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  • Cementation: How Sediment Becomes Solid Rock - Definition & Process
    The process you're describing is called cementation.

    Here's a breakdown:

    * Dissolving: Minerals in the surrounding environment, often carried in groundwater, dissolve.

    * Precipitation: As the water carrying these dissolved minerals moves through the sediment, conditions change (like a decrease in temperature or pressure), causing the dissolved minerals to precipitate out of solution.

    * Crystallization: The precipitated minerals crystallize, forming small crystals within the spaces between the sediment particles.

    * Gluing: These crystals act like glue, binding the sediment particles together into a solid mass.

    Overall, cementation is a crucial process in the formation of sedimentary rocks. It solidifies loose sediment into a hard, cohesive rock.

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