Fundamentals of Sedimentary, Igneous, and Metamorphic Rocks

📋 Course Outline

1. Sedimentary Formation
2. Sedimentary Structures
3. Depositional Environments
4. Sedimentary Fossils
5. Igneous Cooling
6. Igneous Composition
7. Igneous Textures
8. Metamorphic Agents
9. Metamorphic Minerals
10. Metamorphic Textures
11. Deformation Types

📖 1. Sedimentary Formation

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Weathering: The breakdown of rocks at Earth's surface through physical (e.g., freeze-thaw, exfoliation) or chemical (e.g., hydrolysis, carbonation) processes.
• Erosion: The removal and transportation of weathered rock fragments by agents such as water, ice, or wind.
• Transport: The movement of sediments by agents like rivers, glaciers, or waves, which causes grain size reduction (attrition, abrasion) and sorting.
• Deposition: The process where transported sediments settle when energy decreases, forming layers.
• Lithification: The transformation of loose sediments into solid rock via compaction (pressure) and cementation (mineral precipitation).
• Diagenesis: All chemical and mineralogical changes occurring after burial, including mineral recrystallization and stabilization, before metamorphism.

📝 Essential Points