Classification of the Sedimentary rocks

The classification of the sedimentary rocks are grouped under two main division:
1. Clastic
2. Non-clastic
This is done on the basis of their mode of formation. These groups are further subdivided on the basis of
their grain size, composition and nature of the source material.
A. Clastic Rocks:
These are also called mechanically formed or detrital rocks
1.Gravels: all sediments and clastic fragments of rocks above the size of 2mm irrespective of their
composition and shape are broadly termed as gravels.
• Boulder: when grain size is bigger than 256mm
• Cobbles: when grain size is b/w 256-16mm.
• Pebbles: when grain size islies b/w 16-2mm
2.Sands : all sediments that lie within the size range of 2mm and 1/16mm are grouped as sands. Also
siliceous sediments.
• Coarse sands: b/w 2-0.5mm
• Medium: b/w ½ - ¼ mm
• Fine: b/w ¼ -1/6mm
3. silts: these are very fine grained of varying composition lying in the range b/w 1/16mm and 1/256mm.
4. clays: all particles finer in size than 1/256mm are commonly reffered to as clays.
1. rudites(psephites): congl and breccias
2. Arenites(psamites): sand grains
3. Lutites(pelites): shale, clay, mudstone,silt stone.
• Non clastic:
a) Chemically formed rocks:they are generaaly formed by pptn, evaporation or crystallization from
natural aqueous solns carrying the weathered material in the form of dissolved load.
• Siliceous deposits: chert, flint
• Carbonate deposits: dolomite, magnesite
• Ferruginous deposits: bog iron ores
• Phosphatic deposits: lime stone , shale
• Evaporites: rock salt, gypsum, borates
b) Organic deposites
• Carbonate rocks: accumulation and compacaction of shells and skeletal bones of sea.
• Carbonacious rocks; rich in carbon. Ex: coal
• Phosphatic deposits: Guano: accumulation of excreta
• Ferroginous deposits: siderite
• Missellaneous deposits: complex mode formation. Ex: bauxite, terra rosa and laterite
Classification of faults
a) The apparent movement of the disrupted blocks along the fault plane
 1. Normal fault: in this fault hanging wall has apparently moved down with respect to foot wall a
classified as a normal fault.
Horst and graben, vertical fault:
When two normal faults appear on either side of a central wedge shaped elongated block in such a way that
the central wedge appears raised high up with respect to the sides, the outstanding structure is called Horst.
A graben may be described as an elongated wedge shaped central block, which appears to have moved
downward with respect to the side blocks along two downward converging normal faults.
Faults in which the fault plane is vertical or nearly so and the resulting movement of blocks is also in a
vertical direction are termed as vertical fault.
b) Reverse fault: Reverse fault is one in which the hanging wall moves up relative to the foot wall due to
compression. Generally fault plane is 45degree
• Thrust fault: If the hanging wall is pushed up and then over the foot wall at a low angle it is called a
thrust fault
• Nappes: extensive blocks of rocks that have been translated to great distance, often ranging to several
km along the thrust plane
3)Strike slip fault: Fault in which faulted blocks have been moved against each in an essentially horizontal
direction.
4)Hinge fault: Also called rotational faults. A hinge fault is characterised by movement of the disrupted
blocks along a medial point called hinge point. the movement is therefore rotational rather than translational.
Attitude of fault as basiss:
1. Strike faults:These are fault develop parallel to the strata
2. Dip faults: these are the faults which develop parallel to the strata.
3. Oblique faults: these are sometimes called diagonal faults. in such a fault, the fault strike makes an
oblique angle with the strike of the rocks in which it has caused the displacement.
Slip as basis
1. Strike slip faults: the net slip is essentially parallel to the strike of the faults, the slip along the being
almost absent.
a. Wrench fault: the fault plane has developed transverse to the regional structure and even the net slip also
taken place in the same manner.
b. Transform fault: these are strike slip faults occurring in oceanic ridges on an extensive scale.
c. Tear faults: these are occurring in groups in continental regions that divide an originally extensive block
in to blocks of smaller and convenient dimension that are translated during the process of regional faulting.
2. Dip slip faults: the net slip has take place parallel to the dip of the fault are classified as dip slip faults.
3. Oblique slip faults: the direction of net slip is neither parallel to the dip of the fault nor to the strike of the
fault but is inclined to both these directions.

Mode of occurrence
1) Parallel faults : A group of faults occurring in close proximity, having their fault planes striking
essentially in the same direction and having parallel and equal dips from what are commonly called
parallel faults.
 2) Enechelon faults: a grp of small sized faults that overlap each other in the region of their occurrence.
3) Peripheral faults : when in any given region the majority of faults are concentrated along the border
or margin of the area, the faulting termed peripheral.
4) Radial faults: A group of faults that appear emerging outward from a common central region are
classed as radial faults.

