SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Every minute of every day, rocks are being worn down by wind and rain. Tiny grains of dirt, sand, mud and clay are worn off and washed into streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. When these tiny bits of sand and dirt settle to the bottom of the water, they are called sediment.

Minerals in the water and very tiny sea animals also get mixed in with the dirt and sand to form the sediment.

Every day more sediment piles on top of what is already there. After thousands and millions of years we end up with a really deep pile of sediment.

The weight and pressure from all the stuff on top turns the sediment on the bottom into sedimentary rock!

Click on the names of the sedimentary rocks below to see some neat pictures.