Knowra Lithification Lithification Lithification converts loose sediment into solid sedimentary rock, chiefly through burial-driven compaction and the precipitation of minerals that cement grains together.
Compaction : The reduction of sediment volume as grains are pressed closer together, commonly under the weight of overlying material. Burial pressure packs grains and expels pore water, reducing sediment volume during lithification.
Sediment : Loose particles of mineral, rock, or organic material transported and deposited by natural processes. Lithification begins with accumulated particles rather than already solid rock.
Sandstone : A sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized grains, commonly cemented by silica, carbonate, or iron oxides. Its grain framework and cement provide a clear record of how sediment became rock.
Metamorphism : The mineralogical or textural transformation of solid rock by heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids without melting. Lithification consolidates sediment; metamorphism alters rock that is already solid.
Cementation : The binding of sediment grains by minerals precipitated from water moving through pore spaces. Mineral deposits bridge grains and help transform compacted sediment into solid rock.
Sedimentary rock : Rock formed from accumulated sediment or from minerals precipitated from solution. It is the solid product of lithification when loose sediment is consolidated.
Shale : A fine-grained sedimentary rock that splits readily along thin layers. Its compacted clay-rich particles illustrate strong compaction and limited pore connectivity.
Diagenetic cement : Mineral matter precipitated in sedimentary pore spaces during diagenesis, binding grains together. This specific product of diagenesis is a principal agent of cementation.
Diagenesis : The physical, chemical, and biological changes that affect sediment after deposition and before metamorphism. Lithification is a central part of the broader set of changes grouped as diagenesis.
Grain size : A measure of the dimensions of individual particles in sediment or rock. Grain size affects how sediment packs and how readily fluids move through its pores.
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