01:460:120 Lecture 8: Lecture 8 - Marine Sediments
16 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
Sediments can be classified in various ways: by particle size: boulders, cobble, pebble, granule. Sediments can be classified in various ways: by source and composition - terrigenous sediments. Most terrigenous sediments are eroded rock fragments from land, produced by physical weathering. Quartz is the most common mineral in terrigenous sediments. Sorting of sediments with distance travelled: coarse sediments (larger particles) settle out close to shore, fine sediments (smaller particles) travel far from shore. Sediments can be classified in various ways: by source and composition - biogenous sediments, the hard remains of once-living organisms. Ooze?: the distribution of biogenous sediments depends on productivity, destruction, and dilution. Calcareous oozes consist of the hard remains of microscopic, clacium carbonate-secreting organisms. Carbonate sands are usually composed of coral fragments. Processes affecting dissolution of calcium carbonate are important in controlling its distribution in the ocean. Dissolution of calcium carbonate increases with lower temperature, with increased activity, and with higher pressure.
