one time
a region might contain a lake
and river
system, but millions of years later there may be no trace of water
at all. The water may have left, but clues remain in the sediment that settled
out of the water. These traces allow us to figure out what environments
were like in the past!
Look below to see what different environments look like on the Earth today,
and what environments leave behind in sedimentary
rocks. Click on the pictures below to compare environments and the
types of rocks that are made from them.
| Environment |
Sediment Size |
What environments look like
on the Earth today: |
What environments from long
ago left behind in rock: |
| Lake |
Mud |
 |
 |
| Swamp |
Mud |
 |
 |
| Desert Dunes |
Sand |
 |
 |
| Alluvial Fan |
Sand and gravel |
 |
 |
| River |
Silt, sand, and gravel |
 |
 |
| Lagoon |
Mud |
 |
 |
| Beach |
Silt, sand, or gravel |
 |
 |
| Shallow Ocean |
Silt and sand |
 |
 |
| Deep Ocean |
Mud, with thin layers of sand or silt |
 |
 |
| Tropical Ocean |
Sediment made of Calcite (and other carbonate minerals) |
 |
 |
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
TES XXVI, 3 fall 2010
The
Fall 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist, focuses on rocks and minerals, including articles on minerals and mining, the use of minerals in society, and rare earth minerals, and includes 3 posters!
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