Sedimentmaterial

Sedimentmaterial is a term used to refer to solid particulate matter produced by weathering and erosion, or by biological and chemical processes, that is transported by wind, water, ice, or gravity and eventually deposited. Before they lithify into rock, these materials are described as sediments or sedimentary particles.

Classification commonly divides sedimentmaterial into clastic (detrital) sediments, chemical sediments, and biogenic sediments. Clastic sediments include gravel, sand, silt, and clay derived from mechanical breakup of rocks. Chemical sediments form from mineral precipitation, evaporation, or chemical reactions; biogenic sediments consist of accumulated organic remains such as shells or plant material.

Transport and deposition are controlled by energy conditions and environment. During transport, sorting and rounding occur; high-energy settings deposit coarser material (gravel in rivers or beaches), while low-energy settings retain fine particles (silt and clay in lakes or deep seas). Aeolian, fluvial, lacustrine, and marine environments each produce distinctive sedimentmaterial characteristics.

Properties of sedimentmaterial, including grain size distribution, mineralogy, porosity, and permeability, influence how fluids move and how well the material compacts and cements during diagenesis. Over time, burial and chemical changes convert sedimentmaterial into sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, shale, limestone, or evaporites.

In applied contexts, sedimentmaterial is a focus of geology, geomorphology, soil science, and civil engineering. Analyses typically include grain-size distributions, mineralogical composition, and organic or carbonate content, informing sediment budgets, coastal management, groundwater studies, and contaminant transport.