Answer
Sedimentary rocks are the most abundant type of rocks on Earth's surface due to how frequent the processes involved in their formation and preservation occur. These processes include weathering and erosion, transportation and deposition and compaction.
Work Step by Step
The process of weathering breaks down rocks and minerals on the Earth's surface into smaller fragments through physical, chemical, and biological processes. Erosion then transports these weathered materials, including rock fragments, soil particles, and organic matter, from their original location to another.Eroded materials are transported by various agents such as wind, water (rivers, streams, and oceans), glaciers, and gravity. These agents carry the sediment particles over long distances and eventually deposit them in different environments such as riverbeds, deltas, lakes, and ocean basins.As sediment accumulates in a particular location, the weight of the overlying layers causes compaction. The sediments become more tightly packed and gradually transform into sedimentary rocks. The process of cementation occurs when minerals in the water seep through the sediment and bind the particles together, forming a solid rock.
