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Article: Sedimentation
- Article from:
- World of Earth Science
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Sedimentation
Sediments are loose Earth materials such as
sand
that accumulate on the land surface, in river and lakebeds, and on the ocean floor. Sediments form by
weathering
of
rock
. They then erode from the site of weathering and are transported by
wind, water, ice
, and
mass wasting
, all operating under the influence of
gravity
. Eventually sediment settles out and accumulates after transport; this process is known as deposition. Sedimentation is a general term for the processes of
erosion
, transport, and deposition. Sedimentology is the study of sediments and sedimentation.
There are three basic types of sediment: rock fragments, or clastic sediments; mineral deposits, ...