Lithifiöituneet

Lithifiöituneet is a geological term describing sedimentary rocks that have been transformed from loose sediments into solid rock by lithification, a diagenetic process that includes compaction, cementation, and mineral recrystallization. The term is used to denote rocks that have reached a fully consolidated state through these processes, distinguishing them from still-detached or partially lithified deposits.

During lithifiöituneet formation, grains are pressed closer together and bind with authigenic cementing minerals such as silica, calcite, dolomite, or iron oxides. This cementation reduces porosity and permeability relative to the original sediments, though residual pore spaces and secondary porosity may persist in places. The texture of lithifiöituneet can range from well-cemented sandstones and siltstones to more carbonate-rich lithified deposits, often showing features inherited from their depositional environments such as laminations, cross-bedding, or dispersed fossil content.

Lithifiöituneet form in a broad range of depositional settings, including braided rivers, deltas, and shallow-marine shelves. Burial depth, temperature, and pore-fluid chemistry control the mineralogy of the cement and the degree of compaction, leading to varying degrees of hardness and different diagenetic overprints such as dissolution or recrystallization. Their mineralogical makeup and fabric record the diagenetic history and the paleoenvironments of formation.

In stratigraphy and resource geology, lithifiöituneet are important as markers of depositional sequences and as potential hydrocarbon reservoirs or aquifers, depending on cement type and porosity distribution. They also provide insights into basin conditions at the time of burial. See also lithification, diagenesis, sedimentary rock.