Lithification

(geology) Conversion of a newly deposited sediment into an indurated rock. Also known as lithifaction. Compositional change of coal to bituminous shale or other rock.

For more information on lithification, visit Britannica.com.

Processes by which loose sediments are converted into hard rock. These processes include the expulsion of air from the sediments or the suffusion into the rock of cementing agents in solution, like quartz.

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007)

Lithification (from the Greek word lithos meaning 'rock' and the Latin-derived suffix -ific) is the process in which sediments compact under pressure, expel connate fluids, and gradually become solid rock. Essentially, lithification is a process of porosity destruction through compaction and cementation. Lithification includes all the processes which convert unconsolidated sediments into sedimentary rocks. Petrification, though often used as a synonym, is more specifically used to describe the replacement of organic material by silica in the formation of fossils. Consolidation is a synonym for lithification.

See also

• Diagenesis
• Pressure

This geology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)