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.

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.

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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 minerals in the formation of fossils.

See also

• Diagenesis

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