There are actually three processes that move sediment, all involving a fluid: flowing water, blowing wind (air is a fluid), and ice movement by glaciers (also a fluid). The viscosity of the fluid determines what size of particle will be moved. Because of its low viscosity, wind will only move clay to sand size particles. Glacial ice, on the other hand, has a very high viscosity and can move house-size rocks. The particle sizes moved by water falls in between the extremes of wind and glaciers.
Picking up sediment and moving it to another area is known as sediment transport.
The transportation of sediment is called sediment transport. This process involves the movement of solid particles, such as sand, silt, and clay, from one location to another by various agents like water, wind, or ice. Sediment transport plays a crucial role in shaping landscapes, forming riverbanks, and creating deltas and beaches. It occurs through mechanisms such as erosion, suspension, and deposition.
The sediment transport by the rock cycle
Loss of edges in sediment grains refers to the rounding or smoothing of the grains' surfaces and corners due to physical processes such as abrasion, transport, and weathering. This process often occurs during sediment transport by wind, water, or ice, where grains collide with each other or with other materials. As a result, the sediment becomes more uniform in shape and size, which can influence the sediment's porosity, permeability, and overall geological characteristics. Rounded grains are typically indicative of longer transport distances compared to angular grains.
The process of weathering and the wearing away of rock into sediment is called "erosion." Erosion involves the breakdown and transport of rock materials due to natural forces such as wind, water, and ice. This process contributes to the formation of sedimentary layers and shapes landscapes over time. It plays a crucial role in the rock cycle by recycling materials from one geological form to another.
Picking up sediment and moving it to another area is known as sediment transport.
The process that involves wind moving loose sediment is known as wind erosion. Wind erosion occurs when strong winds pick up and transport loose particles of soil or sand, which can lead to the formation of features such as sand dunes.
Deposition is the process of sediment settling out of a transporting medium (such as water or wind) and coming to rest on the ground. It is described as the opposite of erosion because erosion involves the movement and transport of sediment away from a location, while deposition involves the accumulation and settling of sediment at a location.
Picking up sediment and moving it to another area is known as sediment transport.
The process of moving sediment to other places is called sediment transport. It can occur through erosion, where sediments are lifted and carried by wind, water, or ice to be deposited in new locations. Sediment transport plays a key role in shaping landscapes and ecosystems.
Diagenesis is the process that involves burial compaction and cementation of sediment.
The process is called lithification, which involves the compaction and cementation of sediment to form sedimentary rock.
The movement of sediment by wind is called aeolian transport, by water is called fluvial transport, and by gravity is called mass wasting or sediment gravity flow. Each process plays a significant role in shaping landforms and transporting sediment across different environments.
The first step of the lithification process is compaction, which involves the pressing together of sediment grains to reduce pore space and increase the density of the sediment.
The sediment transport by the rock cycle
When water slows down, it loses its ability to transport sediment. As a result, the sediment will settle out of the water and accumulate on the riverbed or seafloor. This process is known as sedimentation.
The process that creates sedimentary rock from sediment is called lithification. This process involves compaction, where the weight of overlying sediments squeezes the sediment grains together, and cementation, where minerals in the groundwater crystallize and bind the sediment grains together to form solid rock.