SOIL TYPES
• Sandy Soil- The size of the particles are the largest. It is granular and consists of rock and mineral
particles that are very small. Sandy soil is composed of 60-70% sand, 20-25% silt and 10-15% clay.
• Silty Soil- Silty soil is the most fertile soil. It is found either as soil or as suspended sediment in
water column of a water body on the earth’s surface. It is richer in nutrients and minerals like Quartz
than sandy soil and has better drainage property.
• Clay Soil-Clay is very fine grained soil and hence there is very less air spaces between the
particles. Clay soil becomes very heavy when wet. Red coloured clay soil has good aeration.
• Loamy Soil- This soil is the perfect soil for plantation. The granular soil retains water very easily,
yet the drainage is well. Loamy soil is composed of 40 % sand, 40% silt and 20% clay.
• Peaty Soil- This kind of soil contains more organic matter than other soils whereas the fewer
nutrients are present in the soil. This kind of soil is formed in wet climate. Well fertilized and well
drained Peaty soil is ideal for growing plants.
• Chalky Soil- Chalky soil is very alkaline in nature and consists of stones. This kind of soil drys
quickly and also blocks the absorption of nutritional elements by plants.
Drainage pattern:
Rain water flowing down slopes comes together to form a stream flow. The space where a stream runs is a
channel. A river is the general term for a channel and the water in it. The area supplying water into a channel
is a drainage basin.

• Dendritic- It resembles the shape of a tree and is the most common pattern on the earth’s surface. It
develops in regions where the river channel follows the slope of the terrain.
 • Rectangular- It develops in regions having strongly jointed rocky terrain. The tributaries are more
widely spaced in this pattern compared to trellis pattern. The angle of confluence is determined by
faults and fractures among the rocks in this terrain.

• Radial- It develops when streams diverge from a central higher point or dome towards all directions.
Thus, it resembles a centrifugal pattern where the arrangement of streams is similar to spokes of a
wheel.

Geological work of wind:

• Air in motion is called wind.
• Wind erosion
• Deflation: when wind moving with sufficient velocity over dry loose or bare ground covered with
dust, it can remove or sweep away huge quantity of the loose material from the surface, This process
of removal of particles dust and sand by strong winds is called deflation.

•
• Wind abrasion:
wind becomes a powerful agent for rubbing and abrading the rock surfaces when naturally loaded
with sand dust particles. This load is acquired by the strong winds quite easily when blowing over sand
 dunes in desert and over the dry ploughed fields fields. This type of erosion involving rubbing, grinding,
and polishing the rock surfaces by any natural agent with the help of its load while passing over the
rocks is termed as abrasion.

• Wind abrasion involves numerous feature of erosion on the land surface.

• Yardangs: these are elongated, low lying ridges forming overhangs above local depresion.
• Pedestal rocks: these are also called mushroom rocks. They are flat topped rock masses that are
characterized with slender supporting rock stems. the to is referred as overhang and the slender stem
as pedestal.
• Ventifacts: these are small sized rock fragments showing one, two or even more typically wind
polished surfaces called faces.
• Desert pavements: these are flat rock surfaces covered by rounded or sub rounded pebbles spread
all over them, and are typical features of rock deserts.
• Attrition
Attrition is the grinding action, while on transit wind born particles often collide with one another,
such mutual collision brings about a further grinding of the particles
Transportation:- Wind transportation is totally dependent on wind velocity. These are three methods of
wind transportation.

i) Traction:- Where particles are removed through rolling and creeping.

ii) Saltation:- Here the particles, which are too heavy to remain in suspension and lighter to be
transported in traction are transported through a series of bounces.
iii) Suspension:- Very light particles like dust and cloud smoke etc. move with the wind quickly but
settle very slowly remain in suspension in the air.

III) Deposition
Wind formed deposits are called Aeolian deposits. Wind is an excellent agent for sorting of materials
according to their size, shape or weight, pebbles and boulders cannot be carried away and are left back to
large deposited as loess, which does not show any stratification wind deposits take two general forms as;

i) Sheets ii) piles

sheet deposits are the dust deposits laid down on large piles deposits include the various types of dunes
which accumulate from sand and silt carried in saltation

Depositional features of wind :-

i) Sand hill:- Mounds of sand whose surface in irregular is called sand hill.
ii) Sand dune:- When the mound is in the form of a round hillock or a ridge with crest it is called a
sand dune.

Types of dunes
i) The crescentic dunes:-A crescentic dunes is characterized with two slopes in such a way that the
windward slope is convex and rises gently between 7degree and 20 degree. It has a leeward slope
or downward starts abruptly. The downward slope has two well defined parts the slip face the
cusps
ii) Barchans dunes:- These are the simplest of crescentic dunes with a typically half moon shape
developed by wind blowing in the same direction for considerable length of time with some
changes in the direction of wind the simple outline of the barchans half moon shape is destroyed.
iii) Seif:- It is similar to barchans except one wing is missing caused by an occasional shift in wind
direction
iv) Transverse dune :- Elongated dune form at right angles to the prevailing
Loess:

Wind blown deposits of silt and clay grade particles. Typical loess is unconsolidated, un satratified and
porous accumulation of particles of the size range 0.01-0.05mm diameter.