1. Weathering: This is the process where rocks are broken down into smaller pieces. It can occur in several ways:
* Physical weathering: This involves mechanical forces like:
* Frost wedging: Water freezing and expanding in cracks, breaking rocks apart.
* Abrasion: Rocks grinding against each other due to wind, water, or ice.
* Thermal stress: Rapid temperature changes causing expansion and contraction, leading to cracks.
* Chemical weathering: This involves chemical reactions that change the composition of rocks. Examples include:
* Dissolution: Certain minerals dissolving in water.
* Oxidation: Iron reacting with oxygen to form rust.
* Hydrolysis: Water reacting with minerals, changing their composition.
2. Erosion: Once weathered, the rock fragments are transported away from their original location by wind, water, or ice.
3. Deposition: The transported rock fragments eventually settle in a new location, often in a body of water like a lake or ocean. This process is called deposition.
4. Compaction and Cementation: Over time, the layers of deposited sediment accumulate and are buried under more sediment. This pressure causes:
* Compaction: The weight of the overlying sediment squeezes out water and air from the sediment, making it denser.
* Cementation: Dissolved minerals in groundwater precipitate between the sediment particles, acting like glue and binding them together.
5. Lithification: The combination of compaction and cementation turns the loose sediment into solid rock, completing the transformation from igneous or metamorphic rock to sedimentary rock.
It's important to note: While the process generally involves breaking down igneous or metamorphic rocks, sedimentary rocks can also be formed from pre-existing sedimentary rocks that undergo the same weathering, erosion, deposition, and lithification processes.
